Sopwell Priory
Encyclopedia
Sopwell Priory was built c. 1140 in Hertfordshire
, England
by the Benedictine abbot of St Albans Abbey, Geoffrey de Gorham
. It was founded as the Priory of St Mary of Sopwell and was a cell of St Albans Abbey.
Juliana Berners
was the prioress during the 15th century, believed to be the author of the Boke of St Albans published in 1486.
Following the dissolution
of St Albans Abbey in 1539, Sopwell Priory was bought by Sir Richard Lee
(a military engineer and commander of King Henry VIII
). He tore the priory down and built a house which he named Lee Hall on the site. The house was later renamed Sopwell House, the ruins of which remain today along Cottonmill Lane near the centre of St Albans
.
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by the Benedictine abbot of St Albans Abbey, Geoffrey de Gorham
Geoffrey de Gorham
Geoffrey de Gorham , sometimes called Geoffrey of Dunstable or of Le Mans , was a Norman scholar who became Abbot of St Albans Abbey, 1119 to 1146.-Life:...
. It was founded as the Priory of St Mary of Sopwell and was a cell of St Albans Abbey.
Juliana Berners
Juliana Berners
Juliana Berners , English writer on heraldry, hawking and hunting, is said to have been prioress of Sopwell nunnery near St Albans...
was the prioress during the 15th century, believed to be the author of the Boke of St Albans published in 1486.
Following the dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
of St Albans Abbey in 1539, Sopwell Priory was bought by Sir Richard Lee
Richard Lee (engineer)
Sir Richard Lee was a military engineer in the service of Henry VIII of England, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. He was a commander of Henry VIII of England| and appointed surveyor of the King's works.-Surveyor of Calais:...
(a military engineer and commander of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
). He tore the priory down and built a house which he named Lee Hall on the site. The house was later renamed Sopwell House, the ruins of which remain today along Cottonmill Lane near the centre of St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
.
