THE PRIORY, DEDICATED TO ST MARY, WAS FOUNDED IN 1148-54 AS A DOUBLE HOUSE OF CANONS AND NUNS OF THE GILBERTINE ORDER, PERHAPS BY ROBERT DE GRESLEY OR HIS SON. ITS SECULAR ENDOWMENT WAS CONCENTRATED LOCALLY, AND ITS SPIRITUALITIES WERE ONLY A LITTLE MORE SCATTERED. IT WAS RELATIVELY PROSPEROUS. THE PRIORY WAS DISSOLVED IN 1538, AD A SUBSTANTIAL POST-DISSOLUTION HOUSE (SIXHILLS GRANGE) , MUST HAVE EXISTED ON THE SITE ACCORDING TO DOCUMENTARY SOURCES. THE REMAINS OF THE PRIORY ARE POOR, CONSISTING OF ONLY A SINGLE FIELD OF EARTHWORKS AROUND THE EXISTING FARM AND TRACES OF FORMER EARTHWORKS VISIBLE ON APS IN THE ARABLE FIELDS TO THE E, SW AND S. THROUGHOUT THERE IS A COMPLEX PATTERN OF BANKS, DITCHES AND SCARPS, MANY OF CLEARLY NOT CONTEMPORARY AND SOME DIRECTLY IDENTIFIABLE WITH FIELD AND CLOSE BOUNDARIES ON C19 ESTATE MAPS. MOST DEFY DETAILED INTERPRETATION AND AT THE SAME TIME CONFUSE THE OVERALL PICTURE. FOR MORE DETAIL SEE CHANGE AND CONTINUITY. {1} THE FIELD TO THE NORTH OF THE PRIORY SITE HAS THE COURSE OF AN OLD ROAD SHOWING CLEARLY. THERE WAS ONE AREA WITH COBBLES, BONE AND C13 TO C18 POTTERY. {5} THERE IS SOME OF THE STONEWORK FROM THE PRIORY IN 'THE NUNNERY' IN SIXHILLS VILLAGE. {7}, HTM 75 M