Beeleigh Abbey facts for kids
Beeleigh Abbey is an old monastery near Maldon in Essex, England. It was built way back in 1180 for a special group of monks called the White Canons. They were also known as Norbertines or Premonstratensians. These monks were different because they lived a more active life, helping people outside the monastery walls, unlike some other monks who stayed mostly inside.
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A Look Back in Time
Beeleigh Abbey was first connected to another abbey called Newsham Abbey. It was started by Robert de Mantell, a local lord. King Richard I, who was king in 1189, even gave the abbey a special royal permission.
A very important person, Saint Roger Niger of Beeleigh, who was a Bishop of London in the 1200s, had his heart buried at Beeleigh. This made the abbey a popular place for people to visit on a pilgrimage. In 1289, even King Edward I and Queen Eleanor came to visit.
Changes Over the Years
Later, during the time when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries, Beeleigh Abbey's buildings were mostly taken apart. In 1540, King Henry VIII gave the abbey and its lands to Sir John Gate. About 30 years later, a farmhouse was added to the abbey.
In the 1700s, the building was even used as a pub! By the late 1800s, the buildings were falling apart. But in 1912, Captain F. W. Grantham started to fix them up. In 1943, William Foyle, who owned the famous Foyles bookshop, bought the Abbey.
Today, Beeleigh Abbey is a private home. It's not usually open to everyone, but small groups can visit if they arrange it beforehand. You can see the roofs of the old medieval buildings from a footpath that goes along the River Chelmer. The abbey gardens are also open to the public on certain days in the summer.
The White Canons Return
In 2008, the Premonstratensians (White Canons) came back to Essex. They set up a new house at St. Philip's Priory in Chelmsford, which is about 8 miles from Beeleigh.
In 2010, the leader of St Philips Priory and three other canons visited Beeleigh Abbey. This was the first time White Canons had visited since 1955. Before that, no White Canons had been there since the monasteries were closed in 1536!
In April 2011, the worldwide head of the Premonstratensian Order, Father Thomas Handgraetinger, visited Beeleigh. Father Hugh Allan, the Prior of Chelmsford, was then made the Abbot of Beeleigh. This made him the first Abbot of Beeleigh since 1536!
On December 8, 2016, Father Hugh was officially made Abbot at a church in Chelmsford. Many important people were there, including bishops and other leaders. Christopher Foyle, one of the current owners of Beeleigh Abbey, presented the Abbot with his special hat, called a mitre.
The Foyle Family's Work
In 2000, after William Foyle's daughter Christina Foyle passed away, Christopher Foyle and his wife Catherine bought Beeleigh Abbey. Christopher Foyle is the chairman of Foyles Bookshops. They spent four years restoring the Abbey and its gardens, which had become a bit run down. Because of their amazing work, they won two awards in 2008 for restoring the best historical building in the UK!
Discoveries from the Past
From 2000 to 2006, experts did an archaeological study of the Abbey site. This means they carefully dug up and studied old things to learn about the past. They used special equipment to look underground first, then they started digging. Many visitors came to watch them work on "open days."
They didn't find anything from the very first building in 1180. But they did find the foundations of a medieval hall house and other old buildings. They also found lots of pottery from the 1100s to the 1500s. Some old coins, special counting tokens called jetons, and a seal that belonged to the Abbey were also discovered. More digging is planned for the future!
People Buried at the Abbey
