Monument record MLI50005 - Newsham Abbey, Brocklesby

Summary

The Abbey of St Mary and St Martial at Newhouse, or Newsham, was a Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1143.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

PRN 50005 The Premonstratensian abbey of Newhouse, or Newsham, dedicated to St Mary and St Martial, was founded in 1143 by Peter of Goxhill. It was the first house of the Order to be established in England and was colonised from the abbey of Licques near Calais in France. Between 1147 and 1200 some 100 canons left Newsham to colonise new houses in England. The house was suppressed in 1536. Extensive earthworks cover the area of the abbey precinct and there is a scatter of building material and grassed over foundations at TA 1298 1339. {1}{4} The remains at Newsham Abbey comprise a number of earthworks. The precinct is partly surrounded by a large ditch and bank of which only a small part fell within the survey area. This western bank also represents the parish boundary between Brocklesby and Ulceby. On the south side is a small stream, later enlarged as Newsham Lake. In woodland to the east of the site there are a number of earthworks that may relate to former monastic buildings. The area is undulating and has clearly been subjected to stone-robbing. Some antiquity for the earthworks is confirmed by the presence of very large tree stumps that once had grown on the earthworks. The abbey church is believed to have been located on the site of the former Newsham Cottage (PRN 54863). A square pit at this location has at its base an in-situ medieval pier base, and a number of areas of carved masonry have been previously noted. {5} At TA 1215 1185 the survey identified an earthwork bank, forming the continuation of a north to south bank to Newsham Abbey. Just to the west of this was a near circular depression about 50m diameter and 3 to 4m deep. This depression was surrounded by a bank about 8m wide with a shallow external ditch. The survey also noted a possible entrance further to the east. {8} Tile pits are recorded in the late twelfth century and the thirteenth century at Habrough (North-East Lincolnshire) in the place names ‘Tigelpittes’ and ‘Tygelpitgate’. It is likely that there were also tile kilns there at this time. Given the date of the place name evidence it is possible that the tile making site at Habrough may be linked to the monasteries at Newsham and Nuncotham, and perhaps Thornton (North Lincolnshire) too. {9}{10}

Sources/Archives (10)

  •  Index: OS CARD INDEX. BROCKLESBY. TA 11 SW 6,1963, SEAMAN B H.
  •  Index: SMR FILE. BROCKLESBY. TA 11 SW H -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. VOL 2, P199-202.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - Second Edition. pp.185, 190.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn. 1991. Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire. ARCHIVE NOTES.
  •  Aerial Photograph: J.K.S. St Joseph. 1945-79. Cambridge University Collection. FO71-72,1951, .
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TA1213:LI.283.11.1-6,1993, .
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 1999. Archaeological and Historical Survey of Parts of the Brocklesby Estate. CGL98.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1991. The Place-Names of Lincolnshire, Part 2. 2. p.147.
  •  Electronic Communication: Miller, Keith. 2011. Information from Keith Miller. -.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TA 1288 1327 (608m by 684m) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish BROCKLESBY, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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