History of Abbaye aux Dames

Built between 1060-1080, the abbey was consecrated on 18 June 1066, and is a fine example of Norman architecture. Its interior contains a host of details, including an impressive crypt with barrel vaults supported by 16 close-ranked columns, and an 18th-century convent with French-style garden. Queen Matilda died in 1083, and was buried in the choir under a slab of black marble. 

The abbey’s original spires were destroyed in the Hundred Years’ War, and replaced by less striking balustrades in the early 18th century. The French Revolution later saw the nuns dispersed and the abbey suppressed.

In 1823, Caen’s town council decided to transfer the ancient Hôtel-Dieu to the former monastic premises for use as a hospital. The canonesses regular, who had assumed responsibility for the hospital from the two abbeys during the 14th century, established themselves there, operating until 1908 when the facility was given to the Hospice Saint-Louis for use as a nursing home.

Abbaye aux Dames today

Despite losing its original spires, the abbey remains hugely impressive, and its 18th century convent buildings are now home to the Lower Normandy Regional offices. Restoration last occurred in the late 20th century, and today the Abbaye aux Dames is a must-see attraction in Caen. 

The abbey hosts free (pre-booked) guided tours every day (at 2:30pm and 4pm) in both French and English, lasting 1 hour 15 minutes, and is wheelchair accessible.

Getting to Abbaye aux Dames

Abbaye aux Dames is located on Place Reine Mathilde in Caen, less than 1 mile east of Caen Castle. This part of Caen is easy and enjoyable to walk around. A public bike-sharing service station is just outside the abbey.

Abbaye aux Hommes history

Consecrated in 1077, William built the Abbaye aux Hommes as atonement for his marriage to Matilda of Flanders, which the Pope had condemned due to their family connection. In 1087, upon his death, William was buried in the foundations. However his grave has been disturbed on multiple occasions, including during the Wars of Religion and later the French Revolution when his remains were scattered, resulting in only his thighbone remaining in the marked grave.

Through the centuries, the Abbaye aux Hommes has undergone many architectural renovations. The main abbey is made up of the original Romanesque nave and transept and the 13th century Gothic choir. A ribbed vault was added around 1120, making the abbey a forerunner of the Gothic architectural style, and the nine spires were a 13th century addition. Further additions occurred right up until the late 18th century. However, despite the many changes, much of the original Norman church remains and forms the core of what visitors see today.

The abbey buildings lead off from the south end of the church, including the refectory; they now house the town’s museum and municipal offices. Impressive features of the church and grounds include the grand staircases, designed without cement to seem as if they are floating, the ceremonial ‘Salle des Gardes’ room and the large collection of 17th and 18th century art and furniture gathered in the monastery.

Abbaye aux Hommes today

One of the abbey’s most distinctive features is the white Caen stone it is carved from, this same stone was taken to Britain to build the Tower of London, Canterbury Cathedral and the abbeys of Durham, Norwich and Westminster. The abbey itself was used a model for many Norman churches built throughout England, making it a must-see for those interested in both French architecture and Britain’s Norman history.

The church is open to all visitors but taking a guided tour is recommended in order to fully appreciate all of the buildings incorporated into the church. These tours are available in French and English (although English-speaking tours will be filled quickly!) four times a day.

Getting to Abbaye aux Hommes

Abbaye aux Hommes is right in the centre of Caen. The complex is also 1km southwest of the Château de Caen. To get there by car, follow the signs from the centre of the city to the ‘Hôtel de Ville’.

Abbaye Saint-Victor history

There were originally two such abbeys in Marseille, built in the mid-5th century, but both were destroyed by the Saracens in the 8th or 9th century. Two centuries were to pass before just the single abbey was rebuilt.

From the end of the 12th to the 13th century, the abbey was entirely rebuilt in accordance with Roman construction. The monastery was then fortified and the whole became part of the port defence system. From the 11th to 18th century, Saint-Victor had complete supremacy over all Christianity in the Mediterranean area.

