Wix Priory (EHER 3023)

Site of Benedictine priory, founded 1123-1135. Excavations in 1961 revealed the chancel foundations and a stone coffin. Excavations following the discovery of stone coffin in 1961 revealed the footings of priory buildings in the field immediately to the east of the church (see illustrated card). The main structure appeared as a rectangle about thirty feet by fifty feet. Excavation revealed only slender footings, about 12 inches depth of packed gravel and stone, sometimes incorporating septaria fragments.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Site of Site of (NAT) Priory (NR) Benedictine priory <1>, Priory of St Mary founded 1123- 1135 and dissolved in 1525 <2>. Wix Priory, dedicated to St. Mary was founded during the reign of King Henry I by Walter Mascherell and his brother Alexander de Waham (or Wix), at the request of their sister Edith, as a convent for Benedictine Nuns. All that now remains are parts of the west wall, and North arcade of the present church of St Michaels.<3> <4> Excavations in 1961 revealed the chancel foundations and a stone coffin. <5> <6> <7> Late in October, 1961, Mr. G. K. Mitchell, of Wix Abbey, reported to the Colchester and Essex Museum the discovery of a stone coffin, in a field to the east of the Church of St. Mary, Wix. To level the field Mr. Mitchell had bulldozed one to three feet of the surface from that part of the field near the western boundary-the churchyard fence, and spread it over the eastern portion of the field. During this work the broken portions of a coffin lid were discovered. The field was later deep-ploughed and this operation revealed a stone coffin, and, upon investigation, many wall foundations were seen in the area. The coffin and its contents were taken to the Colchester and Essex Museum where the skeleton was removed and studied. <3> Excavations following the discovery of stone coffin in 1961 revealed the footings of priory buildings in the field immediately to the east of the church (see illustrated card). The main structure appeared as a rectangle about thirty feet by fifty feet. Excavation revealed only slender footings, about 12 inches depth of packed gravel and stone, sometimes incorporating septaria fragments. The only traces of foundation courses were very large blocks of septaria and ironstone on the line of the north wall where it entered the bank of the churchyard; mortared footings were found at the corresponding position along the south wall. The latter appeared to be a buttress and, together with the presence of the extremely large boulders of the north wall, may denote that the structure here was designed to carry greater weight, as of a tower to the west of the investigated area. All superstructure and the floor level within the building had disappeared ; the floor would have been at a higher level than the field before it was bulldozed. <3> A ground resistivity survey made in 1994 revealed the position of the early chancel, a chapel to the south, the southern transept, the chapter house of the priory and the possible site of the infirmary. <8> Air photograph taken by I. McMasters in 1974 shows original extent of Priory Church <9> Additional aerial photographs refs: <10> <11> <12> <13> Additional reference <14> Marked on NMR<15>