Ampleforth Abbey Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ampleforth Abbey
The Abbey Church of St Laurence, Ampleforth

Ampleforth Abbey Location in North Yorkshire
54°12′06″N 1°05′05″W / 54.2018°N 1.0847°W / 54.2018; -1.0847
OS grid reference	SE598788
Location	Ampleforth, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Catholic Church
Website	Ampleforthabbey.org.uk
History
Status	Abbey
Founded	1802
Founder(s)	Lady Anne Fairfax
Dedication	St Laurence the Martyr
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	9 September 1985
Administration
Deanery	Central
Diocese	Middlesbrough
Province	Liverpool

Ampleforth Abbey is a special place where Benedictine monks live and pray. It's located about a mile east of Ampleforth, in North Yorkshire, England. This abbey is part of the English Benedictine Congregation.

The community at Ampleforth Abbey has a long history. It can be traced back to the monks of Westminster Abbey before the English Reformation. As of 2023, there are 46 monks living at the monastery. Sometimes, there are also 50 nuns from a related organization.

History of Ampleforth Abbey
- Leaders of the Abbey
What the Monks Do
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

History of Ampleforth Abbey

Monastery, Abbey Church and Main Hall

Ampleforth Abbey started in a house given to Father Anselm Bolton. This gift came from Lady Anne Fairfax in 1802. Before settling in Ampleforth, the monks had moved around quite a bit. They had been in places like Acton Burnell and Tranmere.

When they moved to Ampleforth Lodge, Father Appleton became the first leader, called a prior. Soon after, a school for boys that had been at Parbold moved to Ampleforth. In 1890, the priory officially became an abbey. A very important school, Ampleforth College, grew from this community.

The first abbey church was built in 1857. However, it was taken down in 1957. The church you see today was started in 1924. It was finished and officially opened in 1961. A famous architect named Giles Gilbert Scott designed it.

Leaders of the Abbey

The leader of an abbey is called an abbot. Here is a list of the abbots who have guided Ampleforth Abbey:

1900–1924: Oswald Smith OSB
1924–1939: Edmund Matthews OSB
1939–1963: Herbert Byrne OSB
1963–1976: Basil Hume OSB
1976–1984: Ambrose Griffiths OSB
1984–1997: Patrick Barry OSB
1997–2005: Timothy Wright OSB
2005–2021: Cuthbert Madden OSB
2021–present: Robert Igo OSB

What the Monks Do

The monks at Ampleforth Abbey do many things. They don't just live and pray at the abbey. They also help people in other ways.

Ampleforth College

The monks started a school right there at Ampleforth in 1802. Today, this school is known as Ampleforth College. It's a large independent boarding school for both boys and girls, with about 600 students. In 2017, the college became separate from the Abbey. This means they have their own leaders. However, monks from Ampleforth Abbey still help guide the spiritual side of the college.

Helping Local Communities

Some of the monks also work as priests in different local churches. They serve in parishes across four different church areas, called dioceses. This means they help lead church services and support people in those communities.

International Connections

Ampleforth Abbey has also helped start other monastic communities around the world.

In 1955, they founded a new priory in St Louis, Missouri, in the United States. This priory later became Saint Louis Abbey in 1989.
In 1996, Ampleforth set up a community called Monastery of Christ the Word in Zimbabwe, Africa.