191 



PART v.— THE PRECINCTS OF THE FOREST. 



" There in close covert by some brook 

 Wliere no profaner eye may look, 

 Hide me from day's garish eye."— 21 Petutroit. 



" And did the Lollards bring the Asarabacca to Deerfold ?" is it asked. 

 Most certainly not, for this would tell of a peaceful residence and rest that 

 belonged not to them ; but within half a mile of the place where it grows so 

 freely are the ruins of the Priory of Lyngbrook, Lymbrook, or Limebrook, as it is 

 variously called, and the existence of the plant there is probably due to the 

 gentle charity of some sister who knew its value, and required it for her daily 

 ministrations with the sick. 



The ruins stand in a narrow valley on the western borders of the Forest. 

 The valley is very quiet and secluded, with a noisy brook numing through it, 

 crossed by a wooden footbridge just below. The meadow is fuU of grassy mounds, 

 and these with a few old walls, built of the shaly stone of which the neigh- 

 bouring rocks consist, and overgrown with roses and wych elms, are the only 

 remains of the Nunnery. A small plain arched doorway leads into an oblong 

 room, about 15 ft. by 10 ft., and there are traces of a room above ; but the roof, 

 the windows, and aU the upper parts of the walls are gone. Another gray old 

 crumbling wall joins it, pierced by one small and very plain window with a 

 wooden linteL A plain doorway similarly built leads out into the meadow. 

 Ths adjoining ground shows sonie traces of fish ponds, and there are two or 

 three very old yew trees scattered about. Such is all that remains now of the 

 Priory founded by Ralph de Wigmore, Lord of Lingen, in the reign of Richard I. 

 (1189-99). "A place of nunnes," says Leland, " within ii. myles of "Wygmore." 



In Dugdale's Monasticon Anglicanum amongst the Benedictine Monas- 

 teries is — " Lingebrook Priory in Herefordshire. Upon Inquisition taken the 

 24th Edward III. (1351) the jury found that it was not any detriment if the King 

 did permit Adam Esgar (clerk) to bestow the manor of Brokkeswodepawn on the 

 priory and Convent of Lingebrook, to be held by them to keep the anniversary of 



William de Pawn yeai-ly in the sd Priory as the sd Adam should appoint." 



"King Richard II. gave leave to the Carthusian monks to purchase the 



Priory, which it seemed belonged to the Abbey of Aveney in Nonnandy, and was 



supported as alien in the Parlement held at Leicester 2nd Henry V. (1415) Joan 



and Elizabeth daughters of Edmund Mortimer were nuns here in Edward I. 



time." (Blunt. ) 



The Priory continued to be occupied until the general suppression, when 



it had sis nuns, and was valued at £22 17s. 8d. per annum (Dugdale), or at 



£23 IBs. 6d. per annum. (Speed.) 



"The scite, capital, messuages, &c., and other hereditaments of this in 



Lymebrooke were granted by the 7th Edward VI. to John West and Roger 



Gratwich, yeomen, and their heyres. " (Blunt. ) 



At the Archaeological Institute of London, Jime 10th, 1869, Sir Thomas 



Winnington exhibited a deed of the Nunnery of Lymbrook, Herefordshire, 



