West Dereham Abbey

West Dereham Abbey was an abbey in Norfolk, England.^[1]

St Mary's

Premonstratensian

order.
The canons were to pray for the souls of the founder and his parents, his brothers and sisters and all his relatives and friends. It was surrounded by a moat and was to become one of the larger religious houses in Norfolk, with up to twenty six canons in the late 13th century, and was also quite wealthy, with extensive estates.^[2]

The last recorded Bishop's visitation took place 10 August 1503. Bishop Redman of Ely found several insufficiently taught; therefore he recalled Brother Robert Watton from the university, to be joined in office with the prior, and diligently to teach his brethren. Thomas Fychele was removed from the subpriorship for his negligence in his duty; otherwise the condition and discipline of the house were good.

Leading up to the

Cromwell

for the lands for himself. However, following the

Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, the site and associated lands were granted by Henry VIII to Thomas Dereham of Crimplesham

.

A house built on the site in the later 16th century was altered and extended in the 1690s by

cropmarks on aerial photographs, as can other earthworks and fishponds.^[3]

References

^ "West Dereham Abbey" The National Archives. Retrieved 2017-09-30.
^ British History Online
^ P. Aldridge (NLA) 2007

References

Further reading