Beaulieu Abbey

Daughter monasteries

Netley Abbey ( 1239 ) Hailes Abbey ( 1245 ) Newenham Abbey ( 1247 ) St. Mary of Graces Abbey ( 1350)

Beaulieu Abbey ( Beaulieu Regis) was a Cistercian abbey in the present village of Beaulieu in Hampshire, England. It was founded in the years 1203-1204 by King John. It is the only monastery in England, founded by King John. The abbey was with 30 monks of the Abbey of Citeaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order, populated. The Latin name of the monastery was Bellus Locus Regis. The abbey founded the daughter monasteries Netley Abbey, Hailes Abbey, Newenham Abbey, and St. Mary of Graces Abbey in London. 1538 it was resolved in the course of the English monastery resolutions.

Early history

First Abbot of Beaulieu was Hugh, the high in favor with King John stood for him and was often in important diplomatic missions go. He later became Bishop of Carlisle. The king ordered his new abbey get great support and appropriated their many goods throughout southern England (mainly in Berkshire ), lands in the New Forest, grains, larger amounts of money, building materials, 120 cows, 12 bulls, a golden chalice and an annual teaching load do a (approximately 1 ton ) of wine. John's son and successor, King Henry III. , Was similarly generous to Beaulieu, so that the abbey became very wealthy, although she was not the richest Cistercian abbey in England by far.

The size and design of the abbey buildings reflected their status resist as an important royal foundation. The church was built in a cross shape in the early Gothic style and was clearly influenced by the French churches of the Order, especially in Citeaux and Clairvaux Bonport. She had a length of 102 meters and had a semi-circular apse with surrounding 10 chapels. The completion of the church building took more than four decades, the inauguration took place in the presence of King Henry III. and his Queen, by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, as well as numerous high personalities in 1246th

South of the church were the monastic buildings, which consisted of the chapter house, the refectory, kitchens, warehouses and quarters for the monks, lay brothers and the abbot. A separate hospital area lay to the east of the main building and was connected to it by a corridor. The Abbey was surrounded by workshops, farm buildings, guest houses, a mill, and extensive gardens and fish ponds. A heavily fortified gatehouse controlled the entrance to the monastery, which was surrounded by a wall. A water gate allowed the access of ships on the river.

Pope Innocent III. constituted Beaulieu as "exempt abbey ", which meant that in addition to the Pope himself accountable was no bishop guilty. Beaulieu got the right to grant asylum, which should be used Ann Neville, wife of Richard Neville on the day before the Battle of Barnet in 1471. Twenty-six years later Perkin Warbeck fled from the troops of Henry VII to Beaulieu.

The monks of Beaulieu founded four daughters houses, namely Netley Abbey ( 1239 ), Hailes Abbey ( 1246) Newenham Abbey ( 1247 ) and St. Mary of Graces Abbey ( 1350).

Resolution

In the Valor Ecclesiasticus in 1535, Henry VIII large collection of church property, the income of the abbey was calculated on gross £ 428 ( £ 326 net ), so that the monastery confiscations of the First Suppression Act, the first action of Henry's dissolution of the English monasteries, could escape.

Last Abbot of Beaulieu was Thomas Stevens, who was elected in 1536. Stevens had previously been abbot of the dissolved abbey of Netley. Beaulieu was able to survive until April 1538, but was then forced to surrender to the government. Many monks received pensions, the abbot received 100 marks a year awarded. Abbot Thomas ended his life as Treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral in 1550.

Just before the monastery resolution 1538 reported the visitor report of the monastery, that thirty-two asylum seekers who were persecuted because of debt, felony, or murder, lived with their wives and families in the area of ​​the monastery. With the dissolution of the monastery, there were debates what to do with these people, after all, the debtors lifelong residency was awarded on the monastery grounds. Even some of the capital criminals was granted a pardon.

After the dissolution Beaulieus a dispute erupted among courtiers, ownership of the abbey and its valuable assets to gain. Finally, Thomas Wriothesley, first Earl of Southampton won the contest, King Henry gave him the abbey as well as 3,441 acres of land.

As soon as he had taken over the Abbey, Wriothesley began building their own house on the premises. For this purpose he built from parts of the church to - as it was widely - to use their stones to build. Rather than rebuild but one of the buildings of the abbey for his purposes, he opted for the large gatehouse as the core of his manor house. This building is - significantly expanded - still preserved as Palace House Beaulieu. Lord Southampton spared the monks' refectory, which he left to the residents of the village of Beaulieu as a parish church. The Western, named Domus as part of the abbey was preserved. The remaining buildings of the abbey fell gradually ruins.

The present abbey

Although large parts of the abbey were destroyed as part of the monastery resolution during the reign of Henry VIII, many impressive parts are still preserved. The Domus, once the refectory, and residential buildings of the lay brothers, after moving out of the lay brothers residential buildings for important guests, now houses an exhibition on monastic life before the resolution.

Among other things, numerous wall hangings shown here were created by Belinda, Lady Montagu and show scenes of monastic life and the history of the abbey since 1204.

The refectory of the abbey survived until today as a parish church, also important ruins of the buildings are still standing around the monastery. The Abbey, now represents a place of peace and is planted with herbs. The Domus is regularly used for events, food and public receptions. Beaulieu is still owned by the descendants of Wriothesley, who still live here forever. The Abbey and Palace House are open to the public, the grounds house the National Motor Museum.

Traditions

How many former monastery complexes has also Beaulieu own legends. It is reported of ghost monks in the abbey ruins and the parish churches, Gregorian chant and the steps of ghosts have been heard. Frankincense to have been noticed in the rooms of the Palace House, which were used in the Middle Ages as a chapel. According to legend, this will be scary characters for the inhabitants of the abbey and the village. Even from a post-Reformation spirit is reported of a gray lady who was seen in the Palace House. You should be the ghost of Lady Isabella, who has lived in the house in the 18th century. In October 2003, the abbey was the site of a study by Yvette Fielding and Richard Felix for the TV show Most Haunted Live.