St Thomas the Martyr Upholland

A church formed from the chancel of a C14 priory
The Priory Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Up Holland has a long and chequered history. Its story begins with the foundation of a chapel by Sir Robert de Holland in 1307. This was serviced by two priests, but in 1310 he expanded it to become a Collegiate Chapel for thirteen Canons Regular. This proved unsuccessful, and by 1318 the church was found to be deserted. In 1319 de Holland took the advice of the Bishop of Lichfield and agreed to the building's foundation as a Priory of Benedictine monks. The energy of the Benedictines under Prior Thomas of Doncaster resulted in extensive development of the site. By 1323 the church was sufficiently prestigious for Edward II to stay there for two weeks. It has been suggested that a "T" shaped building was planned, with western transepts or perhaps west towers. Certainly the present nave - which was formerly the Priory's chancel - suggests a substantial structure was envisaged and constructed, though not finished. However, apart from this, only remains of the dormitory can still be seen. After the Reformation much of the Priory was used by the villagers for the repair and construction of their own properties.




By 1530 the Priory had declined to two scholars and two "aged and impotent folk", and complaints were made to the Bishop about the extravagant lifestyle of the occupants. Consequently there was little local protest when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the smaller monasteries in 1536. The Priory chapel then became a chapel of ease for Wigan parish church. In 1643 Parliament was about to make the chapel a distinct church with a parish, but Royal Assent was not granted due to the turbulence of the times. So, though the church performed the duties and services of a parish church, it did not receive that status until as late as 1882.

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[mps1305]

Great vid! I live nearby and didnt know it was that old!