Abbeys and priories in England
Encyclopedia
Abbeys and priories in England lists abbey
s, priories
, friaries and other monastic religious houses in England.
. Foundations are listed alphabetically within each county.
Communities/provenance: shows the status and communities existing at each establishment, together with such dates as have been established as well as the fate of the establishment after dissolution
, and the current status of the site.
Formal Name or Dedication: shows the formal name of the establishment or the person in whose name the church is dedicated, where known.
Alternative Names: some of the establishments have had alternative names over the course of time. In order to assist in text-searching such alternatives in name or spelling have been provided.
Monastic Glossary: following the listing, provides links to articles on the particular monastic orders as well as other terms which appear in the listing.
Bedfordshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Bedfordshire [ edit])
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Berkshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Berkshire [ edit])
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Bristol
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Bristol [ edit])
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Buckinghamshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Buckinghamshire [ edit])
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Cambridgeshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cambridgeshire [ edit])
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Cheshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cheshire [ edit])
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Cornwall
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cornwall [ edit])
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Cumbria
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cumbria [ edit])
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Derbyshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Derbyshire [ edit])
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Devon
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Devon [ edit])
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Dorset
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Dorset [ edit])
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County Durham
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Durham [ edit])
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Essex
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Essex [ edit])
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Gloucestershire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Gloucestershire [ edit])
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Greater Manchester
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Greater Manchester [ edit])
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Hampshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Hampshire [ edit])
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Herefordshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Herefordshire [ edit])
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Hertfordshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Hertfordshire [ edit])
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Isle of Wight
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses on the Isle of Wight [ edit])
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Kent
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Kent [ edit])
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Lancashire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Lancashire [ edit])
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Leicestershire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Leicestershire [ edit])
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Lincolnshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Lincolnshire [ edit])
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London
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in London [ edit])
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Merseyside
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Merseyside [ edit])
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Norfolk
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Norfolk [ edit])
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Northamptonshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Northamptonshire [ edit])
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Northumberland
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Northumberland [ edit])
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Nottinghamshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Nottinghamshire [ edit])
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Oxfordshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Oxfordshire [ edit])
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Rutland
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Rutland [ edit])
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Shropshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Shropshire [ edit])
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Somerset
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Somerset [ edit])
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Staffordshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Staffordshire [ edit])
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Suffolk
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Suffolk [ edit])
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Surrey
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Surrey [ edit])
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Sussex, East
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in East Sussex [ edit])
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Sussex, West
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in West Sussex [ edit])
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Warwickshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Warwickshire [ edit])
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West Midlands
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in the West Midlands [ edit])
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Wiltshire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Wiltshire [ edit])
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Worcestershire
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Worcestershire [ edit])
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Yorkshire, East Riding
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in the East Riding of Yorkshire [ edit])
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Yorkshire, North
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in North Yorkshire [ edit])
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Yorkshire, South
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in South Yorkshire [ edit])
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Yorkshire, West
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in West Yorkshire [ edit])
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Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
s, priories
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
, friaries and other monastic religious houses in England.
Article layout
The list is presented alphabetically by ceremonial countyCeremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
. Foundations are listed alphabetically within each county.
Communities/provenance: shows the status and communities existing at each establishment, together with such dates as have been established as well as the fate of the establishment after dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, and the current status of the site.
Formal Name or Dedication: shows the formal name of the establishment or the person in whose name the church is dedicated, where known.
Alternative Names: some of the establishments have had alternative names over the course of time. In order to assist in text-searching such alternatives in name or spelling have been provided.
Monastic Glossary: following the listing, provides links to articles on the particular monastic orders as well as other terms which appear in the listing.
BedfordshireBedfordshireBedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Bedfordshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
BerkshireBerkshireBerkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Berkshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Bristol [ edit]) Return to top of page
BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Buckinghamshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
CambridgeshireCambridgeshireCambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cambridgeshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cheshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cornwall [ edit])Return to top of page
CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Cumbria [ edit]) Return to top of page
DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Derbyshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Devon [ edit])Return to top of page
DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Dorset [ edit]) Return to top of page
County DurhamCounty DurhamCounty Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in County Durham [ edit]) Return to top of page
EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Essex [ edit]) Return to top of page
GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Gloucestershire [ edit]) Return to top of page
Greater ManchesterGreater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Greater Manchester [ edit]) Return to top of page
HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Hampshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
HerefordshireHerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Herefordshire [ edit])Return to top of page
HertfordshireHertfordshireHertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Hertfordshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses on the Isle of Wight [ edit]) Return to top of page
KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Kent [ edit]) Return to top of page
LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Lancashire [ edit]) Return to top of page
LeicestershireLeicestershireLeicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Leicestershire [ edit]) Return to top of page
LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Lincolnshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in London [ edit]) Return to top of page
MerseysideMerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Merseyside [ edit]) Return to top of page
NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Norfolk [ edit]) Return to top of page
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Northamptonshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
NorthumberlandNorthumberlandNorthumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Northumberland [ edit])Return to top of page
NottinghamshireNottinghamshireNottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Nottinghamshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Oxfordshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
RutlandRutlandRutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Rutland [ edit]) Return to top of page
ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Shropshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Somerset [ edit]) Return to top of page
StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Staffordshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Suffolk [ edit]) Return to top of page
SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Surrey [ edit]) Return to top of page
Sussex, EastEast SussexEast Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in East Sussex [ edit]) Return to top of page
Sussex, WestWest SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in West Sussex [ edit]) Return to top of page
Tyne & Wear
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear [ edit])Return to top of page
WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Warwickshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in the West Midlands [ edit])Return to top of page
WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Wiltshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in Worcestershire [ edit]) Return to top of page
Yorkshire, East RidingEast Riding of YorkshireThe East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in the East Riding of Yorkshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
Yorkshire, NorthNorth YorkshireNorth Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in North Yorkshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
Yorkshire, SouthSouth YorkshireSouth Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in South Yorkshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
Yorkshire, WestWest YorkshireWest Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
(For references and location detail see List of monastic houses in West Yorkshire [ edit]) Return to top of page
See also
- List of abbeys and priories
- Map link to county listings of monastic houses in England
- List of abbeys and priories in Scotland
- List of abbeys and priories in Wales
- List of abbeys and priories on the Isle of Man
- List of abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland
- List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland
- List of monasteries dissolved by Henry VIII of England
- List of cathedrals
- Listed buildings in England
- Christian monasticismChristian monasticismChristian monasticism is a practice which began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures. It has come to be regulated by religious rules Christian...
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