This section of cloister tracery is from Merton Priory, by the banks of the River Wandle in Surrey. An Augustinian foundation established in 1117, Merton became one of the most important and influential monasteries in southern England, attracting royal patronage and many distinguished visitors. Thomas Becket was educated at Merton and wore 'a black cowl, which is the dress of the canons of Merton' when he was elected Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. The canons at Merton Priory lived, ate, studied and slept in the buildings around the covered cloister, which probably contained 'carrels' (individual study areas with storage for writing materials). After a phase of major building works in the 1400s, the priory was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. It was demolished and parts of the cloister tracery were re-used as building materials at Henry VIII’s Nonsuch Palace.
