THE SPACE ORGANIZATION OF the PRIORY

THE SPACE ORGANIZATION OF the PRIORY

If the majority of the historical reference marks recalled in the chronological table are well-known, three still ignored documents make it possible to bring elements of knowledge complementary on the configuration of the priory to the neighbourhoods of 1800. It acts-there of the "topographic Plan of the territory of the parish of Bray" of 1786, of the inventory of fixtures established at the time of the sale of the field as National Bien in 1791, and of the old land register raised in 1827 with a remarkable precision.

These documents have three major interests, namely the possibility of authenticating still existing provisions, the description of the rehandlings of XIXème and XXème centuries, and the recognition of old elements disappeared since.

The oldest document - the inventory of fixtures of 1791 - us thus gives a rather detailed description of the buildings of the priory the shortly after the Revolution.

FOOT-note: the figures between brackets are deferred on the plan reproduced to the following page.

"Initially, priory taking the entry at midday by a door charretière (1), a first green court (2) on the left of which, by an iron grid is the entry of the park (3); one to rough-hew on the right, a handing-over then a farmyard (4) consistent, house of the gardener, room at side, stable, cattle sheds with cows, attic above, in return, a barn and stable (the whole tiled).

Opposite the door charretière, the entry of the second court (5), by iron grid with two casements, in this court a well. The principal housing of the prior (6), composed of a corridor, with the end of which the kitchen with a small dairy and one tightens, then dining room, small room, staircase, room of company, room to be slept. Cellars under this building. To the first stage, five firing chambers and two guard - dresses with attic with the top and fruit-loft. In return to raising (7):

in bottom a large show with attic with the top, then a hall, having entered on the garden by an iron grid with two leaves and one on the court of the priory, at side tighten.

Large and small vault (8).

Then the vegetable garden containing approximately seven districts measures of Valois.

The park containing approximately 5 arpents, even measurement, (the arpent representing in this area 41 ares approximately), closed walls, bored several alleys, crossed by a small fascinating brook (9) its source with the fountain of Rully.

Opposite the alley elms leading to the church, roasts out of iron with two leaves. With raising garden of the priory cut glazing bar.

And the farm with its two arpents and half of garden.

All these buildings were closed walls and represented in current measurements 4 hectares 47 ares 17 centiares."

This description must be brought closer to the land register of 1827 which, although established nearly forty years later, precisely confirms the provisions described in 1791. One distinguishes indeed clearly the two courses there from origin, namely the farmyard and the court of the priory with his buildings conventuels. The latter then dominated the park in which the agricultural buildings articulating itself around a vast open court towards the priory were inserted only around 1800. Only the pigeon one already seems to have existed in 1791, even if it by is not mentioned in the preserved texts.

The position of the entry, which was without any doubt only, illustrates perfectly the close connection between the priory and the hamlet of Bray; the way on the basis of the old carriage door led indeed directly to the church of Bray which was served by the canons of the priory.

The superposition of the old land register on the modern land register shows before very that the current insulation of the vault is the result of the northern destruction of the wings and is court of the priory (the "principal housing" of the prior and the building sheltering the "large show"). It also confirms that the near total of the remaining buildings is, at least partly, former to 1827. Only the northern wing of the large brought back farmyard was completely altered: the building concerned indeed seems to be moved back with the detriment of the old northern terrace in order to increase the surface of the court. The house close to the current entry, which gave on this terrace, thus integrated the modern farmyard whose old center - materialized by the pigeon one - was shifted several meters. With the north-western angle of the farmyard, the vacuum created by the displacement of the northern wing was filled 30 years ago by construction in an always existing wood side.

Other rehandlings like the opening of the farmyard to the south-western angle, the resumption of the barn which was provided with false buttresses and the creation of a new access to north complete the modifications which give to the priory its aspect today. Definitely less precise as for the representation of the buildings - let us not forget than it is initially about a plan of land surveying - the "topographic Plan of the territory of the parish of Bray" of 1786 gives invaluable information on the accesses of the priory. Initially, it confirms the close connection between the priory (named "the abbey" in the area) and the hamlet of Bray by materializing the way connecting the two sites. It illustrates also the landscape installation of the grounds accompanying the "river by Aunette", modest brook whose layout did not change since. Separately the alleys of which at least is quoted in the inventory of fixtures of 1791, one then notes the presence of a "park" apparently turfed and of a large orchard in the north, now replaced by an artificial pond. Character very bucolic of these installations of which it does not remain that few vestiges were to confer on the north-western side of the field a statute quite different from the current austerity.

Lastly, it should be stressed that the addition of the modern farm around pigeon (let us recall that it was built around 1800 and that it is not reproduced consequently on the plan of land surveying) deprived the park of a significant piece while weakening the dominant position of the vault.

Presented in a very summary way in order to respect the limits of this file devoted to the restoration of masonries of the vault, these documents whose study is far from being completed will constitute a crucial reference for the development of the projects of installation desired by the building owner.

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