Summary

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of the correrie or lower house for the lay brothers of Hinton Priory which was founded in the early C13 and abandoned probably in the C14.

Source: Historic England

Details

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS
The correrie is situated in a woodland clearing, now the hamlet of Friary, within the valley of the River Frome. It occupies gently rising ground and is approached from the south-west by a track which descends steeply through Friary Wood and then bisects the site. To the west of the track the land rises steeply towards the wood.

DESCRIPTION
The earthwork and buried remains of the correrie are concentrated to the north-east, east and south of Woodman’s Cottage, in an area known as Old Church or Chapel Field (centred on ST 7885 5913). A number of slight earthworks are evident in this area, corresponding broadly with the location of earthwork and high resistance features recorded during the geophysical survey (Hawke, 2015 and Breeden, 2016). To the north-east of Woodman’s Cottage is a large rectangular platform which is defined by a scarp circa 0.1m high and measures some 50m by 30m. It corresponds closely with the buried remains of a rectangular range identified during the 2016 survey to the north-east of Woodman’s Cottage. This structure is aligned west to east and there is evidence for internal divisions which may relate to the individual cells of the lay brothers. It appears to form the north side of a courtyard or cloister. A linear feature, possibly a wall, is also visible aligned north-south as far as Holzern Lodge. It defines the east side of the courtyard. To the south of the rectangular range there appears to be a further building. The 2016 survey also revealed evidence for further features, including the possible corner of another building, adjacent to the western boundary to the boundary to Woodman’s Cottage, on the west side of the access road. During the late C20 large quantities of dressed stone were uncovered to the north-east and east of Woodman’s Cottage during agricultural work and the excavation of a service trench respectively. Further dressed stone is evident in the gardens of Woodman’s Cottage and River House (Whistler's Hollow on the current Ordnance Survey map) to the north-west. Groundwork in advance of the construction of an extension to the east gable end of Woodman's Cottage in the early C21 uncovered a section of walling some 3m wide which may relate to the larger building shown in this location on the 1785 estate map. Several smaller platforms or terraces are also visible to the south of Woodman’s Cottage and correspond to an area of amorphous high resistance anomalies and wall lines recorded during the geophysical surveys.

EXTENT OF MONUMENT
Although this is a nationally important site, we do not have sufficient evidence of significant archaeology in the western and northern parts of Friary to justify their inclusion in the scheduled area, nor sufficient certainty to include all the western and southern areas of the precinct within a scheduled monument. Should further evidence of archaeological survival and potential come to light, the extent of the scheduling may be reconsidered.

EXCLUSIONS
Woodman’s Cottage, Holzern Lodge, their outbuildings and boundary walls, the electricity and telephone poles, all fencing, gates and modern surfaces are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath these features, is however, included.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The earthwork and buried remains of the correrie or lower house to Hinton Priory, founded in the early C13, are scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: the site survives comparatively well and is largely unencumbered by modern development;
* Potential: for the stratified archaeological deposits which will increase our understanding of the character and occupation of the correrie, as well as the social and economic organisation of the Carthusian Order more generally;
* Rarity: it is a very rare and significant site being one of only two or possibly three confirmed correries in England;
* Documentation: the site is quite well-documented having been subject to research and geophysical survey;
* Association: for its strong historic relationship with Hinton Priory, an early Carthusian monastery and a scheduled monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Carver, M, In Search of Cult, (1992), 139-151
Dodge, A, Freshford. The History of a Somerset Village, (2000), 40 & 67
Dunning, RW, The West Country Carthusians, from Religious Belief and Ecclesiastical Careers in Late Medieval England, (1991), 35-44
Foxcroft, ETD, 'Carthusian Priory of Hinton' in Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, , Vol. 7, (1891), 293-307
Gee, Rev H, 'The Domus Inferior or Frary of our Oldest Charterhouses' in Archaeologia, , Vol. 55, pt.2, (1897), 525-30
Aston, M, 'The Monastic Site at Hinton Charterhouse' in Avon Past, , Vol. 15, (1990), 14-21
Other
Christ's Poor Men: The Carthusians in Britain, M Aston, 2002, A\DMW/24, boxes 10-14, Somerset Heritage Centre
Friary, Freshford ST788592. A Geophysical Survey of Church Field, S Hawke, Bath & Camerton Archaeological Society, 2015
Les Maisons de Chartreux. Des Origines a la Chartreuse de Pavie, J-P Aniel, 1983
Map of Hinton Charterhouse, surveyed by A Crocker, 1785. DD\FL/8 Somerset Heritage Centre
Results of resistance survey at Friary, F Breeden, May 2016
Some Account of Hinton Charterhouse, more particularly of Hinton Abbey from Collinson's History of Somerset, A M Spencer, 1841
The Carthusian Monastery of Hinton Charterhouse, Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1995
The Monastic Estates of Hinton Charterhouse. An Investigation into lands held by the Carthusian Priory of Locus Dei, E Evans, 1992

Source: Historic England