A community of Augustinian Canons Regular, founded at Rncorn in 1117 by Bardon Halton to pray for the souls of the Halton family, taanslated to Norton, a few miles away, in 1534. The site is one of the best excavated of mediaeval monastreries in Europe. The community was originally a prior and twelve canons, growing to 26 Canons by the end of the 12th century. The Priory was elevated to the status of a mitred Abbey in 1391.
Norton Abbey was dissolved in April 1536 in the first phase of suppression of lesser houses, its well documented history of dissolute and corrupt Canons no doubt giving Cromwell sufficient cause.
http://http://nortonpriory.org/
