St Benets Abbey, Holm

In the civil parish of Horning. In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).

Camden writes "decaied great Abbay called Saint Benet in the Holme, which Knut the Dane built, and the monkes afterward so strengthned with most strong wals and bulwarks that it seemed rather a Castle than a Cloister. In so much that William the Conquerour could not winne it by assault, untill a monke betraied it into his hands upon this condition, that himselfe might be made Abbot thereof. Which was done accordingly: but forthwith this new Abbot for beeing a traitour (as the inhabitants make report) was hanged up by the kings commandement, and so justly punished for this treason." Of these possible C11 fortifications there seems to be no remains but a late C14 gatehouse and part of a crenellated precinct wall does survive. Licence to crenellate issued 1327.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1327 Oct 23.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 224372; 224373; 224374; 224375)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TG383156

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape Defra ELS number; 133454, 503097 County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number; 5199

• Web site links
  • http://www.norfarchtrust.org.uk/stbenets/index.htm
    http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF5199
• Books
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus, and Wilson, B., 1997, Buildings of England: Norwich and north-east Norfolk (Penguin) p561-2
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longmans) p56, 75, 481
    Cox, J.C., Rev., 1906 "The Abbey of St Benets of Holm", VCH Norfolk Vol2 p330-336
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Rudd, W.R., 1914, Norfolk Archaeology Vol18 p.xxxi-xxxiii
    Loftus-Brock, E.P., 1880, 'The Abbey of St Benet at Holm' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol36 p15-21
• Guidebooks
  • Snelling, J., 1971 (revised 1997), St Benets Abbey [guidebook available in Horning church]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/norfeng.html#norf10]