History of Wroxall Abbey Estate (see walk L)

Historic Timeline of Wroxall Abbey Estate

• The original Priory was founded in c. 1141 by Benedictine Nuns on Manor lands donated by Hugh Fitz Richard Lord of Hatton. It housed 'black' nuns and prioresses from the 12^th to the 16^th centuries.
• The Benedictine Priory was dissolved in 1536 along with other religious institutions in the Tudor 'revolution' of government.
• After the dissolution, Robert Burgoyne purchased the Manor and the Priory in 1544 and later renamed it the Abbey. Interestingly, Robert was the Commissioner for the dissolution of the monasteries in Warwickshire for Henry VIII. Robert Burgoyne's son demolished part of the old Priory, building a modern brick manor house in its place.
• In 1713 the Abbey was sold to Christopher Wren (architect of St. Paul's Cathedral). He re-modelled the church and built the 'crinkly-crankly' walled garden.
• Sir Christopher brought the estate as the family's country seat and his wife is buried in Wren's Chapel. Here five generations of the Wren family are commemorated with tomb stones and plaques, along with the family Coat of Arms.
• The property (which then included 2000 acres) was sold to James Dugdale in 1861.
• James Dugdale demolished the old manor house, building a new one just to the west of the original, which was completed in 1866. Dugdale did however leave the Priory ruins untouched. This is the same mansion house and ruins that you see today! The Dugdales' were known as Victorian philanthropists, building a village school, new cottages and farmhouses for the local labourers. Additionally the church was restored in 1867.
• In 1876, James Broughton Dugdale inherited the property and continued to work on the the park and grounds until his death in 1927.
• The mansion house, gardens and part of the park were occupied by the Wroxall Abbey School for Girls from 1936 to its closing in 1995.
• Through fortunate coincidence John Clarkson was introduced to the then empty property in 1998. Working with Keith Churchman and Grant Howlett, the founding partners of Wroxall Abbey Estate completed the acquisition of the estate in 2001.