Norton Priory

📍 Cheshire, England

4 ★★★★ 780 reviews

About

Norton Priory is a historic site in Norton, Runcorn, Cheshire, England, comprising the remains of an abbey complex dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, and an 18th-century country house; it is now a museum. The remains are a scheduled ancient monument and are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. They are considered to be the most important monastic remains in Cheshire.

Founded in 1134 as an Augustinian priory, elevated to abbey status in 1391. After dissolution in 1536, the Brooke family built a Tudor mansion on the site, later replaced by an 18th-century Georgian house. Extensive archaeological excavations from the 1970s onwards revealed the full monastic plan. Now a museum and gardens open to the public.