For more than 800 years, an often over-looked gem has been hidden in plain sight on Weston's doorstep.
Drenched in history, Woodspring Priory has been a permanent fixture of the area since the times of absolute monarchy, through the dissolution of the monasteries and during our island's brief spell with republicanism, before it was fashionable.
With many of the buildings still standing when the prior and his brothers occupied the estate, it's an amazing feat to observe with wonder at how generations of God-fearing men once walked those very corridors, and took in the splendour of Kewstoke.
Dedicated to the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas à Becket, the Medieval priory was constructed in or around the year 1210; 40 years following his assassination for objecting to erode the Church's power during the reign of Henry Plantagenet.
The Landmark Trust acquired the site in 1969, and today lets the priory out to guests as a luxury holiday home to generate revenue for its upkeep.
Occupied by the Victorine order of Augustinian Canons, the prior and his brothers had duties beyond the community, this differed from the usual work of a monk.
A spokesperson for the trust said: "Woodspring Priory was highly suitable for contemplation and the purposeful activity of the farm are happily combined in one place.
"The canons were strongly influenced by the ideals of Cistercians, whose abbeys had to be built in remote places, and for whom manual labour was a basic requirement."
Medieval landowner William de Courtenay, founded the site and divided the management of the priory between his manors of Woodspring, Worle and Locking. William's grandfather was one of the assassins of Thomas à Becket in 1170 - the priory's patron saint.
It is widely understood that the priory wasn't wealthy, with only 10 brothers located there at any one time. However in the late 1400's, an unknown source of income transformed the estate, this allowed extensive building work on the site such as the infirmary for the canons and laity, and the tithe barn.
The barn, owned separately by the National Trust, closely resembles that of another at Chelvey in Backwell and it is thought to have been constructed by the same hand.
An outcome of the Reformation meant that disaster struck the priory in 1536 when King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in a bid to break away from Rome, and confiscate their land and wealth to fund the growing expenditure of his court.
Monasteries owned more than one quarter of all the cultivated land in England at the time, so by destroying the monastic system, King Henry could acquire both property and remove its Papist influence on England and Wales. This meant Woodspring Priory and the religious order that occupied the walls were supressed.
Thankfully, some of the priory's treasures were saved before assets were confiscated. The brothers moved such assets like the carved misericord to St Martin's at Worle, the reliquary to St Paul's at Kewstoke and the pulpit to Wick St Lawrence.
The site then fell into numerous hands before being sold in 1566 to William Carre MP, a Bristol merchant who used Woodspring as a private family residence until Weston's forefathers in the Smyth-Pigott family acquired the site towards the end of the seventeenth century.
Commenting on the spectacular history of Woodspring, North Somerset Council's heritage champion, Cllr John Crockford-Hawley noted an interesting footnote in the priory's past.
He said: "Woodspring Priory was cold, windswept and far from the temptations prevailing in wealthier monasteries.
"On one occasion a brother from Keynsham Abbey was sent to Woodspring as punishment for 'misbehaving in the choir' - whatever that meant.
"Unlike the Abbot of Glastonbury's excruciating death by hanging, drawing and quartering the last Prior of Woodspring displayed a pragmatic approach to belief, departing his catholic convictions one day for the protestant vicarage of Worle the next with a pension, plot of land and personal 'privy' as added benefits.
"Prior Richard Spryng even managed to maintain posterior comfort by donating his padded misericord to Worle Church which has been sat upon by every subsequent vicar."
Tudor owners pulled down the chancel and new chimneys were built through the nave roof, and new smaller windows were installed.
A new wing was constructed in place of the lodge in 1701 and a garden was raised in the mid 1800's - the fourteenth century gatehouse was moved in the process. Structures which couldn't be used for household purposes or farming was gradually dismantled for building stone.
The Smyth-Pigott family sold the estate in 1918, and in 1928 the priory was sold to The Agricultural Land Company who leased the premises.
In 1969, the Landmark Trust took over conservation of the site so future generations could enjoy the grandeur of Woodspring.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here