2019

ST9387 : Malmesbury Abbey - Great arch of former crossing

taken 4 years ago, near to Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England

Malmesbury Abbey - Great arch of former crossing
Malmesbury Abbey - Great arch of former crossing
The huge arch seen ahead would originally have been between the Crossing* and the North Transept, both of which were destroyed (along with most of the eastern end of the abbey church) when the spire collapsed in a storm in 1479.
* The Crossing is the place in a cruciform (cross-shaped) church where the nave (to the west) meets the quire, chancel or presbytery (to the east) and the two transepts diverge at 90° to north and south. Above this central point a tower or spire (or both) usually rises as the highest point of the church.
Abbey Church of St Mary & St Aldhelm, Malmesbury

Originally built as the church of the Benedictine Abbey, the Abbey Church of St Mary & St Aldhelm now serves as the parish church of Malmesbury.
Although still a very impressive building, it is just a fraction of its original size due to two calamities, the first natural, the second man-made.
In 1479 its great spire was felled during a thunderstorm and much of the eastern end of the church was destroyed with it. Then, about 60 years later the Dissolution of the Monasteries transferred most of the buildings to William Stumpe. No longer required for monastic purposes buildings such as the cloisters gradually fell into ruin, then in c.1662 the West Tower also fell, fortunately not to such devastating effect as the earlier catastrophe.
The abbey dates originally from as early as 637 when it was founded by an Irish hermit by the name of Mailduib, however no work from before the C12th survives.
The main abbey was built between 1160 and 1180 with considerable additions in the following three centuries.
See also separate snippet: South Porch, Malmesbury Abbey
And see the EH listing LinkExternal link for far more detailed information about its history and architecture.

Malmesbury Abbey

Malmesbury Abbey was founded in the 7th century, burnt in the early 9th century, rebuilt and burnt again in 1042. The surviving church largely dates from c1160-70, one of the few English monastic houses with a continual history from the 7th century to the Dissolution.
The main reason for the abbey's prosperity was the shrine of St.Aldhelm LinkExternal link and it was one of the last religious houses to be suppressed in 1539.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Rob Farrow and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Religious sites City, Town centre Town: Malmesbury Place: Malmesbury Abbey Style: Norman Period: Norman Primary Subject: Arch other tags: Abbey (Ruined) Church Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Church in Malmesbury [55] · Malmesbury Abbey Nave [14] · Central Tower [2] ·
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ST9387, 622 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Rob Farrow   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 22 December, 2019   (more nearby)
Submitted
Tuesday, 24 December, 2019
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! ST 9330 8732 [10m precision]
WGS84: 51:35.0817N 2:5.8857W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! ST 9330 8734
View Direction
SOUTH (about 180 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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