Monument record MDO1493 - Benedictine priory at Loders Court, Loders

An alien Benedictine priory founded in the reign of Henry I, and dissolved circa 1414, when it was granted to Syon Abbey. Loders was dependent on Montebourg and was one of the larger alien priories with possibly 5 or 6 monks. Its income in 1387 exceeded £70. The monastic buildings seem to have stood to the North of the church, and some rubble walling in the cellars of Loders Court may be the fragmentary remains of the Priory. The church [apparently originally the Priory Church] is still in use.

The manor was a possession of the alien Priory from 1137 until C1414, and from then until the dissolution the property of Syon Abbey. In 17 Eliz I it was granted to the Bishop of Salisbury, and in 1648 it passed temporarily into secular hands. The mansion-house was formerly leased to the Brownes and Larders, with other demesnes of the manor. The Brownes were in occupation in the 16thc and the Larders in the 17th century. Not far from the church are the remains of an ancient stone building supposed to have been the priory house. <1> The present house of Loders Court stands on the [area of the] Priory. <4> A lesser alien Benedictine house, dissolved in the 15thc or earlier, with an income exceeding £100. <5> The Priory was dissolved with other alien houses in 1411. The monastic buildings seem to have stood to the N. of the church, and some rubble walling in the cellars of Loders Court may be the fragmentary remains of the Priory. The church [apparently originally the Priory Church] is still in use. Loders Court was almost entirely rebuilt at the end of the 18th century and has modern additions on the East. Some rubble walling in the cellars may be the remains of Loders Priory. <6> Similar information; full ecclesiastical history, list of Priors etc. <8> Loders: An alien Benedictine priory founded temp. Hen I, and dissolved c. 1414, when it was granted to Syon Abbey. Loders was dependent on Montebourg and was one of the larger alien priories with possibly 5 or 6 monks. Its income in 1387 exceeded £70. Parts are still in ecclesiastical use. <9> The Manor House or Loders Court as it is now called twice descended to the level of a farmhouse. Parts of the South wall of the court are 13ft thick and I consider they are likely to represent the remains of the monastic house. From the cellar a passage begins to issue towards the church and midway between the cellar and the church is an air shaft. I see no reason why the Ordnance Survey should have its siting symbol situated where it is. Loders Court still carries Manorial rights. Sir Edward le Breton pointed out the portion of wall referred to in T4 but there was no opportunity for careful examination. It is a very short portion in the south wall and 8.0m from the South West corner of the court. The shaft and passage were also pointed out. They are situated at A. The majority of the walling in the cellars are brick but fragments of stone rubble walling occur in the South of the Western end of the Court. No dateable feature of antiquity was found. The walling may have been part of a manor house or part of a monastic building. The conventual church - now the parish church is still in use for divine service. The building referred to in <1> could not be traced. The concensus of opinion puts the priory buildings North of the church. There was no visible trace of antiquity at the point where the siting symbol is placed on OS 6" 1931. <7> Loders had chapels at Bradpole, Dottery and Uploders. It is not certain whether Lodersw as an early minster, or whether these characteristics of a mother church were assumed after its donation to Monteburgh. <10>

Record last edited

Dec 19 2022 10:42AM