Pillar
Category
Architecture / Features & Decoration
Date
1200 - 1300
Materials
Purbeck Marble
Collection
Mottisfont, Hampshire
NT 1954679
Summary
One of two Purbeck Marble pillars, plain rounded capitals mounted against a modern flint wall. Remains of vaulting shafts visible. formerly in the probable Chapter House of Mottisfont Priory. Purbeck Marble, 1200-1300.
Full description
Along with its pair (NT CMS 1954678), this pillar is a tangible reminder of Mottisfont Abbey's monastic past. Founded in 1201, Mottisfont Priory was a community of Augustinian monks who lived, worked and worshipped together until its dissolution under Henry VIII in 1536. While the site was focussed on the Priory's church where regular acts of Christian worship would take place, there was also a collection of other buildings for sleeping, eating and administration. It is believed that these pillars were built to support the vaulted ceiling of the Priory's Chapter House, and the remains of the shafts for the ribbed vaulting can be seen on them. The Chapter House would have been used by community of monks for meetings and administrative business. The surviving evidence from these pillars suggests that Mottisfont's Chapter House originally had three or perhaps four bays, and in common with other surviving examples would have probably had seats or benches for all the monks to sit at during meetings. Despite the significance of the Chapter House to the Priory's daily life, the pillars have only simple decoration, with plain moulded capitals. The pillars originally stood slightly to the south of the Morning Room, and were discovered in 1906 when the large earth ramp which used to be in front of the room was dug out. The earth bank was probably added in the 18th Century when the outer courts of William Sandys' Tudor house were demolished. The earthen bank was replaced by the staircase which is still in place, but prior to its construction the pillars were moved to their current location in the East Porch, which historically had been the site of the crossing under the Priory church's tower. Photographic evidence suggests that care was taken to place them in a similar arrangement to their original position.
Provenance
Built as part of the Augustinian Priory at Mottisfont, and transferred to the National Trust with Mottisfont Abbey and Estate by Maud Russell under her Memorandum of Wishes, 1957.