Athelney Abbey
Encyclopedia
Athelney Abbey, established in the county of Somerset
, England, was founded by King Alfred in 888
, as a religious house for monks of the Order of St. Benedict. It was dedicated to our Blessed Saviour, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Egelwine.
was a small island in swampland, in what is now the parish of East Lyng, covered with alder
s and infested by wild animals. It was inaccessible except by boat, according to William of Malmesbury
. Here Alfred found a refuge from the Danes; here he built the abbey. The dedication to St. Egelwine suggests that it may have been an enlargement of a hermitage or monastery already in existence.
He peopled it with foreign monks, drawn chiefly from France, with John of Saxony (known as Scotus) as their abbot. The original church was a small structure, consisting of four piers supporting the main fabric and surrounded by four circular chancel
s. Little is known of the history of the abbey from the eleventh century up to the time of its dissolution except that monks of Glastonbury Abbey
attempted to annex it or have it placed under the Glastonbury jurisdiction.
It was not a rich community. An indulgence of thirty days was given in 1321 for those who should assist in the rebuilding of the church, and the monks humbly petitioned Edward I of England
to remit corrod for which they were unable to find the means of payment. The last abbot was Robert Hamlyn. With eight monks of his community, he surrendered February, 8, 1540, receiving a pension of £50 per annum and retaining his prebend of Long Sutton
. The revenues (26 Hen. VII) were £209. 0s. 3/4 d.
Following the dissolution it was acquired for use as his private residence by Lord Audley. This did not happen and the church was demolished and other buildings fell into disrepair, leaving nothing visible at the site today. Several geophysical surveys have been carried out to explore the remains which still exist below ground level.
The site of the Abbey is marked by King Alfred's Monument which is a Grade II listed building, and Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, was founded by King Alfred in 888
888
Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
, as a religious house for monks of the Order of St. Benedict. It was dedicated to our Blessed Saviour, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Egelwine.
History
Originally AthelneyAthelney
Athelney is located between the villages of Burrowbridge and East Lyng in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The area is known as the Isle of Athelney, because it was once a very low isolated island in the 'very great swampy and impassable marshes' of the Somerset Levels. Much of the...
was a small island in swampland, in what is now the parish of East Lyng, covered with alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
s and infested by wild animals. It was inaccessible except by boat, according to William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
. Here Alfred found a refuge from the Danes; here he built the abbey. The dedication to St. Egelwine suggests that it may have been an enlargement of a hermitage or monastery already in existence.
He peopled it with foreign monks, drawn chiefly from France, with John of Saxony (known as Scotus) as their abbot. The original church was a small structure, consisting of four piers supporting the main fabric and surrounded by four circular chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
s. Little is known of the history of the abbey from the eleventh century up to the time of its dissolution except that monks of Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
attempted to annex it or have it placed under the Glastonbury jurisdiction.
It was not a rich community. An indulgence of thirty days was given in 1321 for those who should assist in the rebuilding of the church, and the monks humbly petitioned Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
to remit corrod for which they were unable to find the means of payment. The last abbot was Robert Hamlyn. With eight monks of his community, he surrendered February, 8, 1540, receiving a pension of £50 per annum and retaining his prebend of Long Sutton
Long Sutton, Somerset
Long Sutton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south of Somerton in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 862....
. The revenues (26 Hen. VII) were £209. 0s. 3/4 d.
Following the dissolution it was acquired for use as his private residence by Lord Audley. This did not happen and the church was demolished and other buildings fell into disrepair, leaving nothing visible at the site today. Several geophysical surveys have been carried out to explore the remains which still exist below ground level.
The site of the Abbey is marked by King Alfred's Monument which is a Grade II listed building, and Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.