Chibburn Preceptory

The buildings of the preceptory consisted of a dwelling house, a chapel and various offices enclosing a small, central courtyard. Of these, only the east and south wall, along with parts of the north wall of the chapel still stand. The present dwelling house was built some time after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, possibly by Sir John Widdrington, who was given the manor of Chibburn in 1553. The preceptory was defended by a moat enclosing an area some 100 meters in diameter, and although the moat and a possible pond is still visible at the site, some of these features have been infilled and later destroyed by open cast mining in 1957. The chapel served as a pillbox during the Second…