The following is a list of the monastic houses in Cheshire, England.
| Foundation | Image | Communities & Provenance | Formal Name or Dedication & Alternative Names | Online References & Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Camera (?) | Knights Hospitaller church granted by Robert de Bachepuz considered to be a confusion with Barrow Camera in Derbyshire | Great Barrow Camera | |||
| Birkenhead Priory | Historical county location. See entry under | ||||
| Bromborough Priory | Historical county location. See entry under | ||||
| Chester Abbey + | tradition of very early foundation disputed ?nuns founded before 875; destroyed? in raids by the Danes 875; secular canons founded after 907, traditionally by Æthelflæd, daughter of King Alfred Benedictine monks refounded as an abbey 1092/3 by Hugh I, Earl of Chester; dissolved 1540; granted 1534/5; episcopal diocesan cathedral founded 1541; extant | The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Chester (-875) The Abbey Church of Saint Werburgh, Chester The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Chester (1541) | [5] [6] [7] [8] 53.1918°N -2.8902°W | ||
| Chester Abbey | secular canons? founded 689; destroyed? in raids by the Danes after 875; secular canons with associated anchorite cell; (?re)founded c.906-7?; part of the college of St John the Baptist; dissolved 1547; briefly episcopal diocesan cathedral, then co-cathedral with Coventry ?1072/5 until 1102; in parochial use from 1102 | The Abbey Church of Saint John the Baptist, Chester The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Baptist, Chester (1072/5-1102) | 53.189°N -2.8855°W | ||
| Chester Blackfriars | Dominican Friars (under the Visitation of Oxford) founded before 1236 by Alexander Stavensby, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield; dissolved 1538; granted to John Coke of London February 1544; site came into the possession of the Dutton family 1561 | [9] 53.188°N -2.8953°W | |||
| Chester Franciscan Friary, earlier site | Capuchin Franciscan Friars — from Pantasaph, Wales founded 21 December 1858 transferred to new site 1862 (see immediately below) | ||||
| Chester Franciscan Friary * | Capuchin Franciscan Friars — from Pantasaph, Wales founded 21 December 1858 at earlier site (see immediately above) transferred to new site 1862; church opened 29 April 1875; extant | St Francis | [10] [11] 53.1878°N -2.893°W | ||
| Chester Greyfriars | Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventual (under the Custody of Worcester) founded 1237/8 (1238–40) by Albert of Pisa; dissolved 1537 (15 August 1538); granted to John Coke | [12] [13] 53.1904°N -2.8966°W | |||
| Chester Friars of the Sack | Friars of the Sack founded before 1274; dissolved 1284; community probably died out before 1300 | [14] 53.1877°N -2.8995°W | |||
| Chester — St Michael's Monastery | uncertain order founded before 1162 Parish Church of St Michael, built 15th century; rebuilt by James Harrison 1849–50, currently in use as a Heritage Centre | St Michael | 53.1887°N -2.8907°W | ||
| Chester Whitefriars | Carmelite Friars founded 1279 (or before 1277) by Thomas Stadham; precinct granted 1289 to build their house; dissolved 15 August 1538; granted to John Coke (Cokkes) | [16] 53.1883°N -2.894°W | |||
| Chester Priory, earlier site | Benedictine? nuns founded before 1066; dissolved before c.1140; refounded on new site (see immediately below) | St Mary | |||
| Chester Priory # | Benedictine nuns (community founded at earlier site (see immediately above) before 1066); transferred here refounded c.1140 by Ranulph de Gernon (Randal), Earl of Chester; dissolved 1537 (c.1540(?)); granted to Urian Brereton and son; site excavated prior to construction of County Police Headquarters on site 1964 | The Priory Church of Saint Mary, Chester | [17] [18] [19] 53.1961°N -2.894°W | ||
| Combermere Abbey | Savignac monks — from Savigny founded 3 November 1133 by Hugh de Malbane, Lord of Nantwich; Cistercian monks orders merged 17 September 1147; dissolved 1538; granted to William Cotton, Esq. | The Abbey Church of Saint Mary and Saint Michael, Combermere | [20] 52.9939°N -2.6127°W | ||
