St Helen’s Duver © David Gill
The 13th century tower of old St Helen’s church stands above the beach at St Helen’s Duver on the Isle of Wight [National Trust]. It formed part of the Benedictine Priory, that was abandoned in the early 15th century. In the 18th century the tower was bricked up and served as a landmark.
Adjacent to the tower is a World War II pillbox intended to defend the entrance to Bembridge harbour [HER] [Citizan]. This was carefully disguised to look like part of the ruins.
Bury St Edmunds Abbey © David Gill
Historic England has indicated that the tennis courts located immediately to the east of the crypt of the abbey of St Edmund can be moved and relocated on the other side of the river (“Historic England approves relocation of Abbey’s tennis courts“, BBC News 8 March 2018). The abbey and its precinct is subject to two consultancy studies (see here).
The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership is seeking to record and interpret the remains of the Benedictine abbey in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Richard Summers will be talking about the work of the partnership on Wednesday 21 February 2018 at 4.30 pm in the Waterfront Building of the University of Suffolk. The event forms part of the Heritage Futures research seminar series.
Places can be reserved via Eventbrite. All are welcome and there is no charge.
Further details about the project can be found here.
For the abbey:
Finchale Priory © David Gill
The frater or refectory at Finchale Priory lies on the south side of the cloister. It dates to the early 14th century.
Finchale Priory © David Gill
Access was via an arched doorway in the south-west corner of the cloister, with steps up to the frater.
Finchale Priory © David Gill
Below the frater is a vaulted cellar.
Finchale Priory © David Gill
The charnel house at Bury St Edmunds lay within the precinct of the abbey, just to the south of the west end. It lies in what is now the Great Cemetery. This structure was built by Abbot John Northwold (d. 1301) [see ODNB]. This was constructed to take the bones of the dead recovered from the construction of new graves.
Lindisfarne Priory © David Gill
The night stairs that led from the dorter to the church are located in the south transept.
Lindisfarne Priory © David Gill
The day stairs were at the south end of the dorter building. The chapter house was probably on the ground floor.
Lindisfarne Priory © David Gill
Lindisfarne Priory © David Gill
Bury St Edmunds Abbey © David Gill
Battle Abbey, Sussex. The Abbey was founded on the site of William I’s victory at the battle of Hastings. It seems likely that it was founded at some point after 1070, and the choir of the new abbey was consecrated in 1076. The completed abbey was consecrated in February 1094. The first four monks came from the abbey of Marmoutier Abbey in the Loire. [EH]
Canterbury, St Augustine’s Abbey, Kent. The first abbey was established in 598 as part of Augustine’s mission to England. Abbot Scotland, a monk from Mont St Michel, was appointed in 1070. [EH]
Boxgrove Priory, West Sussex. Founded c. 1117 from abbey of Lessay in Normandy. [EH]
Westminster Abbey. The Pyx Chamber is in State Guardianship. [EH]
1955 (12th impression 1977)
East Anglia
Bury St Edmunds Abbey, Suffolk. The monastery was the resting place of the body of king Edmund killed in 903. The Benedictine abbey was found in 1020. [EH]
Colchester, St John’s Abbey, Essex. The abbey was founded in 1095 to the south of the town. The 15th century gatehouse is in State Guardianship. [EH]
Isleham Priory, Cambridgeshire. The priory was founded c. 1100. The priory church is in State Guardianship. [EH]
Denny Abbey, Cambridgeshire. Founded in 1159, and passed to the Knights Templars in 1170. [EH]
Binham Priory, Norfolk. The priory was founded in 1091 from St Alban’s Abbey in Hertfordshire. [EH]
Binham Priory, undercroft (with dorter above) and warming room beyond © David Gill
The South-West
Muchelney Abbey, Somerset. [EH] [Historic England]
Abbotsbury Abbey, Dorset. The abbey was founded in 1044. [EH]
Wales
Ewenny Priory, Glamorgan. The Benedictine priory was founded by Maurice de Londres in 1141. It was founded from the abbey of St Peter in Gloucester that had links with the earlier church at Ewenny established 1116-26. [Cadw]
The North-East and Yorkshire
Whitby Abbey © David Gill
Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire. The first monastery at Whitby was established by Abbess Hild in 657 at the prompting of king Oswy of Northumbria. The Synod of Whitby was held in 664. The monastery was probably destroyed during the Viking raids c. 867. In the years after the Norman conquest the monastery was established, probably c. 1078, by Reinfrid, from the Benedictine monastery of Evesham. The church was constructed c. 1090. [EH]
Jarrow Priory, Tyne and Wear. Founded from Durham between 1075-83. [EH]
Finchale Priory © David Gill
Finchale Priory, Durham. The origins lie in the hermitage of St Godric that continued until 1196 when it became a priory linked to Durham Cathedral. [EH]
Lindisfarne © David Gill
Lindisfarne Priory, Northumberland. The first monastery was founded in 635. It was destroyed by a Viking raid in 793. In 1069 St Cuthbert’s remains were brought to the island from Durham to protect them during the Norman raids of the north. After 1083 Benedictine monks linked to Durham arrived at the older monastery site on Holy Island. The church was probably constructed from the 1120s. [EH]
Tynemouth Priory © David Gill
Tynemouth Priory, Tyne and Wear. The first monastery at Tynemouth was probably established in the late 8th century, part of the kingdom of Northumbria. It was important as the burial site of king Osred II of Northumbria. The monastery was probably destroyed in 875. A church on the site was destroyed during the early years of the Norman conquest, and the location given to the monks of Jarrow some time after 1074. A new church was built in 1083. Some after 1090 the monastery was given to the Benedictine abbey of St Albans in Hertfordshire by Robert de Mowbray, earl of Northumberland. [EH]
North-West
Wetheral Priory, Cumbria. founded in the early 12th century. [EH]
Scotland
Dunfermline Abbey, Fife. Founded c. 1070, perhaps as the earliest Benedictine community in Scotland. The abbey was established in 1128. [HES]
Iona © David Gill
Iona Abbey. The Benedictine community was established in 1200. [HES]
