Boxley Abbey
Encyclopedia
Boxley Abbey in Boxley
, Kent
, England was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1143-46 by William Ypres, Earl of Kent, and colonised by monks from Clairvaux Abbey
in France. Some of its ruins survive, some four miles north-east of Maidstone
.
. In 1193 the abbots of Boxley and Robertsbridge
journeyed to the continent to search for King Richard I, finally locating him in Bavaria
. During 1512-13, the abbot appealed to the crown to arrest four of the monks, accusing them of rebelliousness.
known as the Rood of Grace
, a wooden cross, the figure upon which was supposed to miraculously move and speak. In 1538 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, the person employed with the closure of the institution examined the famed relic and discovered it to be a fake, observing the levers and wires that enacted the so-called miracles. It was taken down and displayed in Maidstone
market so as to demonstrate the fraud. Finally, it was sent to London
and with the accompaniment of a sermon from the Bishop of Rochester
it was hacked to pieces and burnt.
in 1540. After the dissolution some of the complex was transformed into a house with the remainder virtually demolished. Parts survive within the present mainly 19th-century house, and there are some fragmentary remains of the church still standing. Boxley Abbey Barn
, a large 13th-century stone building which served as the abbey's Hospitium remains. It is a Grade I listed building. The precinct of the abbey is a scheduled monument. The site is private.
Boxley
The large village and civil parish of Boxley in the Maidstone District of Kent, England lies below the slope of the North Downs, four miles NE of Maidstone town...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1143-46 by William Ypres, Earl of Kent, and colonised by monks from Clairvaux Abbey
Clairvaux Abbey
Clairvaux Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, 15 km from Bar-sur-Aube, in the Aube département in northeastern France. The original building, founded in 1115 by St. Bernard, is now in ruins; a high-security prison, the Clairvaux Prison, now occupies the grounds...
in France. Some of its ruins survive, some four miles north-east of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
.
Notable events
In 1171 the then abbot was one of those responsible for the burial of the murdered archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas BecketThomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
. In 1193 the abbots of Boxley and Robertsbridge
Robertsbridge Abbey
Robertsbridge Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England. It was founded in 1176 by the Abbot, Robert de St Martin. The abbey was dissolved in 1538.-External links:*...
journeyed to the continent to search for King Richard I, finally locating him in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. During 1512-13, the abbot appealed to the crown to arrest four of the monks, accusing them of rebelliousness.
The Relic
The abbey was famous, and later infamous, for a relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
known as the Rood of Grace
Rood of Grace
The Rood of Grace was a crucifix kept at Boxley Abbey in Kent in southeast England. It was claimed to be miraculous for the wooden likeness of Jesus was said to move or come to life. The Rood's renown was such that Boxley became a pilgrimage site...
, a wooden cross, the figure upon which was supposed to miraculously move and speak. In 1538 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the person employed with the closure of the institution examined the famed relic and discovered it to be a fake, observing the levers and wires that enacted the so-called miracles. It was taken down and displayed in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
market so as to demonstrate the fraud. Finally, it was sent to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and with the accompaniment of a sermon from the Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
it was hacked to pieces and burnt.
The Dissolution and beyond
The site of the abbey and many of its manorial estates were granted to Sir Thomas WyattThomas Wyatt (poet)
Sir Thomas Wyatt was a 16th-century English lyrical poet credited with introducing the sonnet into English. He was born at Allington Castle, near Maidstone in Kent – though his family was originally from Yorkshire...
in 1540. After the dissolution some of the complex was transformed into a house with the remainder virtually demolished. Parts survive within the present mainly 19th-century house, and there are some fragmentary remains of the church still standing. Boxley Abbey Barn
Boxley Abbey Barn
Boxley Abbey Barn is a large medieval barn in Boxley, Kent. It is a remnant of the buildings of the mostly demolished Boxley Abbey.The barn is long, aligned with its long axis roughly east-west, and was built in the late 13th or early 14th century. It is constructed of local ragstone with two...
, a large 13th-century stone building which served as the abbey's Hospitium remains. It is a Grade I listed building. The precinct of the abbey is a scheduled monument. The site is private.