Cluniac monasteries are named after their mother house at Cluny in Burgundy. The majority – Reading Abbey being a notable exception- of the thirty five houses were founded as priories. That is to say they remained dependent on the mother house at Cluny for spiritual guidance and discipline. At the dissolution of the monasteries there were 35 religious houses with Cluniac associations in England and Wales. The first one to be founded in 1077 was Lewes Priory.

The order followed the rules of St Benedict but placed greater emphasis on the liturgy. Their services and churches became the focus of the monastic day. This meant that manual labour reduced in importance and lay servants were employed to fulfil the function.

Despite this early popularity the Cluniacs did not prosper as an order in England as the centuries progressed not least because all Cluniac houses were daughter houses following the rule and direction of the mother-house in Cluny and thus aliens.  Whilst the Plantagenets held a huge European empire it wasn’t a problem but as English monarchs found the size of their continental domains dwindling they didn’t want monks who looked to Europe for direction and preferred to sponsor home-grown talent.

Arthington (nunnery)

Barnstaple

Bermondsey

Castle Acre

Davenrty

Delapre (nunnery)

Derby St James

Dudley

Faversham Abbey – founded as a Cluniac monastery but became Benedictine during the reign of Henry III. https://thehistoryjar.com/2021/01/19/cluniac-faversham/

Lenton

Monkton Farleigh

Montacute

Pontefract

Prittlewell

Reading Abbey

St Andrew’s Northampton

Lewes

Stansgate

Thetford

Wangford

Wenlock.

Malpas

St Clears