Mount St Bernard Abbey facts for kids
Mount St Bernard Abbey
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 Location in Leicestershire
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| Monastery information | |
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| Order | Trappists |
| Established | 1835 |
| Abbot | Dom Peter Claver Craddy, OCSO |
| Site | |
| Location | Near Coalville, Leicestershire, England |
| Coordinates | 52°44′29″N 1°19′23″W / 52.741352°N 1.323072°W |
| Public access | yes |
Mount St Bernard Abbey is a Roman Catholic monastery in Leicestershire, England. It belongs to the Trappist Order. The abbey was started in 1835. It was the first permanent monastery built in England since the Reformation. It is also the only Trappist monastery in England. The monks here make the only Trappist beer brewed in Britain.
Contents
About Mount St Bernard Abbey
The story of Mount St Bernard Abbey is connected to earlier groups of Cistercian monks. Some Trappist monks came to London in 1794 after their monasteries in France were closed. They planned to move to Canada. A kind Catholic man named Thomas Weld gave them land in East Lulworth, Dorset. Here, they could start a new community.
The monks stayed at Lulworth until 1817. Then, they went back to France to restart an old monastery called Melleray Abbey. But after another revolution in 1830, they had to leave France again. They went to Ireland and founded Mount Melleray Abbey in 1833. In 1835, a small group of monks from Mount Melleray Abbey came to England to start Mount St Bernard Abbey.
The Cistercian order began in the 1100s. The Trappists are a special group of Cistercians who started in the mid-1600s. Mount St Bernard is the only abbey of this order in England.
Building the Abbey
Mount St Bernard Abbey was founded in 1835. The land was bought by Ambrose Lisle March Phillipps. He was a local landowner who had become Catholic. He wanted to bring monastic life back to England. His family home was built where an old Cistercian abbey once stood.
The land the monks received in 1835 was mostly wild. It had an old area called Tynt Meadow. The first monks lived in a small, run-down house. Their names were Augustine, Luke, Xavier, Cyprian, Placid, Simeon, and Father Odilo Woolfrey.
Work on a temporary monastery began in 1837. It was designed by William Railton, who also designed Nelson's Column in London. These first buildings were in a Tudor style. The church was blessed on October 11, 1837. Soon, these buildings were replaced by a bigger monastery.
In 1844, a new, permanent monastery opened. It was built with money from John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury and others. The famous architect Augustus Pugin designed it for free. Pugin wanted the buildings to look simple and strong. He said they had "massive walls and buttresses, long and narrow windows."
The church was blessed on August 20, 1844. This was the feast day of Saint Bernard. However, the church was not finished for over 90 years. Only the main part, called the nave, was built. Pugin had planned a tall tower and a special eastern part. But there wasn't enough money. A small bell tower was added to the unfinished church.
Life at the Abbey
The monastery is protected by a large rock called Kite Hill. There was a disagreement about who owned this rock when the monastery was built. But the monks won, and a calvary (a statue of Jesus on the cross) was put on top. Visitors can climb up to it using stone steps.
In 1840, monks found about 2,000 Roman coins while working. They also found a small arrow or spearhead and pieces of Roman pottery. This made people think Romans might have lived there. The remaining coins are now in the Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester.
Many famous people visited the new monastery. These included the poet William Wordsworth and Florence Nightingale. Important church leaders like Nicholas Wiseman and John Henry Newman also came.
William Wordsworth visited in 1841. He wrote that the monastery's location was "chosen with admirable judgment." He saw monks working hard in their grey robes.
The artist Edward Burne-Jones visited as a young boy in 1851. This visit deeply affected him. He often spoke of wanting to return to the monastery for peace.
Charles Dickens is said to have spent time at the abbey. He also sent two of his employees to write articles about the monastery for his magazines.
The monastery has always helped those in need. In the 1840s, many Irish people came to England because of the Great Famine. The monks fed thousands of people each year. In 1847, they gave food and shelter to 36,000 people.
In 1848, Pope Pius IX made the monastery an abbey. Its first abbot was Dom Bernard Palmer.
In 1862, John Rogers Herbert painted Laborare est Orare (To work is to pray). It shows monks harvesting with boys from a nearby school. The painting shows the abbey with a tower and spire, even though it wasn't built that way until much later. This was because Herbert used Pugin's original plans.
The abbey helped people during hard times. In 1878, when many miners lost their jobs, the monks gave out large amounts of soup. They did this again during the General Strike in 1926.
The abbey faced money problems and had few monks in the 1800s. Things got better in the 1900s. The church was extended between 1935 and 1939. The new design put the altar in the middle, which was very modern for its time.
