Norton Priory Museum & Gardens, on the edge of Runcorn in Cheshire, is Europe’s most extensively excavated monastic site. Founded in 1134 and granted abbey status in 1391, it invites visitors to explore a 12th-century vaulted undercroft and the ruins of its medieval buildings.
The museum displays thousands of artefacts—most notably a twice life-size St Christopher statue celebrated in Lucy M. Boston’s The Children of Green Knowe. Outdoors, woodland walks uncover hidden summer houses, sculptures and stream glades, while a 2.5-acre Georgian Walled Garden features orchards, a rose walk, a herb garden and the National Collection of Tree Quince.
