Spinney Abbey facts for kids
Spinney Abbey is a historic house and farm in Cambridgeshire, England. It's near the village of Wicken, right on the edge of a marshy area called the Fens. Long ago, it was a special kind of religious building called a priory.
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What is Spinney Abbey?
Spinney Abbey was first known as Spinney Priory. A priory is a type of monastery where monks or canons (religious men) lived and prayed. The word "spinney" means a small group of trees or a thicket. So, Spinney Priory was a religious house in a wooded area.
How Did Spinney Priory Start?
Founding the Priory
Between 1216 and 1228, a woman named Beatrice started Spinney Priory. She was the granddaughter of a powerful person called the Steward of the Count of Brittany. The priory was named St Mary and the Holy Cross. It was built about a mile (1.6 km) from Wicken.
Who Lived There?
The priory was home to three canons from the Augustinian order. These canons were like priests who followed special rules. Beatrice gave them gifts to help the priory. These gifts included:
- The right to choose the priest for the local church (called an advowson).
- About 55 acres (223,000 square meters) of land.
- A marshy area called Frithfen.
- Fishing rights in a place called Gormere.
Frithfen was probably part of what is now Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve. This means Spinney Priory has a very old connection to this important natural area. Even today, water from the farm fields is pumped into the Nature Reserve.
More Canons and a Big Task
In 1301, another woman named Mary de Bassingbourne gave the priory even more land, about 90 acres (364,000 square meters). This allowed four more canons to join. However, there was a catch! The canons had to feed three thousand poor people every year. This was a huge job, and they soon complained it was "grievous and insupportable" – meaning it was too hard to do.
Why Did the Priory Close?
Hard Times and Changes
Life at Spinney Priory became difficult during the 1300s. The Black Death, a terrible plague, and other social problems made things worse. In 1449, Spinney Priory became part of the larger Ely Cathedral priory. This meant it was no longer an Augustinian monastery but became Benedictine.
The End of the Monasteries
The priory kept going for a while, and it still helped people in need. But in 1536, King Henry VIII started to close down all the monasteries in England. This event was called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Spinney Priory was officially closed.
Spinney Abbey After the Priory
After the priory closed, Spinney became a private home and farm. Many different people owned it over the years.
Isaac Barrow's Childhood Home
In 1634, a famous thinker named Isaac Barrow lived at Spinney Priory for two years when he was a child. He later became a well-known theologian and mathematician. At this time, people in the area started calling the priory 'Abbey'. Isaac's grandfather, also named Isaac Barrow, owned the property then.
Henry Cromwell's Retreat
One of the most famous owners of Spinney Abbey was Henry Cromwell. He was the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell, a very important leader in English history. Henry lived at Spinney Abbey after he retired from his job as Lord Deputy of Ireland. He was known as a good and capable man. Even though his father had faced a difficult end, Henry was allowed to live peacefully at Spinney. He owned the Abbey from 1659 until he passed away in 1673. People say that King Charles II even visited him there in 1671. Henry Cromwell is buried with his wife at Wicken parish church.
The Current House
The house you see today at Spinney Abbey was built in 1775. However, parts of the old priory are still there! The cellar of the original priory is underneath the current house. You can see the large stones used by the medieval builders. There are also some old iron fittings. People sometimes say these were used to hold prisoners, but there's no real proof of that. Some old doors from the priory were also used in the new building.
Farming Challenges and Successes
The farm at Spinney Abbey often had problems with flooding. This was a big issue until modern diesel pumps were installed to drain the land. Many farmers tried to work the land but didn't always succeed.
By 1883, a man named Robert Chambers Golding, known as 'Old Golding', owned and lived at the farm. He built a large barn that is still used today, called Old Golding's Barn. You can even see his initials, 'RG', on it.
His son, Chambers Waddelow Golding, known as 'Young Golding', was quite an unusual character. There's a story that he once took a horse upstairs in the house! You can still see the mark of a hoof on the stairs.
The Fuller Family's Legacy
The Fuller family had been farming near Spinney Abbey since at least 1695. In 1892, Thomas Fuller and his family moved to farm at Spinney Abbey. By 1918, they owned the land, and the family has kept it ever since, though the farm's boundaries have changed a bit.
In 1900, it was a mixed farm, growing crops and raising animals. As of 2015[update], it's still a working farm. They now focus on traditional, slow-growing breeds like English Longhorn cattle and Gloucester Old Spots pigs.
In 2012, Spinney Abbey Farm started making cider! Their first cider, "Monk & Disorderly," won many awards at beer festivals. They've since made other ciders like "Virgin on the Ridiculous," "Fruity Friar," "Dirty Habit," and "Rhubarb."
Local Tales and Legends
People in the area tell stories about Spinney Abbey. Some say you can still hear monks chanting at night, and that their ghosts have been seen.
There's also a bank at the southern edge of the farm called Spinney Bank. This spot is famous for sightings of a mythical creature known as 'Old Shuck', a ghostly black dog.
Spinney Abbey in Books
Spinney Abbey is also the setting for a detective novel! It's featured in The Jerusalem Inn, a book from 1984 by Martha Grimes. It's part of her 'Inspector Jury' series.
