Convent of Poor Clares, Woodchester facts for kids
The Convent of Poor Clares was a special home for nuns in Woodchester, a village near Stroud in Gloucestershire, England. Nuns from the Poor Clares religious order lived here for many years. They were part of a group of Catholic nuns who dedicate their lives to prayer and simple living. The convent was active from 1850 until 2011.
The main part of the convent was originally a house built in the 1600s. It was made bigger in the 1850s to fit the needs of the nuns. Special buildings just for the convent were added between 1861 and 1869 by an architect named Charles Hansom. A separate guest house for visitors was built around 1870. This historic site is now officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important historical place that needs to be protected.
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Life at the Convent
The Poor Clares nuns lived a quiet life focused on prayer and work. In 1998, a writer named Duff Hart-Davis visited the convent. He wrote about his visit in The Independent on Sunday newspaper. He met the Mother Abbess, Sister Mary Anthony, and another nun, Sister Mary Therese.
Daily Work and Income
The nuns' main way of earning money was by making altar breads. These are special thin wafers used in church services. They made a huge number of these breads, about five million each year! This work earned them about £25,000 annually.
Besides making altar breads, the nuns also grew their own food. They had a vegetable garden and an orchard with fruit trees. They also kept bees, cows, and chickens. This helped them to be very self-sufficient.
Simple Living
The nuns lived a very simple life. They did not own a television. However, they would sometimes borrow one for special holidays like Christmas and Easter. This shows how dedicated they were to their quiet and prayerful way of life.
Convent's History and Changes
The convent was first home to Franciscan nuns before the Poor Clares took over. In 1904, some Poor Clares nuns who had been forced to leave France came to live at Woodchester.
Number of Nuns Over Time
The convent grew over the years. After the Second World War, it was at its busiest, with about 30 nuns living there. However, by 1998, the number of nuns had decreased. There were only 12 nuns left, and most of them were elderly.
Moving On
In 2011, the convent closed down. The five remaining Poor Clares nuns moved to another Poor Clares convent. This new home was in Lynton, a town in North Devon.
Library Donation
The Poor Clares nuns from Woodchester had a large collection of books. When the convent closed, they decided to donate their library to Durham University Library. This collection includes 485 books. These books date from the 1500s to the 1800s. Many of them came from an older Poor Clares convent in Princehof, near Bruges, Belgium. Most of the books are about religious topics and prayer.
Images for kids
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The convent chapel
