Monument record MDO8335 - Bindon Abbey, Wool

The ruins of an abbey built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, after the community of Bindon Abbey was relocated to this site from Little Bindon in 1172. The abbey was founded in 1149 by Willian of Glastonia for Cistercian monks. It was dissolved in 1539 and granted to Sir Thomas Poynings. A house built out of the ruins for Viscount Bindon was acquired by Humphrey Weld in 1641 and burnt down in the Civil War.

Bindon Abbey founded 1172 by Roger de Newburgh for Cistercian monks, replaced the earlier foundation at Little Bindon (see SY87NW2) and was finally dissolved in 1539. After the dissolution it was granted to Sir Thomas Poynings, and Coker refers to a fair house which was built by Thomas, Viscount Bindon out of the ruins of the abbey. It was acquired by Humphrey Weld in 1641 and burnt down in the Civil War, circa 1644. The greater part of the present abbey remains, including the church, chapter house and east range was built in the late 12th to mid 13th centuries and there is now little recognisable work of later date. <2-6>

The ruins of Bindon Abbey are generally as depicted on the RCHM plan. The eastern range in particular, from the north transept to the Day Room Dorter, is very overgrown and waterlogged, making identification of foundations difficult. Parts of the remaining walls are crumbling and falling, and the whole abbey remains are in poor preservation. Resurveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. from RCHM plan. <7>

Excavations in 1960 by Norman Field and Mr K C Jehan (Field and Jehan, 1962) confirmed that the tiled floor of the church had been lifted. A trench at the entrance to the chancel revealed a thin layer of powdery mortar on natural river gravel. A few scraps of tile were found in the mortar layer, none worthy of description. A grave orientated east-west and midway between the flanking walls of the Chancel was also recorded. Some pieces of inlaid tile were found in the filling of the grave.

Field, N H, 1962, Bindon Abbey, Wool, Dorset - a New Tomb, 86-88 (Article in serial). SDO21151.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 854868) Remains of (NAT) Bindon Abbey (NR) (Cistercian founded AD 1172) (NAT)

<2> Bohs, J M, 1966, The Abbey of Bindon (Monograph). SDO18232.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 404-406 (Monograph). SDO149.

