Description

ACKLINGTON BRAINSHAUGH
NU 20 SW
Ruins of Church
7/17
or Chapel (formerly listed
3.12.69 as Priory (Chapel of St
II* Wilfred)
GV

Church or Chapel. Nave late C11 or C12; chancel C13 or C14. Nave squared
stone with some long blocks in lower courses, and irregular alternate quoins;
chancel slightly-poorer mansonry; cut dressings. Nave, formerly with 2-bay
south aisle,and chancel.
West end has lower jambs of narrow central window; north wall full height
but featureless. West part of chancel north wall is C19 rebuild; in east
part a blocked doorway with pointed head cut from two large blocks (c.f.
Bothal). East end is C18 graveyard wall apparently on old foundations.
South chancel wall shows priest's door with double-chamfered depressed arch;
jambs of large C14 window to the east and a smaller, perhaps low-side, window
immediately west.

Interior: Nave 9.1 x 4.8 metres; chancel 8.7 x 4.8 metres. Walls c.0.8
metres thick except for west end 0.95 metres. Moulded corbel at north-west
corner and sockets for braces to roof trusses in nave north wall; bases of
semicircular east respond and circular central pier of the south arcade.
Chancel has tall rear arch to blocked north door with semicircular arch above
lintel; an apparent keystone hints at post-medieval alteration; aumbry to
west.

South wall shows trefoiled piscina with remains of twin bowls; shouldered
inner jambs to C14 windows.

C19 concrete paving throughout with 1864 ledger slab to Tate family at west
end.

Historical note: A Premonstratension nunnery at 'Gysnes' (Guyzance) was
founded in early C12 by Richard Tison, and converted to a parochial curacy
before the Dissolution. Early documents mention both the 'capella monialum'
(monastery church) and the 'ecclesia de Gisyng' (church of Guyzance) so it is
hard to say which the present ruin represents; foundations to the south and
south-east suggest the buildings of a small religious house.
Scheduled Ancient Monument (NU 209032)

Listing NGR: NU2083703136

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17546458

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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