Gingerbenn's Days Out: FELLEY PRIORY

I continue with my trio of local Grand Houses with Felley Priory & it's connections to Annesley Hall.

Felley Priory

1982

Felley Priory was founded in 1156 & followed the Rule of St. Augustine, comprising of 12 canons. This small priory was largely destroyed during the Dissolution in 1535 & the stone from the priory was incorporated into the present day building. The brick side of the house was built in 1557 on the site of the former cloisters with the rest of the priory being situated to the west end of the house. The central part of the house was constructed in the 16th & 17th centuries. The garden now covers the site of the Priory Church.
The Chaworth-Musters of Annesley Hall became the owners of the property in 1822 but the family did not live there until 1973 when Major Robert Chaworth-Musters sold his ancestral home & moved the short distance over the M1 motorway to Felley. This is another one of my links which joins these two properties together.

1982

Soon after moving into Felley, Major & Mrs Chaworth-Musters set about developing the garden which you see today & 1982 may have been the first time that I visited the garden which was open under the National Garden Scheme with the proceeds going to nurses charities. I have since visited the gardens on many occasions mainly on days when it has been open for the specialist herbaceous plant fairs in May.

2007

Please note in this 2007 photo how the yew hedge has established itself in 25 years. In the 1880's the area of land looking from the house down the valley was an open field & was not terraced until the 1890's. The garden you see today was created by the hard work of Maria Chaworth-Musters.
The garden has not stood still since the passing of Maria in June 2010 but is open 9am to 4pm Tuesday to Fridays along with the nursery & tearooms & is well worth a visit. The garden contains many rare & tender plants & trees which in theory should not be able to grow in this region. http://www.felleypriory.co.uk/contact-location/opening-times/

Today Felley is the home of the Major's granddaughters Sophia & Victoria together with their father & stepmother.

A fairly comprehensive history of the origins & line of the Chaworth-Musters can be read at this link.
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/collectionsindepth/family/chaworth-mustersofannesley/chaworth-mustersfamilyhistory.aspx