Monastic fervour died down and after the Revolution the church was used as a hay warehouse, prison and barracks which helped it avoid demolition. Many of the riches of Abbaye Saint-Victor were stolen at this time. It was returned to the cult and restored in the 19th century. Pope Pius XI made the church a minor basilica in 1934.

Abbaye Saint-Victor today

The medieval architecture today still features massive stone walls and crenellated towers. The interior of grey stone has several noteworthy relics and artifacts, some of which are all that survived revolution and war. One of the most interesting aspects of the fortress-like Abbaye Saint-Victor is its crypt, which houses a series of early Christian tombs and sarcophagi.

Inside the abbey you will see a stone statue of Saint Victor, modern stained glass windows, which replaced the ones damaged in WWII, a grand 17th century pipe organ, a separate 5th century carved stone altar in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, and two recessed reliquaries housing sacred remains of Saints Victor, Margaret Mary Alacoque, Benoit Labre, and Jean Cassien, among others. It is truly worth a visit if you are in the area.

Getting to Abbaye Saint-Victor

The address of the abbey is 3 Rue Abbaye, Marseille, France, 13007. It is located right next to Fort Saint Nicholas and overlooks the Old Port in Marseille. Bus on routes 54 and 81 will take you right next to the abbey at bus stop ‘St Victor’.

Battle Abbey and Battlefield history

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 was one of Britain’s most important historical events, following which William, Duke of Normandy – largely known as William the Conqueror – was crowned King of England.

During the battle against the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee before turning on their attackers. Near the battle’s close, Godwinson was killed causing much of his army to retreat, resulting in William the Conqueror’s victory.

In 1090, Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for all the lives taken during their conquest of England, following which William vowed to build an abbey to commemorate the fallen dead. It was completed following his death in 1094 by his son William Rufus, with its high altar placed on the supposed spot Harold Godwinson was slain.

Battle Abbey and Battlefield today

Today Battle Abbey is managed by English Heritage and features a museum exploring William the Conqueror’s victory at Hastings, the events that led up to it, and its aftermath. The museum uses a combination of multimedia and traditional exhibits to guide visitors through the Battle of Hastings, with audio guides also available to help you explore the 100-acre battlefield.

The Abbey’s atmospheric ruins also still stand at the site, with the medieval dormitory building, including the Novices Common Room, and parts of the cloisters still visible. In the medieval gatehouse is also an exhibition on the abbey’s history since 1066, with a number of artefacts and recreated objects on display.

Getting to Battle Abbey and Battlefield

Battle Abbey and Battlefield is located in the town of Battle, on the A2100 off the A21. There is a large carpark at the entrance, while a number of bus services go to Abbey Stop, a 2-minute walk away. The nearest train station is Battle Station, a 15-minute walk away.

Bayham Old Abbey history

Bayham Old Abbey was founded around the year 1207 by the Premonstratensians, a religious order of Canons regular of the Catholic Church. In keeping with the Premonstratensian preference of building in secluded areas, the Abbey was placed in the valley of the River Teise, which also supplied it with water and sufficient drainage.

As Bayham had been founded in conjunction with the failings of two other abbeys each with different mother houses, it came under the parentage of Prémontré Abbey – the founding abbey of the Premonstrensian Order. Through this, Bayham gained much prestige and over the next 300 years expanded and improved its eminent structure.

During in the 16th century however, Bayham fell victim to Henry VIII‘s dissolution of the monasteries. Following its dissolution, it was leased by the King to Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu, before Elizabeth I sold off the estate in its entirety. It then passed through a number of different hands – including the Pratt family who owned it for over 250 years – before in 1961 it was donated to English Heritage.

Bayham Old Abbey today

Today Bayham Old Abbey remains in the keeping of English Heritage and is set amidst picturesque landscaped gardens. Though in ruins, some of its original structure and room layouts can still be made out, including the stone framework of three large windows that made up the nave.