‘(3) BINDON ABBEY, ruins (½ m. N.E.), stands in the grounds of 'Bindon Abbey', (7) below. The walls are of carstone rubble and carstone ashlar, the latter facing rubble composed mainly of flint, with decorative dressings of Purbeck stone. The abbey was founded in 1149, for Cistercian monks, by William de Glastonia at Little Bindon on the E. side of Lulworth Cove (Lulworth, West, (2)), and was colonised from Forde Abbey. The community was moved to the site of the present ruins in 1172 by Roger de Newburgh. The greater part of the buildings, including the Church, Chapter-house and E. range and Cloister, was erected in the late 12th to mid 13th centuries. A grant of 30 cartloads of lead in 1213 suggests the completion of roofs at that time, and a grant of timber by Henry III in 1238 was specifically for the church (Cal. Close Rolls 1237—42, 109). There is now little recognisable work of any later date. The abbey was finally dissolved in 1539 and then granted to Sir Thomas Poynings. Coker (Survey of Dorsetshire, 77) refers to a fair house which was built by Thomas, Viscount Bindon, out of the ruins of the abbey. Accounts (in D.C.R.O.) dated 1608 from Hugh Hoble for making and Snoock and Baskom for setting stone-mullioned windows 'about Byndon Gallery', including one at the N. end of six doubletransomed lights, show that it was, or then became, a house of some pretension. It was acquired by Humphrey Weld in 1641 and burnt down in the Civil War in c. 1644 (Hutchins I, 349).
In 1785 the account book of Thomas Weld (in D.C.R.O.) records taking down stone at Bindon abbey for work at Lulworth castle (Lulworth, East, (3). The present house, 'Bindon Abbey', was built in 1794–8.
The abbey has suffered extensive demolition particularly in regard to the church and the buildings S. and W. of the cloister, none of the walls now standing more than 8 or 10 ft. high, except at the W. end of the church. A view in Hutchins (1st ed. I, opp. 130), dated 1773, shows a nave arcade of four pointed arches still standing with a clearstorey above it, rather less than was recorded by Samuel Buck in 1733 (Hutchins I, 352); all this has now gone. The plan is of the usual Cistercian type with the Church on the N., the Chapterhouse and Dormitory range on the E., the Frater on the S. and the Cellarer's range on the W.
The interest of the remains lies chiefly in the plan and in certain details of the Chapter-house.
Architectural Description—The Church consisted of a short aisleless chancel, N. and S. transepts with two chapels on the E. side of each, and an aisled nave. The Chancel (32½ ft. by 28 ft.) has the walls standing some 4 ft. high but mostly exposed only on the inner face. In the N.E. angle is part of an angle-shaft with hold-water base and adjoining it the moulded angle of a recess or wall-arch in the E. wall. Against the S. wall is the lower part of a projecting pilaster with moulded angles. Of the Crossing (23½ ft. by 27 ft.) there remain only slight traces of the S. respond of the E. archway.
The North Transept (23½ ft. by 27½ ft.) has now no features. To the E. of it are two rectangular Chapels (11 ft. by 12¼ ft.) divided by a solid wall. Each has traces of vaulting shafts in the E. angles and an altar, and the S.chapel retains remains of the S. respond of the archway into it and of a double piscina in the S. wall. The South Transept (23½ ft. by 26¾ ft.) has, in the S. wall, a double recess with half-round arches and two chases for shelves in the dividing pier; further W. is a doorway to the Sacristy adjoining on the S., and W. of this is the start of the wall formerly supporting the night stairs to the Dorter. E. of the transept are two Chapels similar to those off the N. transept though with remains of vaulting shafts, an altar and a S. arch respond only in the S. chapel.
The Nave (121 ft. by 27 ft.) has, still standing some 25 ft. high, the remains of the deep W. respond of the N. arcade together with the adjoining portion of the W. wall, in which is the jamb of the W. window. Of the N. and S. arcades only the sub-base of the first pier on the N. and the moulded base of the fourth pier on the S. survive. The latter retains the matrix of an octagonal shaft. They show that the arcades were in seven bays on a module of some 14¼ ft. The remains of the base of the pulpitum suggest that the original structure was extended E. in the first half of the 14th century to fill most of the second and third bays. The two Aisles (11 ft. wide) are much destroyed except for parts at the W. end; both were divided by screen walls near the pulpitum. In the N. aisle are the remains of the matrix of a circular W. window, and in the S. aisle there are traces of the two entrances from the cloister and, in the W. wall, the jambs of a doorway of two chamfered orders.
The Cloister (90 ft. square) has now no remains of the arcade-wall in situ. Loose fragments include several bases of coupled shafts and a square base from an angle of the cloister arcade. The alley paving was taken to Lulworth castle (Hutchins 1st edn. I, 140).
The East Range has, next to the transept, a small Sacristy or Book-room. It has traces of a barrel vault, a doorway from the cloister and a second doorway from the chapter-house. In the E. wall was an arched recess. The Chapter-house (40 ft. by 23¼ ft.) projects to the E. of the range and is of two main bays with a narrow bay to the W. which was bridged for a cross passage above. The room was entered from the cloister by a central doorway between two low open arches on dwarf walls which thus cleared the intrados of the bridge behind; of these only part of the S. respond of the S. opening now remains (Fig. p. 418); it has three squat attached shafts with moulded bases and scalloped capitals. The bridge in the W. bay, carrying the passage over from the night stair to the Dorter, was supported on a broad arch of which the springing can be seen against the N. wall. The rest of the chapter-house was stone-vaulted in two bays with roll-moulded ribs, springing from grouped shafts in the middle and angle-shafts at the ends. The shafts (Plate 204) generally are recessed back in the wall so as not to interfere with the benches below; the shafts have moulded bases, and one capital, of enriched scalloped form, with enriched abacus, survives on each side. There are remains of two single-light windows in the E. wall and of one in each side wall in the projecting bay. The splays of the S. window are moulded and have lozenge enrichment. The chapter-house repeats the recessed shafts seen in the corresponding position in the mother-house of Forde Abbey and in both places thenormal Cistercian aisled plan is abandoned.
To the S. of the chapter-house is a parlour or passage-room probably leading to the Infirmary to the E. The jambs of the E. doorway remain with traces of others in the S. and W. walls. S. of the passage is a small room with a loop-window on the E. and a doorway in the S. wall; on the external face of the E. wall is a recess or locker. The rest of the ground floor of the range is occupied by a single apartrment, forming an undercroft to the Dorter, perhaps the novices' day-room; it is of five bays. It had a central row of columns and a groined vault; the moulded bases of three circular columns remain and the vault sprang from corbels against the walls. The doorway from the cloister has jambs of two recessed orders and to the S. are the chamfered jambs of a second doorway; in the E. wall are remains of a window between two blocked doorways. In the S. wall are remains of two windows. The Dorter occupied the floor above, but there are no remains of this nor of the Rere-dorter which perhaps extended to the E.
The South Range has been almost completely destroyed except for part of the wall towards the cloister. At its E. end are the lower steps of the day stair from the Dorter; adjoining them was the Warming House. To the W. of this was the Frater built at right-angles to the cloister, and beyond again to the W. were the kitchens, where fireplaces with ovens and various footings were uncovered in 1966, though these may represent post-mediaeval alterations. The West Range is much destroyed except for part of its E. wall and other fragments. The part N. of the entry had a vaulted undercroft, and traces of three bays with their vaulting- shafts survive.
Fittings—Brasses and Indents. Indent: in N. chapel of S. transept, of brass of Abbot Richard de Maners, c. 1310; Purbeck marble slab with indents for figure holding a crozier and border inscription in separate capitals: ABBAS : RICARDUS: DE [:] MANERS : HIC : TUMULATUR: AD:PANAS : TARDUS : DEUS : H[u]NC : SALVANS : TUEATUR (Plate 203). Coffin: in chancel, with shaped head. Coffin-lids: in chancel, (1) plain; in chapter-house, (2) with traces of cross; (3) with cross with enriched head and foliated stem; (4) ridged and carved on each side with a pair of wyverns with intertwined tails (Plate 203); probably all 13th-century. For grave with unmortared sides excavated at entrance to presbytery, see Dorset Procs. LXXXII (1961), 88. Monument: now in S. transept, in S. wall, recumbent figure (2¼ ft. long) (Plate 203) wearing monastic habit, with hands now broken clasped on breast, to one side a staff, perhaps part of crozier, feet resting against a block carved with two arched panels; figure on pedestal base, 13 ins. high, with top and base moulded on three sides; mid 14th-century figure and pedestal, all cut out of one stone, now fractured. Tiles: In quire, (Fig. p. 405, Nos. 16–18) set diagonally, 14th-century, much damaged. In frater, (ibid., Nos. 1–14) set parallel with N. wall in panels divided by plain borders, 13th-century; (15) 14th-century. Miscellanea: A number of moulded stones of various dates lie about the site.’

