Wessex Archaeology’s continuing work at the site of the Priory at Cannington Court, Somerset for EDF Energy was revealed to the public during a recent open day organised by EDF Energy and Kier Construction. The Priory served a double role as an ecclesiastical house for nuns of the Benedictine Order as well as a secular house for local gentry who paid to stay within the confines of the religious house during high holidays such as Easter and Christmas.
The excavation revealed evidence of the accommodation blocks for the guests. The Priory was divided into two parts each centred around a courtyard or cloister; and the work uncovered a series of rooms extending from the western range of the secular courtyard. Two phases of construction were revealed: the earliest possibly dating to the 13th century to be replaced by a building potentially predating the early 15th century. The remains of a lime kiln were also identified, which would have produced the lime mortar used during the building of the Priory.
