Burton Abbey facts for kids
Burton Abbey was a very old and important monastery located in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was first started a long, long time ago, possibly in the 600s or 800s, by a person named St Modwen. Later, in the year 1003, a powerful leader called Wulfric Spot rebuilt it as a Benedictine abbey. He was buried there in 1010, along with his wife.
A Look Back in Time
Burton Abbey is even mentioned in the famous Domesday Book, which was a huge survey of England made in 1086. This book showed that the abbey owned land in many places, including Mickleover, Appleby Magna, Winshill, Stapenhill, Coton in the Elms, Caldwell, and Ticknall.
Even though the abbey was important, the monks sometimes said it was the smallest and poorest Benedictine monastery in England. It often had money problems, sometimes because of poor management. However, by the 1500s, things seemed to get better.
In the 1200s and 1300s, about thirty monks lived at the abbey. But by the 1520s, this number had almost halved.
Despite its challenges, Burton Abbey was still the most important monastery in Staffordshire. By the 1530s, it had the highest income of all the monasteries in the area. The abbot, who was the head of the abbey, was a very important person. He was like a local lord and also had special spiritual powers. He often helped with important tasks for the Pope and the King.
Kings also visited the abbey many times. Famous kings like William I, Henry II, and Edward I all came to Burton Abbey.
Abbey Records
The abbey kept detailed records called "annals." These records are a very important source of information about the political history of England in the 1200s. They show how smart and organized the monks at Burton Abbey were.
What Happened Next
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The abbey was closed down in 1539 during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was when King Henry VIII closed many monasteries in England.
After it closed, parts of the abbey church were used as a local church. But later, in the early 1700s, a new church called St Modwen's was built in its place. Not much of the original abbey remains today, except for a few pieces of the chapter house.
Two of the abbey buildings were turned into homes. One part became known as the Manor House, and the old infirmary (where sick monks were cared for) became an inn called The Abbey.
Around 1712, a man named George Hayne started using the River Trent for shipping goods. He leased the abbey grounds to build a dock and other buildings. This was a big step that helped Burton become a major town for making and sending out beer!
In 1967, during construction work at Burton Technical College, workers found two underground rooms. People thought these might have been used as wine cellars. The larger room was later used for student parties and was even called "The Vault."
See also
In Spanish: Abadía de Burton para niños
