Monument record 1799/1 - Poulton Abbey

The Abbey of Poulton was founded 1153 or 1158 as a cell to the Abbey of Combermere, by Robert Pincerna, butler to the Earl of Chester, who was a prisoner of King Stephen at the time. The office of butler was probably an hereditary one, by which the manor of Poulton was held. The Abbey of Cistercian Monks was founded to pray for the Earl of Chester's safety, his predecessors and Pincerna's own family. On the release of the Earl, he confirmed the foundation and granted the monks a fishery in the Dee and exemption from grinding their corn at his mill in Chester. Numerous other gifts were bestowed on the Abbey. In 1214 Randle Blundeville moved the monks of Poulton to Dieulacres in Staffordshire, chiefly because of frequent attacks on Poulton by the Welsh. Blundeville erected a convent at Dieulacres after his return from the Holy Land c.1220 (1) & (2).

In 2006 an archaeological evalution was undertaken by Channel 4's Time Team at the site of Poulton Hall, Pulford, Cheshire to investigate the remains of Poulton Abbey, grange complex and a small Chapel (The site at Poulton hall and the small chapel being under investigation by the Poulton Research Project)

The evaluation aimed to determine whether the remains in the grounds of Poulton Hall related to the shortlived abbey and to investigate the nature of the small chapel to the south (CHER1799/2). The resulting conclusion by Time Team was that the Abbey was never built at Poulton Hall and the assessment suggested potential alternative sites for the Abbey, most likely to be in the area around the small chapel.(6)

<1> Chester Courant, 1878-1990, The Cheshire Sheaf, 35/53 J H E B 1940 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH3105.

<2> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 2/861-2 (Book). SCH1389.

<3> Knowles, D & Hadcock, RN, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, /113 (Book). SCH2177.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ45NW4/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 3/151 Harris B 1980 (Book). SCH3556.

<6> Wessex Archaeology, 2007, Poulton Hall, Pulford, Cheshire: Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results, R2754 (Client Report). SCH4872.