Shared description
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: 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: Link and contains the Gatehouse Museum - see its website here: 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: Link
Catholic Saints & Angels: Link
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: 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: Link
and contains the Gatehouse Museum - see its website here: LinkSt 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: Link
Catholic Saints & Angels: Link
by Rob Farrow
Created: Thu, 2 Feb 2023, Updated: Wed, 15 Feb 2023
15 images use this description: (all images taken in 2023)
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