Ornate stone carvings may be found throughout Bayham’s imposing remains, in an example of particularly beautiful craftsmanship for a 13th century abbey of its kind. Visitors may also admire the 14th century gatehouse located at the site, known as the Kentish gate, that likely served as the main entranceway between the counties of Kent and Sussex.

Getting to Bayham Old Abbey

Bayham Old Abbey is located off the B2169 road west of Lamberhurst, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Parking is available onsite, however the Autocar 256 bus service also runs to the area, with the nearest stop on Clay Hill Road, a 15-minute walk away. The nearest train station is Frant, 4 miles away, from which the 256 can be taken towards the site.

Beaulieu Abbey history

Beaulieu Abbey was founded by King John in the early 13th century, and was given the name Bellus Locus Regis, meaning ‘Beautiful Place of the King’.

Legend tells that the king founded the Abbey and gave it to the Cistercian Order following a violent nightmare in which he was viciously beaten by a group of monks – yet whether this was true or not, being in the good books of the religious orders of medieval England certainly had its merits. First and foremost, your name would appear in their prayers all across the country!

Over the next 300 years Beaulieu thrived through their production of wool and other farmed goods, which were duly sold to merchants all across Europe. A haven for Cistercian monks visiting from the Continent, Beaulieu also became a centre of skilled herbalists, with its monks growing an assortment of healing plants in their garden.

As with many Abbeys across England however, Beaulieu was eventually ruined in the 16th century during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Abbey Church, Cloister, and Chapter House were destroyed, and the estate was sold in 1538 to the Earl of Southampton. The Refectory, Domus, and two gatehouses were allowed to survive however, so long as they were converted for secular use.

Beaulieu Abbey today

Today, visitors can explore the atmospheric remains of Beaulieu Abbey and its surrounding grounds, which provide a fascinating look into medieval religious life in England.

The Cloister’s imposing structure remains largely intact, while the herb garden used for many years by the monks of Beaulieu allows visitors to experience both the sights and smells of the time. In the Domus, the Monastic Life exhibition details the everyday life of the Cistercian monks, while upstairs an exquisite collection of tapestries depicts the Abbey’s history, designed by Belinda, Lady Montagu.

At the site also sits the medieval Beaulieu Palace House and gardens, which once formed part of the Abbey complex before being bought by the Earl of Southampton and turned into a mansion house. Now home of the Montagu family who have resided there since 1538, the house features many Victorian additions added during later periods of renovation.

Getting to Beaulieu Abbey

Beaulieu Abbey is located in the New Forest in Hampshire, and can be accessed by taking Junction 2 of the M27 and following the brown and white tourist signs. Free parking is available at the site.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the more bus service stops at the Museum entrance or in Beaulieu village, around a 7-minute walk away. The nearest train station is 7 miles away at Brockenhurst, from which a 15-minute taxi may be taken to the site or alternatively a route through the New Forest may be cycled.

Byland Abbey history

Byland Abbey was first established as a monastery of the Savigniac order, eventually becoming part of the better known Cistercian order in the mid-12th century. Having spent considerable time seeking an appropriate location – and often in dispute with other monasteries – the monks of the order settled near Oldstead. This was never meant to be permanent, and instead a long process of construction began at Byland, involving the draining of marshland and construction of a magnificent church, taking over 30 years to complete.

In early medieval times, Byland was particularly well known for its sheep rearing and export of wool, becoming a centre of wealth in the north. In 1322 however, Byland was sacked by Robert the Bruce’s army as the Scots pursued Edward II, after he has lead an unsuccessful invasion of Scotland. The 14th century saw further decline as a result of the Black Death, with the Abbey’s finances dwindling.

