Kilve Chantry
Ruined chantry chapel in Kilve, Somerset, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kilve Chantry was a religious site in Kilve, Somerset, England.
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 Interactive map of Kilve Chantry | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1329 |
| Disestablished | Late 14th century |
| People | |
| Founder | Simon de Furneaux |
| Site | |
| Location | Kilve, Somerset, England |
| Grid reference | ST146440 |
The Chantry was founded in 1329, when a brotherhood of five monks was employed to say Mass for their founder, Simon de Furneaux.[1] The Roll of Incumbents shows that several successive chantry priests were incumbents of Kilve parish. It was dissolved in the late 14th century.[2] The chantry seems to have fallen into a ruin long before the dissolution of the chantries, and for centuries it served as a barn for the adjacent farm.[3]
The building stayed in use for many years, possibly by smugglers, until a fire in 1848,[4] caused by an attempt to destroy evidence of contraband brandy.[5] Some parts of the chantry complex have survived intact and are now 'Chantry' and 'Priory Cottages', but the large solar wing is now ruined.[6]
It is now a Grade II* listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument,[2] which is listed on English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register as "very bad" with a priority rating of "A", the highest possible.[7]
