Castle Acre Priory, Norfolk, was founded c1089 by William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey. He was the son of the 1st Earl of Surrey who had founded Lewes Priory about 12 years earlier. It was established within the walls of the castle that gave the village its name, but more room was needed, and it was quickly relocated a short distance away. It became a very wealthy establishment.
  Priories dependant on a mother house in France had a problem in the 14^th century: England spent a good deal of time at war with France. These priories were known as ‘Alien priories’. Many were closed by the three King Edwards, and the property used to help pay for the wars. The Cluniac priories managed to escape this fate: they paid the king for the right to become ‘native priories’ with Lewes as the mother house.
  Castle Acre survived until the dissolution, 1537.