During the First World War, six monks from Mount St Bernard had to join the army in 1917. This was a big loss, as there were only 20 monks living there then.
Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, a priest from Nigeria, was a monk at the abbey from 1950 until he died in 1964. He was later made a "Blessed" by Pope John Paul II. A special sculpture remembers him in the abbey church.
In 1957, the actor Alec Guinness started visiting Mount St Bernard for spiritual retreats. He wrote about his first visit in his book, describing the peaceful atmosphere and the monks' dedication.
In the late 1950s, the planned route for the M1 motorway was going to pass very close to the abbey. The monks, even those who had taken a vow of silence, signed a petition to change the route. This led to the road being moved further away.
The abbey buildings were listed as Grade II in 1989. This means they are important historic buildings.
In 2009, the bones of over 600 medieval Trappist monks were re-buried at Mount St Bernard. These bones were found during construction work in London.
After the discovery of King Richard III's bones in 2012, Mount St Bernard Abbey was suggested as a place to keep them. This was because Richard III was a Catholic king. However, his remains were eventually re-buried in Leicester Cathedral.
In 2021, two human bones were found during construction work. The monks decided to put them back where they were found after a simple religious ceremony.
Abbots and Leaders
| Abbot/Superior | Dates of Office |
|---|---|
 William Odilo Woolfrey (1803 - 1856) |
Superior: 1835 - 39 |
| Benedict Johnson (1797 - 1850) |
Superior: 1839 - 41 |
| John Bernard Palmer (1782 - 1852) |
Superior: 1841 - 49; Abbot: 1849 -52 |
| George Bernard Burder, MA (1814 - 1881) |
Superior: 1852 - 53; Abbot: 1853 - 58 |
| John Bartholomew Anderson (1820 - 1890) |
Superior: 1859 - 63; Abbot: 1863 - 90 |
| Wilfred Hipwood (d.1910) |
Abbot: 1890 - 1910 |
 Louis Carew (d.1927) |
Superior: 1910 - 27 |
| Celsus O'Connell (1882 - 1958) |
Superior: 1927 - 29; Abbot: 1929 - 33 |
| Thomas Malachy Brasil (1883 - 1965) |
Abbot: 1933 - 59 |
| Ambrose Southey (1923 - 2013) |
Abbot: 1959 - 74 |
| Cyril Bunce |
Abbot: 1974 - 80 |
| John Moakler (1927 - 2020) |
Superior: 1980 - 82; Abbot: 1982 - 2001 |
| Joseph Delargy (1962 - ) |
Abbot: 2001 - 13 |
 Erik Varden, (1974 -) |
Superior 2013 - 15; Abbot 2015 - 19 (named Bishop-Prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Trondheim, in Norway on 1 October 2019) |
| Joseph Delargy |
Re-elected Abbot: 2020 (Resigned 2022) |
| Peter Claver Craddy (1941 -) |
Superior: 2022 - 23 |
| Joseph Delargy |
Re-elected Abbot: 2023 |
The first monks at Mount St Bernard were led by Dom Odilo Woolfrey. He also served as a priest for nearby Catholic churches.
Dom Benedict Johnson became the leader in 1839. He had joined a monastery in Lulworth in 1813. He died at Mount St Bernard in 1850.
Dom John Bernard Palmer took over in 1841. In 1848, the monastery became an abbey, and he was chosen as its first abbot. He was known for his kindness and helping the poor.
After Abbot Palmer died, Dom Bernard Burder became the second abbot in 1853. He had a changing personality. He thought the Trappist life was too strict for Englishmen. He tried to change the monastery's rules. He also started a school for boys who needed guidance. This caused problems, and he resigned in 1858.
In 1859, Dom Bartholemew Anderson became the leader. He was elected abbot in 1863 and led the community for 30 years. He added buildings like the Clock Tower. He was interested in bringing different Christian groups together. He even welcomed the Prime Minister, William Gladstone, in 1873.
Dom Wilfred Hipwood became abbot in 1890. He was a gentle and smart man. He was often ill, and the number of monks went down during his time.
In 1910, Dom Louis Carew became the provisional leader. He was known for being strict. He died in 1927.
Dom Celsus O'Connell became the new leader in 1927. The number of monks started to grow. He was elected abbot in 1929.
The monastery continued to grow under Dom Malachy Brasil, who became abbot in 1933. He was known for his excellent reputation. During his time, the abbey church was finally completed. He also improved the buildings and farm. The number of monks reached its highest point.
Dom Malachy resigned in 1959. He spent his last years at a monastery in Scotland.
