Relhan Collection : 18 Barnwell Priory. A bird’s eye view of the ruins from the Close. Spire of Chesterton Church on right

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>An Augustinian priory was founded 1092 by William Picot, Sheriff of Cambridge, on or near the later site of St Giles’ church. In 1112-1119 this was moved near to the modern Newmarket Road, where it flourished as a large religious establishment with numerous stone buildings providing food and a school for the local poor and sufficient comforts to attract royal visitors (in preference to their own castle (<b>69</b>) ). It became a centre of learning for Augustinian monks studying at Cambridge University, with a renowned library. Most of the buildings were looted and became ruinous after the Dissolution and the site had been an open quarry (eg for Corpus Christi College) for nearly 200 years when Relhan drew the remains. This view shows the site of the priory with a farmhouse before levelling in 1810-2. The only buildings which survive were the Cellarers Chequer (<b>14, 15, 16, 17</b>) and St Andrew the Less church (also known as Barnwell church and Abbey church, but there are architectural fragments and a stretch of the Priory precinct wall in the garden of Abbey House.</p><p>Haigh 1988; RCHME 1959; VCH 1948</p></p>