Faversham Abbey
Encyclopedia
Faversham Abbey was a Cluny
style monastery
immediately to the north-east of the town of Faversham
in the county of Kent
in England
.
It was founded by King Stephen
and his queen Matilda of Boulogne
in 1148. A party of monks from Bermondsey Abbey
provided the nucleus and the first abbot.
The Abbey was dissolved in 1538 and subsequently most of it was demolished. Much of the building material was removed by military engineers and transported by sea to France, where it was used to strengthen the fortifications of the towns in the Pale of Calais
, which at the time was England's continental bridgehead.
Some of the domestic buildings remained in 1671, and about this time the refectory was dismantled and its timber re-used to create a long warehouse which still stands on Standard Quay nearby. Not long afterwards the final traces were removed and the exact site of the church was lost.
Among the few surviving buildings of Faversham Abbey are the two Barns at Abbey Farm. The smaller (Minor) Barn dates from 1425 and the larger (Major) Barn dates from 1476. In the farmyard of which they form part there are other listed buildings, including Abbey Farmhouse, part of which dates from the 14th century, and a small building which is thought to have been the Abbot’s stable.
Also surviving is the Abbey Guest House, on the east side of the Outer Gateway of the Abbey; now known as Arden's House. This house, now a private residence in Abbey Street, was the location of the infamous murder of Thomas Arden
in 1551. Globe House opposite is thought to have been the Abbey steward's home.
The Abbey was the burial place of King Stephen of England
, Queen Matilda
, and their son Eustace IV of Boulogne
. Their bones are said to have been thrown into the nearby Faversham Creek when the building was dismantled. Their empty graves were excavated in 1964 and were found to be close to the very centre of the choir. However in the Parish Church is a canopy tomb with no contemporary inscription, where is said that their bones were re-interred.
Cluny
Cluny or Clungy is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. It is 20 km northwest of Mâcon.The town grew up around the Benedictine Cluny Abbey, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 910...
style monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
immediately to the north-east of the town of Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
in the county of 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...
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...
.
It was founded by King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and his queen Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
in 1148. A party of monks from Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey was an English Benedictine monastery. Most widely known as an 11th-century foundation, it had a precursor mentioned in the early 8th century, and was centred on what is now Bermondsey Square, the site of Bermondsey Market, Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast...
provided the nucleus and the first abbot.
The Abbey was dissolved in 1538 and subsequently most of it was demolished. Much of the building material was removed by military engineers and transported by sea to France, where it was used to strengthen the fortifications of the towns in the Pale of Calais
Pale of Calais
The Pale of Calais is a historical region of France that was controlled by the Kingdom of England until 1558.- History :After the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Edward III of England, having renounced the throne of France, kept some territory within France, namely Aquitaine and the area around Calais,...
, which at the time was England's continental bridgehead.
Some of the domestic buildings remained in 1671, and about this time the refectory was dismantled and its timber re-used to create a long warehouse which still stands on Standard Quay nearby. Not long afterwards the final traces were removed and the exact site of the church was lost.
Among the few surviving buildings of Faversham Abbey are the two Barns at Abbey Farm. The smaller (Minor) Barn dates from 1425 and the larger (Major) Barn dates from 1476. In the farmyard of which they form part there are other listed buildings, including Abbey Farmhouse, part of which dates from the 14th century, and a small building which is thought to have been the Abbot’s stable.
Also surviving is the Abbey Guest House, on the east side of the Outer Gateway of the Abbey; now known as Arden's House. This house, now a private residence in Abbey Street, was the location of the infamous murder of Thomas Arden
Alice Arden
Alice Arden was the daughter of John Brigantine and Alice Squire, who conspired to have her husband, Thomas Arden of Faversham, murdered so she could carry on with a long-term affair with a tailor, Richard Moseby. The murder took place on 14 February 1551...
in 1551. Globe House opposite is thought to have been the Abbey steward's home.
The Abbey was the burial place of King Stephen of England
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
, Queen Matilda
Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
, and their son Eustace IV of Boulogne
Eustace IV of Boulogne
Eustace IV was a Count of Boulogne and the son and heir of King Stephen of England. He became the Heir Apparent to his father's lands by the death of an elder brother before 1135, and inherited Boulogne through his mother, Matilda of Boulogne.In 1137, he did homage for Normandy to Louis VII of...
. Their bones are said to have been thrown into the nearby Faversham Creek when the building was dismantled. Their empty graves were excavated in 1964 and were found to be close to the very centre of the choir. However in the Parish Church is a canopy tomb with no contemporary inscription, where is said that their bones were re-interred.