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Norton Priory was established as an Augustinian foundation in 1115 by William fitz Nigel, second Baron of Halton. The original priory in Runcorn was the second religious house to be founded in the Chester earldom. The priory was moved to the nearby village of Norton in 1134 by William fitz William, the third baron, and was raised to the status of an abbey in 1391. The abbey closed in 1536 as part of the dissolution of the monasteries; Norton was purchased by Sir Richard Brooke and most of the monastic buildings were demolished.

Excavation of Norton Priory began in 1971, and was the largest modern excavation of a monastic site in Europe. It revealed the foundations and lower parts of the walls of the monastery buildings and the abbey church. Important finds included a Norman doorway, a finely carved arcade, a floor of mosaic tiles (the largest floor area of this type to be found in any modern excavation), the remains of the kiln, a bell pit used for casting the bell, and a large medieval statue of St Christopher.

The site is open to the public, and includes a museum, the archaeological findings and the surrounding gardens and woodland.

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