Winchcombe Abbey
Encyclopedia
Winchcombe Abbey is a now-vanished Benedictine
abbey
in Winchcombe
, Gloucestershire
, this abbey was once the capital of Mercia
, an Anglo Saxon kingdom at the time of the Heptarchy
in England
. The Abbey was founded c. 798 for three hundred Benedictine monk
s, by King Offa of Mercia
or King Kenulf. In its time, it was the burial place of two Mercian princes, Kenulf and his son St. Kenelm.
The Abbey itself was in the grounds to the east end of the parish church
of St Kenelm. Many pilgrim
s visited St. Kenelm's tomb in the early middle ages
, and the Abbey thus became very rich. At its heyday, Winchcombe Abbey alone owned 25,300 acre
s (102 km²) in 13 parishes. Indeed, Snowshill Manor
was owned by Winchcombe Abbey from 821 until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
.
Winchcombe Abbey was surrendered to the Crown and then demolished in 1539. Some of its stones can still be found in Winchcombe; for example the lintel over the abbey gate now rests over the gate of what was once the George Inn. Fragments of the abbey can still be seen in various places in Winchcombe, notably the Corner Cupboard Inn on the Cheltenham road. A stone cross was erected in the 19th century to mark the centre of the abbey tower. Very little now remains of the Abbey; more remains of its great nearby rival, Hailes Abbey
.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
in Winchcombe
Winchcombe
Winchcombe is a Cotswold town in the local authority district of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. Its population according to the 2001 census was 4,379.-Early history:...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, this abbey was once the capital of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, an Anglo Saxon kingdom at the time of the Heptarchy
Heptarchy
The Heptarchy is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of south, east, and central Great Britain during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, conventionally identified as seven: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Abbey was founded c. 798 for three hundred Benedictine monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, by King Offa of Mercia
Offa of Mercia
Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
or King Kenulf. In its time, it was the burial place of two Mercian princes, Kenulf and his son St. Kenelm.
The Abbey itself was in the grounds to the east end of the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St Kenelm. Many pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s visited St. Kenelm's tomb in the early middle ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, and the Abbey thus became very rich. At its heyday, Winchcombe Abbey alone owned 25,300 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (102 km²) in 13 parishes. Indeed, Snowshill Manor
Snowshill Manor
Snowshill Manor is a National Trust property located in the village of Snowshill, Gloucestershire, England.-History:Snowshill Manor was the property of Winchcombe Abbey from 821 until 1539 when the Abbey was confiscated by King Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.Between 1539 and...
was owned by Winchcombe Abbey from 821 until 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...
.
Winchcombe Abbey was surrendered to the Crown and then demolished in 1539. Some of its stones can still be found in Winchcombe; for example the lintel over the abbey gate now rests over the gate of what was once the George Inn. Fragments of the abbey can still be seen in various places in Winchcombe, notably the Corner Cupboard Inn on the Cheltenham road. A stone cross was erected in the 19th century to mark the centre of the abbey tower. Very little now remains of the Abbey; more remains of its great nearby rival, Hailes Abbey
Hailes Abbey
Hailes Abbey is two miles northeast of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England.The abbey was founded in 1245 or 1246 by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, called "King of the Romans" and the younger brother of King Henry III of England. He was granted the manor of Hailes by Henry, and settled it with...
.
Timeline for Winchcombe Abbey
- 798 - King Kenulf of Mercia gives instructions for building an abbey
- 811 - Winchcombe Abbey is dedicated by Wulfred, Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
- 1042-1066 - During Edward the ConfessorEdward the ConfessorEdward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
's reign Winchcombe Abbey becomes one of the most powerful Benedictine monasteries in the country - 29 August, 1151 - Fire destroys much of Winchcombe, including the Abbey
- 1239 - Re-building of the Abbey completed
- 23 December, 1539 - Winchcombe Abbey is surrendered to the crown and the monks are pensioned off. The Abbey buildings are quickly demolished the stone being re-used in other buildings