The next abbot, Dom Ambrose Southey, was the first Englishman to lead the abbey in over 50 years. He later became the highest leader of the entire Trappist order.
Dom Cyril Bunce became abbot in 1974. He was followed by Dom John Moakler in 1980. Dom Joseph Delargy became abbot in 2001.
Dom Joseph Delargy retired in 2013. After a break, he became the abbey's guestmaster.
Dom Erik Varden, from Norway, became the eleventh abbot in 2015. He was the first abbot not born in Britain or Ireland. He helped start the abbey's brewery to earn money. In 2019, he became a bishop in Norway.
In 2020, Dom Joseph Delargy was re-elected as abbot. He resigned in 2022. Dom Peter Claver Craddy became the new leader. In 2023, Dom Joseph Delargy was re-elected abbot again.
Well-Known Monks
Some monks at Mount St Bernard Abbey became famous outside the monastery. Here are a few:
- Anselm Baker (1834 - 1885) was an artist who drew coats of arms. He also painted murals in chapels.
- Henry Augustine Collins (1827 - 1919) was a hymn writer. He joined the abbey in 1861 and wrote many well-known hymns.
- Hilary Costello (1926 - 2018) was a writer. He worked on old manuscripts and wrote many books about Cistercian history.
- Vincent Eley was a sculptor and potter. He wrote a book about his pottery. He also sculpted the statues on the Calvary.
- Robert Henry Smith (1807 - 1866) was a writer. He wrote books about the Cistercian Order.
- Erik Varden (born 1974) is a writer and musician. He became a bishop in Norway.
Some monks lived very long lives at the abbey. Father Peter Logue lived to be 96. Brother Gabriel Manogue lived to be 99, after 74 years at the abbey.
Abbey Life Today
The monks wake up at 3:15 am every day and go to bed at 8:00 pm. They used to sleep in large rooms, but now they have their own small rooms for quiet prayer.
Monastic life at Mount St Bernard Abbey focuses on three things: prayer, work, and reading. They pray together several times a day. They also read the Bible in a thoughtful way. Silence and quiet time are very important to them.
Their work includes making pottery, binding books, and keeping bees. They also tend a vegetable garden and orchard. They have a gift shop where they sell things they make. The abbey has a guesthouse for visitors who want to experience monastic life.
Until 2014, the monks ran a dairy farm. But milk prices dropped, so they started a brewery instead. This is a tradition for many monasteries in Europe. Records show that monks at Mount St Bernard brewed beer as early as 1847.
The Trappist monks eat a vegetarian diet. A doctor in 1955 said that the monks had "excellent health" because of their lifestyle and diet.
When a monk dies at Mount St Bernard, he is buried without a coffin. The community uses a special communal coffin for funerals, which is then returned to the attic. The monk's body is gently placed in the ground by his brothers.
Life at the Abbey was shown in a TV program by Richard Dawkins in 2012. In 2019, a documentary called Outside the City was made about the abbey. It showed the monks' daily life. It was later shown on BBC Four as Brotherhood: the Inner Life of Monks. The abbey was also featured on BBC Songs of Praise in 2022.
Mount St Bernard Abbey works with the Anglican Cistercians, a group of men in the Church of England.
In 2005, the monastery had 35 monks and received about 50 applications each year. Around 5,000 guests visited annually. Guests can stay for up to five days for free, but donations are welcome. By 2021, there were 25 monks, and more than half were over 80 years old.
In 2017, the abbey joined the International Trappist Association. This helps them develop their brewery after closing their dairy farm.
The community also has a Facebook page with many followers.
The Abbey Church and Grounds
The Abbey Church is dedicated to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St Bernard.
The church has a simple, strong Gothic style. This is common in Cistercian buildings. Pugin used ideas from old Cistercian abbeys to design it. He wanted to copy their simple beauty.
The monks used granite from the monastery grounds to build the abbey. Other stones came from nearby quarries.
In 1839, the founder, Ambrose Phillipps de Lisle, wrote about how helpful people were. A railway contractor gave them iron rails. This helped them move stone with just one horse. The owner of a lime works also gave them all the lime they needed for free.
In 1934, work began to make the abbey church longer. Eighty monks worked for four years. The church grew from 90 feet to 220 feet long. The new design created a space for the public and a separate choir for the monks.
Inside the Church: The current fittings are not from Pugin's time. The community chose a more modern style for the church's interior.
The altar is made of the same stone as the church. It was designed by David John. He also designed parts of other important churches.
The hanging container for the Body of Christ was made by Father Alban Buggins. It is made of stainless steel and copper.
