Leez Prioryis a 16th-centurymansion inLittle Leighs,a small parish in the district ofChelmsfordin the county ofEssex,England.Thecivil parishboundary betweenFelstedandGreat and Little Leighscrosses the priory, so that it partially lies inFelstedand partially inGreat and Little Leighs.The priory was designated a Grade Ilisted buildingin 1952.
| Leez Priory | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Leez Ln,Hartford End |
| Town or city | Chelmsford |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°50′22″N0°28′02″E/ 51.839473°N 0.467235°E |
| Client | Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich |
History
editIn 1220, Sir Ralph Gernon decided that thehamletof Leez, in a dip by the banks of the River Ter, would provide the perfect location on which to found a house ofAugustinian canons.The priory of St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist thrived for over 300 years.King Henry VIIIsentSir Richard Richto dismiss the monastery, during theDissolution of the Monasteries(1536-1541). When Sir Richard Rich, 3rd Baron Rich became theEarl of Warwick,he built his own great house on the site that is now known as Leez Priory. The remains of the Augustinian Priory are very much in evidence within the grounds to the south of the existing buildings, including extensive underground drainage conduits. Known as "Delicious Leez", both the site and the rose-brick buildings are breathtaking, with old garden walls and fish ponds indicative of life and times past.
In the years that followed, the mansion has been home to the Earls of Warwick and has been visited byQueen Elizabeth I,Princess Maryand many other nobles from the past.
In his 2007 book on the origins of the English Civil War, John Adamson emphasised the magnificence and political radicalism of Leez Priory in the 17th century. He concludes that in 1640 Leez and its owner,Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick,were probably the “topographical and moral centre” of opposition to the King.[1]
Leez decended with the Earldom of Warwick toCharles Rich(1623-1673) 4th Earl of Warwick on the death of his brother Robert (1611-1659), who passed it to his nephew Robert Montague 1634-1682 son of the 2nd Earl of Manchester and Anne Rich. Leez remained in the Montague estates until sold shortly after the death of the 4th Earl and 1st Duke of Manchester in 1722 toEdmund Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham.
Leez was subsequently sold to Guy's Hospital.
Much of it was demolished in 1753. At this time the property was purchased byGuy's Hospital,London. Guy's Hospital were still the owners in 1910, and for some time the property had been rented out as a private residence.
The priory was designated a Grade Ilisted buildingin 1952.
In 1995, Leez Priory was the first country house in the UK to be licensed to hold civil ceremonies.[2]
References
edit- ^Adamson, John,The Noble Revolt,(London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2007) pp. 25–26
- ^"About Leez Priory".Leez Priory.Retrieved8 August2019.
External links
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