The jacobean pulpit contains two bullet holes stemming from a fight in 1664, during the english civil war. Abbotsbury abbey, dedicated to saint peter, was a benedictine monastery in the village of abbotsbury in dorset, england. The pretty dorset village of abbotsbury was once home to a great abbey, founded in 1044 by a thegn of king cnut, and richly endowed. Abbey s at 1 york street next to qvb is an aladdins cave for readers and sydneys muchloved indie bookshop since 1968 where ideas grow. A brief history of the remains of abbotsbury abbey, founded shortly before the norman conquest to house a community of benedictine monks. Part of a monastic building, perhaps the abbots lodging, of benedictine abbotsbury abbey. Stayed at the abbey house in early june for 2 nights to get away from it all. The abbey of st peter at abbotsbury housed a benedictine community founded in 1044 by orc, a house steward of king cnut. Benedictine monks established st peters monastery at abbotsbury in the 1040s. The history of abbotsbury swannery abbotsbury swannery in dorset is unique this is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting mute swans, spread over a site of some 25 acres. There are many reminders of the wealthy benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century by king canutes steward orc and orcs wife thola. A richly illuminated manuscript originally from abbotsbury abbey in dorset and unrecorded until 2003.
The picturesque house is set in a quiet location with a large well kept garden overlooking abbotsbury tithe barn the setting for the barn dance in the film of far from the madding crowd. The abbey, abbotsbury, england library of congress. Episode 18 abbotsbury, dorset britain alphabetically. Earliest record of the abbotsbury swannery, already well established by then c1400c1530 the church of st nicholas, st catherines chapel and the tithe barn were all built by the abbey monks the abbey was dissolved by henry viii, and its buildings and estates were bought by sir giles strangways, whose descendants still own abbotsbury village. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. St catherines chapel, abbotsbury, place to visit best. Places in the domesday book associated with the name abbotsbury st peter, abbey of. Do book you will not be disappointed wonder places to see and lovely walks. Abbotsbury is a very old village, settled amongst the hills behind the great chesil bank, and is one of dorsets finest, with a history going back some 6,000 years. If you visit abbotsbury swannery these days, youll find about 600 swans, all free to roam. St catherines chapel, abbotsbury set high on a hilltop overlooking abbotsbury abbey, this sturdily buttressed and barrelvaulted 14thcentury chapel was built by the monks as a. In 1086, in the domesday book abbotsbury was recorded as abedesberie or abodesberie. For centuries abbotsbury was dominated by the abbey.
Abbotsbury history a timeline from 170million years ago. A benedictine abbey was founded at abbotsbury, in 1044, by orcus, steward of. Augustine converted king ethelbert of kent to christianity, then led a band of missionaries further west into ethelberts outlying territory. The history of the gardens the history of abbotsbury is tied closely with the creation of the monastery that once dominated the village and the foxstrangways family. The surviving walls are of local rubble with ashlar and dressings of the same materials. One version suggests that it dates to the arrival of st augustine around the year ad 600. Abbotsbury has a number of pubs and cafes to sample during your visit. The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections. The abbey of st peter was a benedictine monastery in the village of abbotsbury in dorset, england. The history of cerne abbey is full of contradictory tales. The history of abbotsbury there is ample visual evidence that abbotsbury and the surrounding area have been settled by man for over 6000 years for this part of the dorset coast. Abbotsbury abbey existed for 500 years, but was destroyed in the dissolution, although the abbey.
St peters abbey was a benedictine monastery founded c. The swan inn and ilchester arms both serve pub classics, ideal for refuelling after a busy day exploring all that this village has to offer. History abbotsbury childrens farm abbotsbury tourism. Abbeys buy books online or at 1 york street history. A benedictine monastery was established at abbotsbury in the 11th century and the monks began farming swans which often featured at medieval banquets. The only thing i have experienced in the area that i cant explain is when i.
History of abbotsbury abbey remains the abbey of st peter at abbotsbury housed a benedictine community founded in 1044 by orc, a house steward of king cnut. St peters monastery was destroyed in 1539, during the dissolution. Abbotsbury dorset towns west dorset leisure holidays. Abbotsbury abbey, abbotsbury, dorset educational images. The gateway of its church, the walls of a dormitory and barn, and some fragments scattered over a large area, still remain. It was in the hundred of uggescombe and the lords and tenantsinchief were abbotsbury abbey and hawise, wife of hugh son of grip. The monks have long gone, but the swans are still there different ones, obviously. It details mainly owners of various named areas or manors, the people and resources and the value. The abbey certainly has a spooky atmosphere with its ominous walls filled with history and character. Its layout probably followed the normal benedictine pattern of that time, with the monastic buildings grouped around a cloister to the south of the church. Originally, abbotsbury would have been covered in dense woodland which was gradually cleared from about 6000 years ago.
