Farewell Priory, Benedictine priory in Farewell and Chorley, England
Farewell Priory was a religious complex with a church dedicated to St. Mary, alongside residential buildings for nuns and large areas of farmland in Staffordshire. The site also included water mills that operated on the grounds and served as an important source of income for the community.
A church leader named Roger de Clinton established the site in 1101 first as a monastery for monks, but later transformed it into a home for religious women. In the 16th century, the priory was dissolved and its assets were redistributed to support other religious institutions.
The nuns who lived here followed strict religious rules and spent their days in prayer and spiritual practices. At the same time, they ran farms and collected income from the lands around them, which kept the community financially independent.
The site today has no public access and the buildings are no longer visible, making it difficult to explore in person. Anyone interested in learning more can consult historical documents and medieval records stored at the Staffordshire County Record Office.
A powerful church official named Thomas Wolsey ordered the priory's closure in 1527 to transfer its wealth to Lichfield Cathedral. The money was used to support cathedral singers and staff members, showing how religious institutions could be reformed and their resources redistributed.
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