Summary
The monument includes the buried, upstanding and earthwork remains of Burton Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey founded in 1002.
Reasons for Designation
Burton upon Trent Abbey, which includes the buried and earthwork remains of the abbey founded in 1002, with some upstanding cloister walling, is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: the monument includes the standing, buried and earthwork remains which depict the form, plan and architectural detail of the Benedictine abbey;
* Potential: the buried remains of the abbey retain considerable archaeological potential to increase our understanding of the physical characteristics of the monastic buildings. Buried artefacts and sediments will also have the potential to increase our knowledge of the social and economic functioning of the Benedictine community within the wider medieval landscape;
* Group value: for the strong group value with the Grade I listed Church of St Modwen and both The Abbey (Grade II*) and The Manor (Grade II) which provide a visual context and further contribute to the understanding of the site.
History
From the time of St Augustine's mission to re-establish Christianity in AD 597 to the reign of Henry VIII, monasticism formed an important facet of both religious and secular life in the British Isles. Settlements of religious communities, including monasteries, were built to house communities of monks, canons (priests), and sometimes lay-brothers, living a common life of religious observance under some form of systematic discipline. It is estimated from documentary evidence that over 700 monasteries were founded in England. These ranged in size from major communities with several hundred members to tiny establishments with a handful of brethren. They belonged to a wide variety of different religious orders, each with its own philosophy. As a result, they vary considerably in the detail of their appearance and layout, although all possess the basic elements of church, domestic accommodation for the community, and work buildings. Monasteries were inextricably woven into the fabric of medieval society, acting not only as centres of worship, learning and charity, but also, because of the vast landholdings of some orders, as centres of immense wealth and political influence. Many monasteries acted as the foci of wide networks including parish churches, almshouses, hospitals, farming estates and tenant villages. Benedictine monasticism had its roots in the rule written about AD 530 by St Benedict of Nursia for his own abbey at Monte Cassino. Benedict had not intended to establish an order of monasteries and wider adoption of his rule came only gradually. The first real attempt to form a Benedictine order came only in 1216. The Benedictine monks, who wore dark robes, came to be known as ‘black monks’. These dark robes distinguished them from Cistercian monks who became known as ‘white monks’ on account of their light-coloured robes. Over 150 Benedictine monasteries were founded in England. As members of a highly successful order many Benedictine houses became extremely wealthy and influential. Their wealth can frequently be seen in the scale and flamboyance of their buildings. Benedictine monasteries made a major contribution to many facets of medieval life and all examples exhibiting significant surviving archaeological remains are worthy of protection.
Burton upon Trent abbey was founded in 1002 by Wulfric Spot and was originally dedicated to St Modwen, an Irish abbess who is thought to have travelled to England in the C7. A dedication to both St Modwen and St Mary are noted throughout the C12 and C13 and continued up until the abbey’s dissolution. The abbey was relatively small in size, with seemingly no more than about thirty monks present at any given time during its existence. Despite this, the abbey was the most affluent religious house in Staffordshire, with its revenues more than double of the next wealthiest house in the county. This was possible in part due to its important situation next to a river crossing and a main road, with several monarchs visiting over the centuries.
The abbey at Burton was understood to contain a church at its north end, at the rough location of the early-C18 church of St Modwen which stands today, with a cloister directly to the south of roughly 100 feet square. Rooms to the west of the cloister were for the use of the Abbot, with a refectory situated to the south. A chapter house was located to the east of the cloister, with a garden beyond to the east. A detached infirmary and chapel were located to the south-east of the main claustral range, which partly survives in the building known as The Abbey.
The abbey was abandoned during the dissolution of the monasteries in the C16, with the buildings subsequently passing into the ownership of the Paget family. In the following centuries, the former abbey was poorly maintained, with the majority of the buildings left to decay. An historic engraving of the former abbey in the late-C18 shows the former infirmary which had been partly demolished by this time.
Details
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: the earthworks and buried remains of Burton Abbey are situated in the centre of Burton upon Trent on the west bank of the river. The majority of the remains are buried with some upstanding walling surviving to the east of Burton upon Trent market hall.
DESCRIPTION: the monument includes the buried remains, earthworks and upstanding remains of Burton upon Trent Abbey. The monument covers an area totalling just over an acre with some slight earthworks visible along the river bank. Upstanding walling survives to the east of the present market hall which comprises the east cloister wall of the abbey with arched openings to the former chapter house and parlour visible. Beyond this to the east are the partial remains of a built structure, believed to have been a folly likely constructed in the C18. The former folly is constructed of random rubble sandstone and stands at approximately 2.5 metres tall at its highest point. Further to the east slight earthworks have been identified in the former garden area including several shallow hollows in the landscape, one at 45 metres in length running parallel to the river.
Elsewhere the abbey remains are buried completely and have since been built over, with much of the cloister and Abbot’s rooms now occupied by the C19 market hall. The remains of the abbey’s infirmary and chapel partly survive and were converted to a dwelling in the C19, known as The Abbey (listed Grade II*). Remains of a chamber block constructed in the C14 are contained within a dwelling known as The Manor (listed Grade II). These buildings are not included in the scheduling.
EXCLUSIONS: there are a number of exclusions from the scheduling. These include The Abbey (listed at Grade II*), The Manor and former coach house (Grade II) and the Market Hall (Grade II). All other modern upstanding buildings along with modern roads, pavements and other surfaces, modern boundary walls, balustrades, fencing and railings, lamp posts and road signs are also excluded. The ground beneath all these features is, however, included in the scheduling.