Despite periods of prosperity, the story did not improve for the oft-troubled Abbey during the Tudor period, with uprisings such as the Pilgrimage of Grace causing great upheaval in the area. In 1537, the Abbott of Jervaulx (Jervaulx was a ‘daughter’ house to Byland) was executed for treason, and the following year Byland voluntarily surrendered to the Crown, with its monks receiving a pension in exchange. The Abbey was stripped of lead, glass, timber and anything else of value and left a shell.

Byland Abbey Today

Today, Byland Abbey is managed by English Heritage and consists of an atmospheric ruin, which remains a fantastic example of early gothic architecture – in its heyday it inspired the creation of the famous York Minster rose window! In the south transept of the Abbey’s church, much of the 13th century floor tiling survives, while at its west front three tall lancet windows and the base of the once-spectacular rose window may also be viewed.

The accompanying museum affords visitors a fascinating insight into monastic life at the Abbey, with many archaeological finds on display. Highlights include the only known ink stand to have been used in the signing of a deed of surrender during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as a large collection of intricate stonework from the Abbey’s five phases of construction.

Getting to Byland Abbey

Byland Abbey is located in Ryedale in North Yorkshire, 2 miles south of the A170. There is a small car park at the site, with additional parking available in the lay-bys half a mile to the south towards Coxwold, and behind the Abbey Inn. The nearest train station is Thirsk, 10 miles away, while the Stephensons 31 and 31X bus services stop directly outside the site.

Denny Abbey history

Founded in 1159 as a Benedictine monastery, in 1170 it was taken over by the Knights Templars and used as a home for aged and infirm members of the order. After the Templars’ suppression for alleged heresy in 1308, it became a convent of Franciscan nuns known as the Poor Clares. ⁠

Following the dissolution of the monastaries in 1539 by Henry VIII, it became a farm and was in use until the late 1960s.⁠ The Abbey, Nuns’ Refectory and surrounding land remained a farm until they were leased in 1947 to the Ministry of Works, which later transferred them to English Heritage. The abbey, partially restored in the 1960s, is open to the public alongside the Farmland Museum, who manage the Abbey on behalf of English Heritage.

The Farmland Museum, which opened in 1997, has a shop, café and an education centre, running courses for local schools. Farm buildings including the 17th-century barn have been converted into displays of local history and farming, including a 1940s farm labourer’s cottage, a 1930s village shop, displays on local crafts and skills.

Denny Abbey today

⁠Time capsules such as Denny Abbey truly hold the key to uncovering the lives of those who worked on the land – the peasants who made up 80% of the Medieval European population. ⁠

The neighbouring Farmland Museum features an extensive outdoor collection of farming machinery from the Fens, a fenman’s hut, blacksmith’s and wheelwright’s workshops, village shop display and holds information about many aspects of Cambridgeshire rural life. The Farmland Museum hosts a range of events, children’s activity days and adult art and craft workshops.

Getting to Denny Abbey

The address of the location is Ely Rd, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB25 9PQ. The Museum is located just Northeast of Cambridge.

If travelling by car, take the A10 towards Ely, following the brown museum signs or if using the A14, exit at Junction 33 (Milton Interchange), to take the A10. Car parking is free. The car park is directly opposite the museum entrance. When arriving at the museum, we have a very long driveway which is shared by farm traffic. Please be aware of tractors and other farm machinery that may be on this road.

If travelling via bus, use bus services number 9 or X9, from Cambridge Drummer Street Station to Ely. For full running times and further information, please visit the Stagecoach website. The “Research Park Entrance” bus stop is located on the A10, a 15-minute walk from the Museum entrance. When arriving at the museum on foot, please be aware of farm traffic using the main access road.

Duncombe Park history

The 40,000 acre Helmsley estate became Dunscombe Park in 1694 when it was bought by Charles Duncombe. However, it was his nephew Thomas Duncombe who commissioned the Italianate baroque mansion in 1711. The Rievaulx Terrace, built in 1758 by Thomas Duncombe II, was originally land owned by Rievaulx Abbey before it was seized during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

Thomas had two neo-classical temple ‘follies’ built on the terrace: the first, a domed Dionic Temple with a floor paved with tiles from the abbey. The second, an Ionic Temple intended for banqueting. Both ‘follies’ were set within Duncombe’s impressive 18th century English landscape garden.