| Curzon Park Abbey *, Chester | Benedictine nuns (community founded at Talacre, Wales, 1868); transferred from Talacre 1988; extant | The Abbey Church of Our Lady Help of Christians, Curzon Park, Chester | [21] [22] 52.9939°N -2.6128°W | ||
| Darnhall Abbey | Cistercian monks — from Abbey Dore, Herefordshire founded 14 January 1271 to February 1274 by Edward I; transferred to new site at Vale Royal 1281 | The Abbey Church of Saint Mary, Darnhall | [23] 53.1659°N -2.5483°W | ||
| Hilbre Island | Historical county location. See entry under | ||||
| Mobberley Priory # | Augustinian Canons Regular founded c.1203-4 (c.1206) by Patrick of Mobberley; annexed as a cell dependent on Rocester, Staffordshire 1228–40; manor house built on site 1625 (replacing earlier, ruinous house) | The Priory Church of Saint Mary and Saint Wilfrid, Mobberley ____________________ Modberley Priory | [24] 53.3183°N -2.3167°W | ||
| Norton Priory | Augustinian Canons Regular (community founded at Runcorn c.1115); transferred from Runcorn 1134 by William FitzWilliam third Baron of Halton; raised to abbey status 1391 (1422) (early in the reign of Henry VI or sooner); dissolved 1536; granted to Richard Brooke; part converted into private mansion 1545; demolished 1928; now in ownership of Norton Priory Museum Trust open to public as a museum | The Priory Church of Saint Mary at Norton ____________________ Norton Abbey | [25] [26] Greene, pp. 2–3, 65–72. Starkey, pp. 9, 35–40. 53.3425°N -2.6794°W | ||
| Poulton Abbey | Savignac monks — from Combermere site granted to Combermere 1146; Cistercian monks orders merged 17 September 1147; founded 1153 building possibly completed 12 May 1158; transferred to new site at Dieulacres, Staffordshire 1214 due to incursions by the Welsh; subsequently re-used as a monastic grange with chapel; dissolved; granted to William Cotton, Esq. (Sir George Cotton) c.1544; ruinous before 1672; demolished before 1718 | St Mary and St Benedict ____________________ Pulton Priory; Pulton Abbey | [28] [29] 53.1191°N -2.8925°W | ||
| Runcorn Priory | supposed monastic house founded c.912 by Æthelflaed of Mercia; Augustinian Canons Regular founded 1115 by William FitzNigel second Baron of Halton; transferred to new site at Norton 1134; possibly on site now occupied by All Saints parish church | St Mary and St Bertelin | Greene, p. 1. Starkey, p. 9. 53.3435°N -2.7366°W | ||
| Saighton Grange | Benedictine monks mainly agricultural grange converted to residential grange of the abbots of Chester 15th century; monastic site, apart from gatehouse, demolished 1861; house built on site; converted into a school named 'Abbey Gate College' 1977 | 53.1504°N -2.8343°W | |||
| Stanlow Abbey | Cistercian monks — from Combermere; founded 11 November 1172 by John FitzRichard, Constable and sixth Baron of Halton; transferred to new site at Whalley, Lancashire 1296; retained in use as a cell/grange dependent on Whalley from c.1350(?) until 1442; dissolved 1442?; granted to Sir Robert Cotton, Kt. c.1553; no substantial remains, site inaccessible | The Blessed Virgin Mary ____________________ Locus Benedictus de Stanlawe; Stanlaw Abbey; Stanlawe Abbey | [31] 53.29°N -2.86°W | ||
| Stanney Grange | Cistercian monks grange with resident monk, dependent on Stanlow and Whalley, Lancashire; founded 1172 | Cow Worth Grange | 53.2722°N -2.8844°W | ||
| Vale Royal Abbey | Cistercian monks (community founded at Darnhall 14 January 1274 to 1277); transferred from Darnhall 1281; never completed; a project of Edward I; dissolved 1545; granted to Thomas Holcroft c.1543 | Saint Mary the Virgin, Saint Nicholas and Saint Nicasius ____________________ Valeroyal Abbey | 53.2248°N -2.5425°W | ||
| Warrington Austin Friars | Augustinian Friars (under the Limit of Lincoln) founded before 1272? (built 1379?) on the site of an earlier hospital; dissolved 1539; granted to Thomas Holcroft 1540/1; church continued in use until 17th century | 53.3869°N -2.5935°W | |||
| Warburton Priory | Historical county location. See entry under | ||||