Otham Abbey
Otham Abbey was a medieval monastic house in Polegate, East Sussex, England.
  Location within East Sussex | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Abbey of St. Mary and St. Laurence |
| Order | Premonstratensians |
| Established | c.1180 |
| Disestablished | 1526 |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Ralph de Dene |
| Site | |
| Location | Polegate, East Sussex, England |
| Coordinates | 50°49′47″N 0°15′07″E |
| Grid reference | TQ 588 057 |
| Visible remains | Chapel |
History
Otham Abbey was founded about 1180 by Ralph de Dene as the Abbey of St. Mary and St. Laurence. Ralph donated his land and chapel of Otham, together with other lands and rents, to establish a house of Premonstratensian canons. Other grants of lands and rents were to follow from other donors.
However, owing to the bleak and unhealthy location of Otham, it was decided to transfer the house some time shortly after 1208 to join a new monastery built at Bayham, in the north of the county, by Sir Robert de Turnham. Otham was retained as a grange and chapel.[1]
After a period of leasing out the land for farming, the establishment was finally dissolved in 1526. The site is now occupied by the Grade II listed Otteham Court, a T-shaped C15 timber-framed building, mostly refaced in red brick with a hipped tiled roof,[2] and a small 14th-century chapel dedicated to St Lawrence. The latter is a grade II* listed building.[3]
References
- "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 2". British History Online. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- Historic England. "OTTEHAM COURT, OTHAM COURT LANE (1353410)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- Historic England. "THE CHAPEL AT OTTEHAM COURT TO THE NORTH WEST OF THE HOUSE (1182639)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 November 2014.