Our Lady of England Priory in Storrington, West Sussex, England is the former home of Roman Catholic priests belonging to a Community of Canons Regular of Prémontré, (or 'Premonstratensians') after the place where they were founded in France in 1121. The priests are also known as Norbertines after Norbert of Xanten, the Founder of the order. Because of their white habits, another name for members of the Order is White Canons. The priests follow the Rule of St Augustine. (See the nearby cache Norbertines). The Chemin Neuf Community has now moved into Our Lady of England Priory in Storrington. This was at the invitation of the Norbertine Canons who left the Priory after over 130 years in Storrington.
The land the Priory is built on was granted by Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, and the foundation stone of the Priory Church was laid in 1902 by Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Southwark. The Church houses the Shrine to Our Lady of England, the shrine statue being the work of the Austrian sculptor Ferdinand Stueflesser.
The poet Francis Thompson stayed at the Priory after being brought there by Wilfrid and Alice Meynell to recover from opium addiction. He wrote the poem To Daisy during his stay. Also, Hilaire Belloc wrote the poem On Courtesy on 17 May 1908 after visiting the Priory.
Just over the road from the church is a quiet, grassy garden area with a large statue of Our Lady as its focus. Storrington itself is a village nestling in the edge of the South Downs in the depths of the West Sussex countryside. Not only is it home to the Premonstratensians, but there was, at some point in the past, another rather handsome abbey in the town – St Joseph's – which is now being developed for housing.
To find the cache, read the notice on the church wall by the published co-ordinates. There is a telephone number at the bottom, call this 01903 ABCDEF.
The cache can be found at N 50 5E.F(D+E)(B+C) W000 2A.(A+D)FD
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