Keynsham Abbey
Encyclopedia
Keynsham Abbey in Keynsham
, Somerset, England was founded by William, Earl of Gloucester
for the Augustinian Canons Regular around 1170 and survived until 1539. The remains have been designated as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument
The abbey was founded following the dying wish of William's son Robert, although there had been a religious settlenment in Keynsham during the 9th and 10th centuries.
After the dissolution
in 1539, when the abbey and its possessions were surrendered to Henry VIII
, the site was occupied by a house built by the Bridges family. In 1559 Thomas Bridges bequeathed stone from the late Abbey Church for the repair of the Bridge and causeway over the nearby River Avon
. The house built by the Bridges family was demolished in 1776.
The arms
of the abbey included six golden clarions or trumpets on a red ground, from the de Clares, Earls of Gloucester.
The site was excavated during the building of the Keynsham bypass in the 1960s. Amongst the finds was a fipple flute, a type of early recorder
.
Keynsham
Keynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
, Somerset, England was founded by William, Earl of Gloucester
William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester
William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester was the son and heir of Sir Robert de Caen, 1st Earl of Gloucester, and Mabel FitzHamon of Gloucester, daughter of Robert Fitzhamon.- Lineage :...
for the Augustinian Canons Regular around 1170 and survived until 1539. The remains have been designated as a Grade I 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...
The abbey was founded following the dying wish of William's son Robert, although there had been a religious settlenment in Keynsham during the 9th and 10th centuries.
After the dissolution
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...
in 1539, when the abbey and its possessions were surrendered to Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, the site was occupied by a house built by the Bridges family. In 1559 Thomas Bridges bequeathed stone from the late Abbey Church for the repair of the Bridge and causeway over the nearby River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
. The house built by the Bridges family was demolished in 1776.
The arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the abbey included six golden clarions or trumpets on a red ground, from the de Clares, Earls of Gloucester.
The site was excavated during the building of the Keynsham bypass in the 1960s. Amongst the finds was a fipple flute, a type of early recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
.