Downside Abbey facts for kids
Abbey monastic basilica and library (left)
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 Location in Somerset
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| Monastery information | |
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| Full name | Abbey of St Gregory the Great at Downside |
| Order | Benedictine |
| Denomination | Roman Catholicism |
| Established | 1606 |
| Mother house | Valladolid |
| Dedicated to | Gregory the Great |
| Diocese | Clifton |
| Controlled churches | Basilica of St Gregory the Great St Benedict's Church |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | St John Roberts OSB |
| Abbot | Dom Nicholas Wetz, OSB |
| Prior | Dom Anselm Brumwell, OSB |
| Important associated figures | Architects Archibald Matthias Dunn and Edward Joseph Hansom, Cardinal Gasquet, Ambrose Barlow, |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic revival |
| Completion date | 1935 |
| Site | |
| Location | Southgate House, Buckfastleigh, Devon, England (temporary) (until 13 March 2022 – Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England) |
| Coordinates | 51°15′20″N 2°29′43″W / 51.2556°N 2.4954°W |
| Grid reference | ST655508 |
| Other information | Relics of St. Oliver Plunkett and St. Thomas de Cantilupe |
| Website | https://www.downsideabbey.co.uk/ |
Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England. It is the main community of the English Benedictine Congregation. For a long time, the abbey was closely connected to Downside School. This school educated students aged 11 to 18. Both the abbey and the school were located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, in Somerset, South West England.
In 2020, the monks announced they would move to a new home. In 2022, they moved temporarily to Southgate House. This new place is on the grounds of Buckfast Abbey in Devon. They now live there as the "Community of St Gregory the Great." As of 2020, there were fifteen monks living at Downside Abbey.
The Abbey Church of St Gregory the Great is a very important building. It was started in 1873 but was never fully finished. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's historically very important. A famous expert, Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, called its Gothic style "the most splendid demonstration of the renaissance of Roman Catholicism in England."
Contents
History of Downside Abbey
How Downside Abbey Started
The community began in 1607 in Douai, which was then part of Flanders. It was named after St Gregory the Great. He was the Pope who sent St Augustine of Canterbury to England in 597. The founder was a Welshman named St John Roberts. He became the first leader, called a prior. He started the new community with other English monks. These monks had joined different monasteries in Spain.
The Priory of St Gregory was the first English Benedictine house to restart monastic life. This happened after the English Reformation. For nearly 200 years, the monastery trained monks for their work in England. Six of these monks were later honored by Pope Pius XI in 1929. Two of them, Saints John Roberts and Ambrose Barlow, were among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. They were made saints by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
Moving to England
During the French Revolution, French soldiers invaded Flanders. The monks were forced to leave their monastery. After being held prisoner for a while, they were allowed to go to England in March 1795. They stayed for about 20 years at Acton Burnell in Shropshire. Finally, in 1814, they settled at Mount Pleasant, Downside, in Somerset.
The monastery buildings were finished in 1876. Downside became an Abbey in October 1899. Prior Edmund Ford was chosen as the first Abbot in 1900.
Downside Abbey in the 21st Century
Between 2018 and 2020, the abbey faced some financial challenges. This led to the sale of some valuable items.
Dom Nicholas Wetz became the Prior Administrator in 2018. In August 2020, he was elected the first Abbot of Downside Abbey in six years. Around the same time, it was announced that the monks would look for a new home. This was because they had fewer monks and the current building was too big for their needs.
The Abbey Church of St Gregory the Great
| Downside Abbey | |
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| Minor basilica and abbey church of St Gregory the Great | |
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A view of the monastic church
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| Location | Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Shepton Mallet, Somerset |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Tradition | Roman Rite |
| History | |
| Status | Minor basilica |
| Founded | 1814 |
| Consecrated | 1935 |
| Relics held | Oliver Plunkett Thomas de Cantilupe |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Used as a chapel by Downside School |
| Architect(s) | Archibald Matthias Dunn, Edward Joseph Hansom, Thomas Garner |
| Style | Gothic revival |
| Years built | 1873–1925 |
| Completed | 1925 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Birmingham |
| Metropolis | Birmingham |
| Diocese | Clifton |
| Province | Birmingham |
Building the Church
The construction of Downside Abbey church started in 1873. The first parts built were the transepts and the Lady Chapel. The first stone was laid on October 1, 1873. Important church leaders, including Archbishop Manning, were there.
The architects for the new building were Messrs. Dunn and Hansom. They designed it in a medieval Gothic style. The church was meant to be very grand. Its tall tower and spire would be easy to see from far away. The church was built using stone from the nearby Doulting Stone Quarry. This same stone was used for Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey.
In 1925, the unfinished main part of the church, called the nave, was dedicated. It honored the former students of the school who died in World War I.
Church Consecration
The abbey church was officially consecrated in 1935. At the same time, Pope Pius XI gave it the special title of a minor basilica. This was the first church in England to receive this honor. The consecration ceremony was a very grand event. It was led by Cardinal Seredi from Hungary. Many other important church leaders from around the world attended.
Special Status of the Church
The church holds the relics of St. Oliver Plunkett. He was an Irish archbishop who died for his beliefs in 1681. The church also has relics of St. Thomas de Cantilupe.
