2023

TQ9572 : Sheppey - Minster Abbey church from the east

taken 3 years ago, near to Minster, Kent, England

Sheppey - Minster Abbey church from the east
Sheppey - Minster Abbey church from the east
The eastern end of Minster Abbey church taken from its graveyard. The porch on the left is the way into this interesting old church.
See shared description below for more information and links.
Minster Abbey church & gatehouse

Minster Abbey church dates back to the C11th and C12th, but was substantially altered c.1413 by Abbot Hunden.
The very first monastic site here dates to 664AD with the Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul being founded here c.750, but was destroyed by the Danes in 840. It was transferred to the Augustinans in 1027 but was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. The abbey buildings other than the church were then in secular hands for many centuries, being used as a farmhouse as late as 1937. However in the late 1930s an abbey for Benedictine Nuns was established here on the old abbey site.
The church with a number of interesting monuments and carvings is EH Grade I listed: LinkExternal link
The Abbey Church's full appelation is "the abbey church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Sexburgha" and was founded in 664AD by Queen Sexburga, though as stated above nothing remains of this original foundation. The oldest part of the remaining church however is St Sexburga's Chapel.
To the west of the church the only other extant building of the former abbey is its gatehouse. This is also Grade I listed: LinkExternal link and contains the Gatehouse Museum - see its website here: LinkExternal link

St Sexburga (aka Sexburgha or Seaxburh) was one of the four daughters of King Anna of East Anglia. She was born in the early C7th perhaps around 620. She became queen consort to King Eorcenberht (aka Ærconberht, Earconberht, or Earconbert) of Kent around 645-650 and had four children with him: Ecgberht (King of Kent after his father, Eorcenberht), Hlothhere (King of Kent after his brother Ecgberht), Eorcengota (aka Ercongota) and Ermenilda (aka Eormenhild, Ermenildis, Ermengild - became an abbess at Ely, later a saint).
After the death of her husband on 14th July 664, Sexburga moved to her sister Ermenilda's abbey at Ely, becoming the abbess there on her sister's death in 679. She herself died at Ely around 699. She was canonized (i.e. made a saint) after her death.
For more information on Sexburga, see:
Wikipedia: LinkExternal link
Catholic Saints & Angels: LinkExternal link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Rob Farrow and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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TQ9572, 120 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Rob Farrow   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 22 January, 2023   (more nearby)
Submitted
Thursday, 2 February, 2023
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TQ 9562 7297 [10m precision]
WGS84: 51:25.3185N 0:48.7315E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TQ 9565 7296
View Direction
West-northwest (about 292 degrees)
Clickable map
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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