Delapré Abbey (The Abbey of the meadow), or more properly, the Convent of St Mary De La Pré, was founded about the year 1145 in the meadows of the River Nene to the south of Northampton as a Cluniac nunnery. The convent was founded by Simon of St Liz in the reign of King Stephen and held a Royal Charter from Edward III. At its founding the convent was endowed with land at Hardingstone and held the churches at Earls Barton, Great Doddington and Fotheringay (confirmed by the Scottish Kings Malcolm and William). Edward III increased their holdings with the churches of Wollaston and Filgrave and also granted them the advowson of the church at Fyfield, Hampshire. Edward III is recorded as giving "Ten beams" towards the repair of the church in 1232 and another five oaks for work on the Refectory in 1258. It was one of only two Cluniac nunneries built in England (the other being at Arthington in Yorkshire); the Cluniac order was an order of the reformed Benedictines and fell under the rule of the great abbey at Cluny in Burgundy.