Boxgrove Priory

Boxgrove Priory began around 1107 as a small Benedictine community, initially housing just three monks at the foot of the South Downs. Its most striking surviving building is the roofless guest house, whose two-storey gable ends still rise above the grass. The ruins make a compact visit, with doorways, windows and standing walls giving a sense of the accommodation once offered to guests. Part of the former priory church survives separately as the village's parish church, so its access arrangements should be checked independently. Reviewers enjoy the quiet setting and often combine a look at the ruins with the neighbouring church. A small car park serves the priory, and the uneven surfaces call for care underfoot. Dogs on leads are welcome around the ruined buildings and grounds.