The History of Bradwell Abbey

Today, Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre (MKCDC) works with the MK Council to manage and maintain the Bradwell Abbey site for the benefit of the Milton Keynes community. We also offer educational programmes to support all levels of learning in urban studies and heritage studies - as well as the historical and natural heritage of Milton Keynes.

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This video reconstructs what Bradwell Priory might have been, according to the building’s archaeology

Here is our Director talking about the conservation works at Bradwell Abbey.

Timeline

  • c1154

    Bradwell Priory is founded by Meinfelin, Baron of Wolverton. It was originally a daughter house of Luffield Priory, the site of which is now under Silverstone racetrack. It is believed the Stone barn was built around this time and probably used as a kiln and malt house for brewing ale for the Monks.

  • c1180-1200

    Bradwell gained its independence from Luffield under Meinfelin’s son, Hamo. It flourished during the 1200s with its farmland stretching into Bradwell village, Wolverton and Loughton.

  • 1330-1350

    The priory’s fortunes started to decline in the 1300s due to poor harvests and the black death.

  • 1340s

    One of the monks is reputed to have discovered a crying statue of the St Mary just outside the priory walls. It was rumoured to have healing powers and started to attract pilgrims from all over the country

  • 1340s

    The Chapel of St Mary was built to enclose this statue, seizing upon much needed revenue from it’s visiting pilgrims. The walls were decorated with paintings depicting religious scenes.

  • 1349

    Prior William de Loughton dies from the plague and the fortune of Bradwell Abbey continues to decline despite it’s famous Chapel.

  • c1350

    Cruck Barn is built shortly after the Chapel. It is believed to have been used as a tithe barn – a place to collect taxes from tenants, such as wool, crops and grain, which would have supported the running of the priory.

  • 1450-1500

    The floor of the chapel was laid using tiles made at Little Brickhill.

  • c1524-6

    With the Priory’s fortunes continuing to decline it was dissolved by Papal Bull, just over ten years before Henry VIII’s great suppression of the monasteries.

  • c1524-6

    Henry VIII gave the site to his Lord Chancellor, and chief advisor, Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey used the money to found what is now Christ Church College, Oxford.

  • Mid-late 15th Century

    After the priory’s dissolution, subsequent landowners used the chapel for private worship, which partial accounts for it’s survival compared with other buildings from the time.

  • 16th century

    The priory site suffered from a long line of absentee lords, resulting in the decline of the building. The area was robbed of stone to build some of the buildings in Bradwell village.

  • 1970s

    The site continued as a farm until the development of Milton Keynes new town in 1970s, when it was purchased by the development corporation and become a centre of archaeological and ecological studies.

St Mary’s chapel wall paintings and archaeological findings

  • St Anne teaching the Virgin to read

    This scene shows Mary’s mother, Anne, teaching her to read. We can’t see a book but the poses are similar to other common scenes depicting the same act. This is one reading of this image.

  • Stencilled M

    The main images in the chapel are from the second half of the 14th century. Many of the wall paintings are painted over an already existing pattern of ‘M’ (signifying the Virgin Mary). In some places, particularly St Anne, you can see how the image of the saint was painted over the pattern.

  • The Annunciation

    This scene shows the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she will bear the son of God. Mary holds up her hand, palm facing Gabriel, appearing to show acceptance of the message.

  • Joachim and Anne

    These paintings are difficult to interpret, but it is likely that they show scenes from the life of Mary's parents Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

  • Pilgrims

    This painting shows four kneeling pilgrims. Each holds an object symbolising their prayers in votive offering. One has a crutch, possibly in thanks for a cure; one holds a wax/wooden head, one holds the image of a figure kneeling in prayer. The other offering is no longer visible.

  • The visitation

    This scene shows Mary greeting her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. The intimacy between the two women reflects the shared favour they both found in God.

  • St. Michael weighing the souls

    This scene shows St. Michael, a warrior angel, weighing souls to determine their entry into heaven. Mary is present to intercede on behalf of the dead encouraging pilgrims to pray to her and ring offerings to the chapel.

  • The Mocking of Christ

    The scene shows Jesus clothed only in a loincloth. He is being mocked, most likely by Roman soldiers after his condemnation by Pontius Pilate. These paintings would emphasise the suffering of Christ on behalf of mankind.

  • The Stuart royal coat of arms

    Under King Charles II it was compulsory to display the royal coat of arms in church. It features the motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (evil be him who evil thinks) as well as a lion and unicorn above a scroll bearing the motto DIEU ET MON DROIT (God and my right).

  • Pilgrim's badge

    A medieval silver gilt pilgrim's badge. The design, a crowned T, is thought to represent St. Thomas of Canterbury.

  • Original Priory stained glass window

  • Eleanor of Aquitaine stone carving

    Conservation work led to the unexpected discovery of a carved stone head believed to be of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of England’s most powerful queens and one of the most important women in medieval Europe.

  • Possible partner to Queen Elenor stop end

  • The Abbey seal

  • Chapel floor tiles

Bradwell Abbey Medieval Excavation
Watch Inês from Oxford Archaeology excavate medieval human remains at our Bradwell Abbey site.

 

The Eleanor Head at Bradwell Abbey
During 2019, conservation works at Bradwell Abbey uncovered this interesting stone. Hear our Director, talk about who it might be and why.

Archaeological Excavations Timeline

  • Trenches to determine the layout of the Priory are dug by Buckinghamshire County Museum.

  • Proposals for a new road between the farmhouse and railway line prompt the digging of four trenches by the County Museum. These help to reveal the archaeological potential of the site.

  • A medieval road from the Priory to Bradwell Village is discovered when the re-routing of Bradwell Brook requires some excavation work to be carried out again.

  • Milton Keynes Development Corporation’s Archaeology Unit start excavation work on the site.

    Three graves, thought to be late 15th Century, discovered outside the west wall.

    Decorated tile pavement revealed when floor levels inside St. Mary’s Chapel are removed.

    North west corner of the church is revealed when external excavations are dug down to the 16th Century floor level.

    Circular smelting hearth from after the dissolution is found outside the chapel.

  • Excavations at the bakehouse determine it was built in the 13th Century and changed to a bakehouse at the end of the 16th Century.

  • A silver gilt pilgrim’s badge is discovered. It is in a medieval T shape and thought to stand for Thomas Becket. Floor tile fragments the same as those in the Chapel and made at Little Brickhill are found. Pieces of painted window glass are also found. One has an inscription thought to be [JESUS NA]ZARENUS REX JUDE [ORUM].

  • Remains of a 13th Century window panel discovered and later reconstructed.

    A finely-carved and semi-grotesque stone head in the 14th style is found.

    Other finds include: a pilgrim’s ampulla (flask) used for holy water, coins—medieval penny and Henry VI (1421-1471) groat, gilded silver ring and green glass beads.

    A mixing pit for lime mortar found in 1981 is con-firmed. Its discovery shows post-medieval building traditions of creating materials on-site.

    Landscaping of the site is carried out to reflect the layout of the Priory and get the site ready for visitors.

  • A stone carving is unexpectedly discovered whilst doing conservation works, believed to be Queen eleanor of aquitaine.
    Click here to watch the video and learn more

  • Skeleton, believed to be female found on the North side of the Chapel. Thought to be a 14th century burial. Click here for the excavation video

View our excavation gallery