Remains Of Abbey Or Priory In Grounds Of The Monastery Garden

The remains of an abbey or priory lie within the grounds of The Monastery Garden. Dating probably to the 14th century, the walls were altered in the early 17th century for Sir William Paulet and Lady Beauchamp. The walls are constructed of dressed limestone and rubble stone, standing approximately 3 to 4 metres high with pitched or saddlebacked stone coping.

The northern enclosure is entered from the south via an 18th-century semi-circular arched gateway with moulded imposts and a keystone, topped with two pineapple urns. An angled northwest corner of this enclosure features a moulded stone, Tudor-arched doorway, likely dating to the 15th century.

The southern enclosure contains two features from around 1600: a pair of shell-headed niches with a strapwork-carved frieze and moulded cornice set into the west side, between the garden and the churchyard. There is also a two-bay loggia on the south wall, featuring channelled rustication to square piers and semi-circular arches with imposts decorated with pellets. A strapwork-carved frieze runs to a moulded cornice, topped with double gables. The rear of the loggia is canted out from the wall and covered with a Welsh slate lean-to roof. The interior has recessed wooden panelling and a wooden seat.

To the north of the Church of St Mary, St Katherine and All Saints, a section of the north wall retains the remains of a monastic building. This 40-metre length of ashlar wall incorporates cylindrical piers with conical cappings and moulded bases as buttresses, with pitched coping. The wall is a later addition to the piers, which may have originally formed part of the claustral buildings on the north side of the church, extending west towards The Priory.

William of Edington founded a chantry here in 1351, at a church formerly held by the Abbess of Romsey. The foundation was transferred to the Bonshommes and the present Church was dedicated in 1361. The monastic enclosure was initially to the north, and the walls are now all that remain, having undergone subsequent alterations and repairs. Following the Dissolution, the buildings and land were granted to Sir Thomas Seymour and later bought by Sir William Paulet, Marquis of Winchester, who likely created the garden features.

The site is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (No. 828).