Andwell Priory

Andwell Priory stands in the quiet parish of Andwell, Hampshire. A small alien priory built by Adam de Port in the twelfth century, it once belonged to the great Benedictine abbey of Tiron in France. King Henry I confirmed its lands in a royal charter, linking it to the English crown. Later, William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, bought the priory from the French abbey and gave it to his new college at Winchester. Today only fragments remain of the original buildings. The surviving parts include the north, west and east flint walls of the church. Two modest doorways from the fourteenth century still mark the west range of the priory. The site was always small and little else has survived the centuries. Its history is tied to the Tiron monks who lived here briefly before the English took control. Visitors find a peaceful field where the old walls stand among modern farm buildings. The flint ruins blend with the landscape, showing how modest the priory once was. Two old doorways hint at the daily life of the monks who once walked these paths. The place feels quiet, with only the wind and distant farm noises breaking the stillness.