Boxgrove: Priory, Archaeology and Windmill Trail

Priory and Church

Boxgrove’s ecclesiastical history dates back to before the Norman Conquest: there was already a church here, and the village had the status of a parish. Around 1107, a small Benedictine priory was founded, originally for three monks. The monastery’s foundation is therefore part of a local history in which religious life already played a role.

The priory church, dedicated to St Mary and St Blaise, dates from the early 12th century. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the eastern parts of the priory church became Boxgrove’s parish church. The church that existed before the Norman Conquest, and the parish status at that time, predate the priory’s foundation; by contrast, the parish function of the eastern parts came after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The priory church is open daily for Mass and private prayer. Historical development and present-day religious use thus coexist at this site.

A prehistoric archaeological context

The Boxgrove Horse Butchery Site represents a different period in history. It is a rare, sealed prehistoric surface with flint artefacts and a butchered horse. The site preserves the butchered remains of a large female horse. It also yielded the first well-preserved assemblage of artefacts and animal remains found together at Boxgrove. So the horse is not the only significant find: the assemblage of artefacts and animal remains is a distinct part of the archaeological context. Alongside the history of the priory and church, this offers a prehistoric perspective centred on an archaeological site and the relationship between its preserved finds.

Windmill Trail

The Windmill Trail starts at the Boxgrove Village Hall car park. It then continues along an unpaved footpath, with Boxgrove Quarry on the left. These named landmarks—the starting point and the next section of the route—give the trail a specific reference point for your planning. As path conditions can change, check the latest route information before setting out. Alongside its historical and archaeological themes, the trail adds a walking route to your travel plans.

Different priorities for your trip

When planning your trip, you can distinguish between these themes by their time period and the kind of interest they offer. The ecclesiastical history runs from the church that existed before the Norman Conquest, through the foundation of the priory around 1107, to the later parish function of its eastern parts. The Horse Butchery Site, by contrast, focuses on a prehistoric surface and the relationship between artefacts and animal remains. The Windmill Trail is not about a historical period, but about its specific starting point at the Village Hall car park and the unpaved footpath that follows. This can help you decide whether your trip is more about the development of religious use, an archaeological context, or a walk outdoors.

Discover more destinations: Ardingly, Lyminster, West Wittering, Rusper, East Wittering, Chichester, West Chiltington, Lower Beeding

For the broader travel overview: West Sussex.