Barnstaple Priory

The Priory of St Mary Magdalene in Barnstaple was a significant monastic institution established in Devon, England, around 1107. Its foundation is attributed to Juhel de Totnes, a feudal baron who had previously founded Totnes Priory and was expelled from his barony. Barnstaple Priory belonged to the influential Cluniac order and was dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, a common dedication for religious houses.

Location and Endowments

The priory was strategically located on land just outside the town walls of Barnstaple, extending from the North Gate to the East Gate, with the River Yeo defining its northern perimeter. Juhel de Totnes endowed the priory with substantial lands, including portions of the demesne land of Barnstaple Castle and the manors of Pilton and Pilland. These endowments also encompassed valuable resources such as fishing rights on the Rivers Taw and Yeo, and the Barnstaple town mill, which provided a consistent revenue stream through mandatory grinding of corn by local inhabitants. The Church of St Peter in Barnstaple, the town's Saxon church and now the parish church, along with the Chapel of St Sabinus, were also granted to the new priory.

Dissolution and Later History

Following the widespread Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII, Barnstaple Priory ceased to exist as a monastic entity. The King initially leased the priory and its possessions, later granting them outright to William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham. The lands associated with the priory remained within the Howard family until the early 17th century, when they began to be sold off piecemeal. The Vicarage House, originally built by the Prior and Convent in 1311 at the priory's entrance, underwent significant rebuilding during the Civil War and later renovations in the 19th century.