<4> Knowles, D, and Neville Hadcock, R, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 112, 116 (Monograph). SDO11249.

<5> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 93 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1980, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1977, 126 (Serial). SDO77.

‘L. J. Keen observed trenches dug at Bindon Abbey in the north transept and area to the north, during unblocking of land-drains. A large quantity of worn medieval floor-tiles was retrieved and ar dark green glazed plain mosaic floor-tile, probably thirteenth century in date. Mosaic tiles have not been recored from Bindon before, or from any Dorset site.’

<7> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 26-JUN-81 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<8> Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1989, Survey Work at Bindon Abbey, Wool, Dorset. 1. The Garden Features (Unpublished document). SDO176.

<9> Wessex Archaeology, 1989, Survey Work at Bindon Abbey, Wool, Dorset. 2. The Abbey Ruins (Unpublished document). SDO177.

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/1 (Index). SDO14738.

NORTH WEST CORNER OF NAVE, TAKEN FROM NORTH, BINDON ABBEY.

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/2 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF NAVE S AISLE WALL CHANCEL N AND S TRANSEPTS FROM WEST. BINDON ABBEY

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/3 (Index). SDO14738.

PISEINA VIA SOUTH WALL OF NORTH TRANSEPT TAKEN FRON NORTH, BINDON ABBEY.

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/4 (Index). SDO14738.

SOUTH WALL OF SOUTH TRANSEPT FROM NORTH, BINDON ABBEY.

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/5 (Index). SDO14738.

UNDERCRAFT OF DORTER FROM SOUTH WEST, BINDON ABBEY.

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/6 (Index). SDO14738.

CLOISTER GARTH AND REJECTORY SITE FROM SOUTH, BINDON ABBEY.

<16> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/7 (Index). SDO14738.

MOAT FROM SY85438681 LOOKING EAST, BINDON ABBEY.

<17> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F69/8 (Index). SDO14738.

LODGE OR ABBEY GATEWAY FROM WEST, BINDON ABBEY.

<18> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455143 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 25 2024 11:28AM