The property was passed down the Duncombe family, including Charles Slingsby Duncombe, Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1790-1, who built an extensive art collection there.

Dunscombe Park became a girls’ school from 1914-1980, although the Rievaulx Terrace and temples were acquired by the National Trust in 1972. After 1985, the house was restored to the family home by the 6th earl Feversham. For fans of period drama, Dunscombe Park was later used during filming for the 2012 TV mini-series Parade’s End as fictional Groby Hall.

Duncome Park today

Duncombe Park provides ample opportunities for time travelling despite the great house being closed to the public. Visitors can still enjoy Duncombe’s vast estate, including discovery trails and orienteering courses, the great lawn, a scented ‘secret garden’, and a walk through medieval parkland to find the valley’s ancient trees.

The Ionic Temple’s basement also currently holds an exhibition on English landscape design in the 18th century, and the central table is still set as if for a meal. Be sure to also visit the National Centre for Birds of Prey, to which Duncombe Park has been home since 2013.

Getting to Duncombe Park

Duncombe Park is located one mile south-west of Helmsley, a 1.3 mile walk from the town centre. If driving, Dunscombe Park is reached on the A19 via Thirsk, or the B1257 from York. For those using public transport, you can get the 31X bus from York to Helmsley and walk 1.3 miles through the estate.

Dunfermline Abbey and Palace history

Dunfermline Abbey’s royal connection dates back to the 11th century, when a priory was established there under Queen Margaret, wife of Malcom III, and now known as St Margaret. This was elevated to abbey status in around 1150 by her son David I, who brought stonemasons from Durham Cathedral to construct its magnificent new form.

In the 14th century Robert the Bruce repaired the Abbey following its destruction by Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence, adding the vast monks refectory. Within Dunfermline Abbey’s mausoleum are buried Queen Margaret, David I, and Robert the Bruce, all instrumental in constructing the brilliant Abbey, as well as a host of Scotland’s other famous monarchs.

In 1560, it was transformed into a royal palace by Queen Anna of Denmark, wife of James VI and later James I of England. Its monastic guesthouse remained at the heart of the building, and over time it would host many important events. In particular, the cloister of Dunfermline Abbey would become the birthplace of King Charles I in 1600, making him the last monarch to be born in Scotland.

The palace fell into disrepair in 1603 however, when James VI and Anna of Denmark left Scotland to assume the English throne. Though sacked in 1560 during the Protestant Reformation, parts of the Abbey continued to be used as a parish church and survive into the modern day.

Dunfermline Abbey and Palace today

Today Dunfermline Abbey and Palace are managed by Historic Scotland and are open to the public. The picturesque remains of the Abbey now consist of its impressive Romanesque nave, which is similar in style to that of Durham Cathedral. Inside, the tomb of Robert the Bruce may be viewed, with its 19th-century brass cover depicting the famous king.

Outside lies the shrine of St Margaret, the remains of the huge monks refectory, and the ruined royal palace, each with their own fascinating stories. With nearly 1,000 years of religious and royal history, Dunfermline Abbey and Palace provide an atmospheric visit to one of Scotland’s most culturally significant sites.

Getting to Dunfermline Abbey and Palace

Dunfermline Abbey and Palace are located in Dunfermline, 18 miles northwest of Edinburgh. Dunfermline can be reached by taking the A823 off the M90, and there is parking adjacent to the Abbey at the St Margaret Street Car Parks.

Dunfermline Town train station is a 10-minute walk to the site, while a number of bus services stop on Maitland Street, from which a 10-minute walk through Pittencrieff Park will take you to the site.