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Langley Abbey

In the civil parish of Langley With Hardley.
In the historic county of Norfolk.
Modern Authority of Norfolk.
1974 county of Norfolk.
Medieval County of Norfolk.

OS Map Grid Reference: TG36260285
Latitude 52.57220° Longitude 1.48465°

Langley Abbey has been described as a probable Fortified Ecclesiastical site.

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

Description

Premonstratensian Abbey founded in 1195 and dissolved in 1536. The precinct was surrounded by a wet ditch with three entrances. Some of the remains, visible above ground, are included in the present farm buildings. Excavations in 1921 revealed the remainder of the ground plan. The cruciform aisled church had a tower at the West end. The presbytery was flanked by chapels extending East from the transepts, and an additional chapel, North of the North transept, extending the full length of the transept and presbytery. The claustral buildings were arranged to the South. These included the sacristy, chapter house, parlour, dorter and its sub-vault and warming house in the East range, the frater in the South range, and cellarium in the West range. The gatehouse adjoined the North part of the cellarium at an oblique angle. Remains of a furnace in the Presbytery was presumably built, at the dissolution, to melt lead from the roof. Extant remains of the Abbey buildings comprise the stable, part of the Gatehouse, the Cellarium with vaulted undercroft to the North, parts of the West and North walls of the Chapter House and the South-East corner of the Infirmary. The stable and Cellarium are both in good condition and are used as farm buildings. (PastScape)

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1346 Sept 15 (Click on the date for details of this licence.).

Comments

Abbot and Convent of Langeley issued licence to crenellate in 1346. Parker identifies this as Abbot's Langley, Hertfordshire. The VCH refers the licence to Langley Abbey, Norfolk. The licence was for a crenellated belfry, which can hardly have been defensive.
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:20:06

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