The great majority of the most elaborate decorated initials depict a catherine wheel, the emblem. Carving representing the holy trinity, st nicholas, abbotsbury. A decoy at abbotsbury by samuel hieronymus grimm 1773. The abbey was founded in the 11th century by king cnut s thegn orc and his wife tola, who handsomely endowed the monastery with lands in the area. Nearby wyke farm, a moated manor house, belonged to the monks of sherborne until the dissolution. A scholarly resource for the study of womens religious communities from 400 to 1600 ce.
Abbotsbury tea rooms and abbey house are also worth a visit, if youre looking for a light bite or dorset cream tea. The swannery may have been established by the monks of abbotsbury abbey, but it seems more likely that they simply took advantage of a natural swan habitat provided by the shelter of chesil bank. Abbotsbury dorset jurassic coast world heritage site. Abbotsbury abbey this page summarises records created by this organisation the summary includes a brief description of the collections usually including the covering dates of the collection, the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to. The abbey of st peter at abbotsbury housed a benedictine. The lost cartulary of abbotsbury anglosaxon england cambridge.
In 1541, the abbey lands were leased to sir giles strangways, who converted part of the old monastery into a mansion. The churchs porch contains the effigy of an abbot of abbotsbury abbey. The history of abbotsbury there is ample visual evidence that abbotsbury and the surrounding area have been settled by man for over 6000 years for this part of the dorset coast is rich in archaeological interest. Canute s successor, edward the confessor, was impressed. Reyner, in his history of the benedictine order in england, gives the year 1026, tanner states that about 1026 orcus instituted a society of secular canons here which he or tola his widow changed to a monastery of the benedictine order in the reign of edward the confessor again, according to coker, the monastery was built by orcus in 1044 and stored with benedictine monks from the abbey of cerne. An aerial reconstuction drawing of abbotsbury abbey in the late middle ages, by philip corke. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the kings books at.
Media in category st nicholas church, abbotsbury the following 18 files are in this category, out of 18 total. Abbotsbury abbey remains, abbotsbury, place to visit. Its buildings now almost completely gone covered all the ground between the church and the tithe barn. Media in category abbotsbury abbey the following 15 files are in this category, out of 15 total. In time a thriving settlement grew up by the abbey. History of abbotsbury abbey remains english heritage. Abbotsbury abbey, dedicated to saint peter, was a benedictine monastery in the village of. The abbey was founded in the eleventh century by king cnuts thegn orc and his wife tola, who handsomely endowed the monastery with lands in the area. From our room we had lovely views of the barn and open countryside. The domesday survey is possibly the first activity in history which definitely would have benefited from the use of a computer database.
The remains now visible part of a building which may have been the abbots lodging date from the th and 14th centuries. There are also some notelets and copies of the dorset historic churches trusts book on dorset churches for sale. The calendar in the breviary contains commemorations of a number of specifically west country saints. A detailed account of the abbey house is sadly something that is missing from modern day history books. Would you associate this place or activity with history. Earliest record of the abbotsbury swannery, already well established by then c1400c1530 the church of st nicholas, st catherines chapel and the tithe barn were all built by the abbey monks 1539 the abbey was dissolved by henry viii, and its buildings and estates were bought by sir giles strangways, whose descendants still own abbotsbury village. It was discovered on the site of the abbeys church, st peters, in 1778, and has been given an approximate date of 1200. They built the tithe barn at the centre of the farm. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. In 1086, in the domesday book abbotsbury was recorded as abodesberie, it was in the hundred of uggescombe and the lords and tenantsinchief were abbotsbury abbey and hawise, wife of hugh son of grip. St peters abbey, abbotsbury 1015693 historic england.
A benedictine abbey was founded at abbotsbury in 1044 by orcus, steward of king canute, and passed at the dissolution to the strangeways. Only one wall still remains but the gothic style windows still give a great insight into how the abbey would have looked. The abbey was founded in the 11th century by king canute s steward orc and his wife thola. The abbotsbury breviary by unknown artist art fund.
Orc the steward of king canute and his wife thola founded abbotsbury abbey in the 11th century. Demolished and rebuilt a mile away from its original site by the earl of dorchester in the 18th century. Abbotsbury abbey remains 2020 all you need to know. Some of the ruins are still visible around st nicolas church in the village. Coker states in his survey of the countie of dorset, quoting the register of the monastery, unfortunately destroyed with the mansionhouse of the strangeways at abbotsbury in the civil wars of charles i, that here. History of abbotsbury abbotsbury abbey at english heritage st catherines chapel. Episode 18 abbotsbury, dorset may 21, 2017 may 21, 2017 britainalphabetically today we are back in the south of england, right on the coast in fact, just west of weymouth, to visit the small village of abbotsbury in the county of dorset.
It has been influenced by man from the neolithic age and is overlooked by an iron age hill fort. An a5 sized leaflet containing a very brief history of the church and information on things of interest both inside and outside the building. The monks farmed the swans to produce food for their lavish dorset banquets. King alfred gave the land to sherborne abbey in ad 933. The site may have belonged to glastonbury abbey in the tenth century and an early monastic settlement at the site is possible. The swannery was established by benedictine monks who built a monastery at abbotsbury during the 1040s.