St Peter's church - Brooke, Rutland
Posted by: 
SMacB
N 52° 38.559 W 000° 44.775
30U E 652485 N 5834904
An information board outside St Peter's church, Brooke, telling a little about the former priory here, and the church.
Waymark Code: WMZ1FH
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/26/2018
Views: 0
"Brooke Priory was founded around 1153. The priests who lived there managed the land around Brooke, sending profits to the Abbey at Kenilworth. The Priory never prospered and in 1298 the Bishop of Lincoln complained that it had become ‘so dilapidated and decayed that it was a scandal to the neighbourhood and the revenues were so mismanaged that if something was not done soon the canons and their servants would have to beg their bread'.
By 1535, when King Henry VIII began his Dissolution of the Monasteries, the site was mostly a ruin. Today the only sign that the Priory existed are earthworks or fishponds which supplied the kitchens and fragments of the original buildings incorporated into a 16th century house.
PRIDE & PREJUDICE - HOLLYWOOD COMES TO BROOKE
Because of its beautiful and unspoilt Elizabethan inlerior, the church appeared in a film adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Pride & Prejudice. In the summer of 2004 the village became home to film crews, caterers and actors. The film was shot entirely on location and other local sites, such as Stamford and Burghley House were used to recreate Austen's world.
ENAMELLED CASKET - A TREASURE FlT FOR A SAINT
small enamelled casket was discovered around 1805 in the cellar at Priory House. Presumed to be a remnant of the Priory which once stood on the site, the Brooke Reliquary was made by skilled craftsrnen in Limoges, France in around 1220 AD.
When found it was empty, but would have contained relics such as the remains of saints. Bones or pieces of clothing from the body at a saint were believed to have the power to heal or bring good fortune. Relics would bring status and wealth to the owner as the faithful would make offerings in order to gain blessings.
What happened to Brooke’s relics, we may never know. Perhaps they were sold or stolen. Certainly, it appears that the reliquary was concealed from Henry VIII's officials when they arrived in 1535 to dissolve the Priory. This beautiful object has survived 800 years and is now on display at Rutland County Museum."
SOURCE - info board