-
Question
-
What and where is Ivychurch in Wiltshire? It seems to have had some connection with Wilton but I cannot find it on the map.
-
Question asked on
-
29 July 2002
-
Answer
-
Ivychurch (National Grid reference SU 183276) is in the parish of Alderbury to the south east of Salisbury. It was originally an Augustinian Priory of St. Mary, said to be founded by King Stephen, and the first recorded prior was in 1214. It never had great endowments but it enjoyed privileges in the adjacent royal Clarendon Park. After the Dissolution it came into the hands of Henry, Earl of Pembroke, who converted it into a dwelling house and so, as you say, it was part of the Pembroke estates. The mention of the name in book dedications is doubtless because Sir Philip Sydney is said to have written most of Arcadia there. In the Civil War it was held by the Royalists and the building, including much of the old priory, survived until it was pulled down in 1888.
On the site today is Ivychurch Farm, which has part of the old west front and other bits in its structure, plus a few other pieces of standing masonry. A carved fireplace from the building was used in the Green Dragon, which Charles Dickens immortalised as The Blue Dragon in Martin Chuzzlewit, But the fireplace is now believed to be in the U.S.A.
-
Bibliography
-
The Victoria History of Wiltshire Vol. 3. O.U.P. 1956
The Victoria History of Wiltshire Vol. 6. O.U.P. 1962
Alderbury and Whaddon: a millennium mosaic of people, places and progress by the Alderbury and Whaddon Local History Research Group. 2000
