Priory Park – brief historical notes

Ø      Some evidence of Roman occupation in the area

Ø      Evidence of a Saxon king’s burial chamber in the immediate area

Ø      The mother church at St Mary’s was erected circa 630 AD

Ø      At the time of Domesday the parish was held by Sweyn, a relative of William the Conqueror

Ø      Circa 1110 the area of Priory Park was endowed to the Cluniac order of Monks by Robert Fitzsweyn – it became the most wealthy priory in Essex, although it never had more than 18 monks. The buildings were quite extensive although all that now remains are the refectory and prior’s chamber. The monks damned Prittle Brook, which flows through the park to create the current lake. This was used as a fishery by the monks

Ø      The Priory was stormed by local peasants at the time of Cade’s rising of 1450

Ø      At the Dissolution of Monasteries in 1536 the Priory was suppressed and all lands passed to the Crown. It passed to Thomas Audley in 1537 having been sold to him for £400 (£123,000 by today’s values). It then passed to Richard Rich (later Earl of Warwick) who was a substantial landowner. Towards the end of the 17^th century the land was purchased, and farmed by the Scratton family. The Scratton were substantial landowners and effectively ‘Lords of the Manor’ of Prittlewell

Ø      In 1917 it was acquired by RA Jones and presented to the County Borough of Southend-on-Sea for the perpetual use of the residents of Southend

Priory Park Watch Management Committee

A meeting is planned for early May to discuss the funding bid to provide a youth facility for the park. A consultation process is already under way with park users and local schools to determine what youngsters using the park would like to see included in the facility. To take part in the survey, e-mail southendnhw@aol.com with Priory Park Survey in the Subject box