Yeaveley Preceptory, Medieval religious ruins in Yeaveley, England
Yeaveley Preceptory is a medieval ruin in England whose surviving stone walls include sections of a chapel built in the early 13th century. The structure was surrounded by a water-filled moat fed by a stream, which enclosed and protected the site.
The site was founded in 1190 when Ralph Foun donated his Benedictine hermitage along with surrounding lands and resources to the Knights Hospitaller. This gift established the foundation for a long period of use as a pilgrimage station.
The preceptory served as a refuge and support station for the Knights Hospitaller, offering shelter and assistance to travelers and pilgrims moving through the region. This role made it a vital stopping point on medieval pathways across the landscape.
The site is defined by a clearly visible moat that separates the central structure from the surrounding landscape. The surviving walls are accessible from several points but allow only partial views of the original building layout.
The site operated fishponds for food production and a dovecote that generated income through the sale of pigeons during the medieval period. These farming structures reveal how the preceptory maintained self-sufficiency and created additional revenue streams.
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