Downside Abbey church is one of only four churches in the United Kingdom to be called a minor basilica. The others are St. Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham, The National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham, and Corpus Christi Priory in Manchester.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. It uses Bath stone and has red tile roofs. Its design was meant to be as grand as the medieval cathedrals in England. Many of those older cathedrals were lost to the Catholic Church during the English Reformation.
The oldest parts, the transepts, were built in 1882 by Archibald Matthias Dunn and Edward Joseph Hansom. The choir section was designed by Thomas Garner and finished in 1905. The main part of the church, the nave, was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott around 1923–1925. It is still unfinished today.
The Lady chapel is known for its beautiful design by Sir Ninian Comper. It has a special altar screen called a reredos. This screen includes old medieval pieces and a container for relics. This container holds the skull of St Thomas de Cantilupe. The church's tower was finished in 1938. At 166 feet (55 meters) tall, it is the second highest in Somerset. The choir stalls look like those found in Chester Cathedral.
The church building, along with part of its cloister, was given a Grade I listed status in 1986. This means it is a very important historical building.
Church Organs
Early Organs
The first pipe organ at Downside was built in 1805 by George Pike England. It was originally in the Music Room at Brighton Pavilion. In 1882, it was moved to the new church. Later, in 1907, it moved to the parish church of Saint Vigor nearby. This organ was eventually sold to someone in America.
In 1905, a new organ was planned by Garrard of Lechlade. It was meant to be much larger. However, it was never fully completed to satisfaction.
The Compton Organ
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The organ used in the abbey church today was built by John Compton in 1931. It replaced the Garrard organ. This organ is very large, with 142 different sounds, called speaking stops. These sounds come from 38 sets of pipes.
The organ is hidden inside three stone and concrete rooms. The sound travels upwards, except for one part that speaks downwards. The organ's case, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, is made of solid oak. It has no visible pipes. Instead, it has carved wooden patterns. The sound goes up into the church's high ceilings and then down into the main area. The organ's control panel, called the console, is special. It is made from wood from the ship HMS Bellerophon. This ship carried Napoleon after the Battle of Waterloo.
The Monastery Building
The monastery and its attached cloisters were mostly finished in 1873. The architects were A. M. Dunn and Edward Joseph Hansom. It was built with Bath stone and red tiles. The style is described as "collegiate High Victorian". The front of the building has three floors, and four at the south end. It also has a later attic floor. The monastery building, including a cloister that connects it to the school, was given a Grade II* listed status in 1986.
The Abbey Library
The Monastery's library has a huge collection of books. It holds about 450,000 books, very old printed books (called incunabula), and handwritten documents (manuscripts). It also has old magazines and the records of the English Benedictine Congregation. The collection of medieval manuscripts is considered very important for the South West of England.
The library's collections are kept in a six-story building. This building was designed in the 1960s style by Francis Pollen and finished in 1971.
In 2013, the library received a large grant of £856,000. This money helped open the archives to the public. Many rare books and manuscripts were also made available online. The grant also helped repair and improve the library building.
In 2017, it was reported that the Abbey would publish a copy of a Georgian recipe book. This book was from 1793 and was found in the library in 2016. It included one of the earliest known UK recipes for curry. It also described daily life at Begbrook House near Bristol.
Cemetery
The Abbey Cemetery is mainly a burial ground for the monks. It also has two war graves from World War II. These are for a Lieutenant from the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and a Sub-Lieutenant from the Royal New Zealand Navy. Other people buried here include Mrs. Baron Charles von Hügel and two of her children, Friedrich and Pauline.
Important Monks
Many notable monks have lived at Downside Abbey. Here are a few:
- Dom Christopher Butler OSB: An abbot, bishop, and scholar who wrote about the Bible.
- Dom Richard Connolly (1873–1948): A scholar who studied the Syriac language.
- Cardinal Dom Francis Aidan Gasquet OSB: A Vatican librarian and historian.
- Dom David Knowles OSB: A professor at Cambridge and historian of monastic life.
- Dom Gregory Murray OSB (1905-92): A composer, music expert, and organist.
- Dom William Bernard Ullathorne OSB: A bishop and theologian.
- Dom Roger Vaughan OSB: The second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
Daughter Houses
Downside monks helped start other monasteries. These are called daughter houses. They founded one at Ealing in west London (started 1897, became independent in 1947, and Ealing Abbey in 1955). Another was founded at Worth in West Sussex (started 1933, became independent in 1957, and Worth Abbey in 1965).
Downside School
Downside School is a Roman Catholic public school. It educates boys and girls from ages 11 to 18. Like most Catholic schools today, it accepts students who are not Catholic.
In the 19th century, Downside was a small school for monks. Dom Leander Ramsay helped create the modern Downside School. He planned the new buildings that opened in 1912. These buildings now form two sides of the school's main quadrangle.
The school has a board of governors with eleven members. One of these members is from the Abbey community.
Since September 2019, the school and the abbey are managed by separate organizations. This change was part of reforms overseen by the Charity Commission.
See also
In Spanish: Abadía de Downside para niños