The wooden crucifix and stone plaques were made by Father Francis O'Malley.
In the center of the church, above the altar, are three shields. They represent the Pope, the Cistercian order, and the abbey's founder.
The Choir stalls were designed by Eric Gill in 1938. There are 98 of them.
The tomb of the founder, Ambrose Phillipps de Lisle, is in the church. His wife, Laura Clifford, was also buried there later.
The statue of Mary and Child Jesus above the east porch was made in 1958.
The pipe organ was installed in 2014. It came from a church in Munich. The monks raised money to restore and rebuild it.
Abbey Church - Key Sizes:
- Total length - 222 feet
- Total width - 43 feet
- Width at transepts - 94 feet
- Tallest inside height - 52 feet
- Sanctuary - 66 feet x 25 feet
- Choir Arches - 20 feet
- Central arches - 40 feet
- Height of tower - 100 feet
- Width of tower - 25 feet
- Walls are 3 feet thick
Outside the Church: The carved heads on the outside were made by Father Vincent Eley and Robert Kiddey. They show angels and famous Cistercian figures.
The water heads show the coats of arms of 20 Cistercian monasteries. These monasteries were closed by Henry VIII.
The tower was designed by Albert Herbert. It is 100 feet tall. It has two bells, named 'Maria' and 'Bernard', cast in 1936.
Secular Cemetery
In the monastery's cemetery, there are plaques for Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps, VC (1835–57). He was the founder's son. He was a brave soldier who died in the Indian Mutiny. He was given the Victoria Cross after his death.
Other notable people buried here include Vice-Admiral Robert Hall, CB, a veteran of the Crimean War. Also, Caspar Pound, a musician, and his father Pelham Pendennis Pound, a journalist.
There are also monuments to local Catholic families.
Calvary Monument
A wooden calvary was first put on the granite rock north of the abbey church in 1847. Many people gathered for the event. The original cross was very large and could be seen from far away.
The current sculptures on the calvary rock were made by Father Vincent Eley in 1965. They show Jesus on a concrete cross, with statues of Mary and St John.
This Calvary was only the second one built in England since the Reformation. The first was on the founder's other estate nearby.
Chapel of Dolours
The small Chapel of Dolours, also called the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, is on the north side of the monastery. It was built in 1842 by Pugin. It used to be in Cademan Wood.
The chapel has two beautiful wooden figures made by Austrian sculptor Johann Petz. They show the Blessed Virgin Mary crying over her son, Jesus.
By the mid-1900s, the chapel was damaged. In 1955, the monks moved it piece by piece to its current location.
E. W. Pugin's Work
In Cademan Wood, there are foundations of a tower built between 1863 and 1864. This tower was a memorial to the founder's son, Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps. It was designed by Edward Welby Pugin, Augustus Pugin's eldest son. The tower has since been taken down.
E. W. Pugin also rebuilt the Chapter House in 1860. It is an eight-sided building with a cone-shaped roof. The Chapter House holds a valuable 15th-century Flemish wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
He also made changes to the abbey's guesthouse.
Trappist Beer
In June 2018, the monks at Mount St Bernard Abbey became the first in the UK to brew Trappist beer. It is called "Tynt Meadow" (7.4% ABV), named after the area where the abbey is located. You can buy it at the abbey and in some shops.
In 2019, the abbey had made about 30,000 bottles of Tynt Meadow. It was very popular, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands. However, the brewery's main purpose is to support the monastery, not just to make money. So, they don't plan to produce huge amounts.
Reformatory School
In 1856, a school for boys who needed help was started at Mount St Bernard. It was called the St Mary's Agricultural Colony. It was housed in the original monastery building. The school faced some challenges, including incidents where boys left without permission. It closed in 1881. Over its lifetime, 1,642 boys attended the school.
The school building is no longer there. However, a small lake called Colony Reservoir remains. It was used to supply water to the school. A large wooden cross marks the school's graveyard, where 42 boys or staff members are buried.
New Monasteries
In 1963, Mount St Bernard Abbey helped start a new monastery in Africa. It is called Our Lady of Bamenda in Cameroon. This monastery is now independent and has many African monks.
Bamenda Abbey has also started its own new monastery in Nigeria.
Monos Foundation
The Monos Foundation is located near the abbey in a large Victorian house. It is a Christian group that wants to share a monastic spirit with others.
This house used to be called "Charnwood Tower." It was home to Mrs Emma Frances Haydock, who helped the local Catholic community. The house has also been a pub and a care home.
Now, the Monos Foundation calls the house "The Mercian Centre." It has a tearoom that is open to the public.
