Wolston Priory, Benedictine priory and archaeological site in Wolston, England
Wolston Priory is a Benedictine priory and archaeological site in Wolston that survives today as a historic house constructed from red sandstone and timber framing from multiple periods. The building displays a central two-story block with a tall gabled roof section, accompanied by a three-story chamber wing and additional western extension.
The priory was founded between 1086 and 1194 when Hubert Boldran received land granted to the Benedictine Abbey of St-Pierre-sur-Dives. By the 1390s it had weakened and passed to the Carthusians at Coventry before eventually being dissolved.
The cellar once housed a secret press that produced the Martin Marprelate tracts, pamphlets criticizing the Anglican Church's leadership structure. This hidden space became a place where people risked printing controversial religious ideas.
The site today functions as a private historic house with visible architectural features spanning several centuries of development. Access may be limited as it remains a residential property, so visitors should check availability before planning a visit.
The building became known as Priory Farm and housed one of the most controversial printing operations of the early modern period hidden in its cellar. This secret activity transformed it into an overlooked yet significant site of religious resistance during a turbulent era.
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