Wymondham Abbey (pronounced ''Windum'') is the Anglican

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

for the town of

Wymondham Wymondham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England, south-west of Norwich off the A11 road to London. The River Tiffey runs through. The parish, one of Norfolk's largest, includes rural areas to ...

Norfolk, England Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North ...

History

The monastery was founded in 1107 by William d'Aubigny, Butler (Pincerna) to King

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...

. William was a prominent Norfolk landowner, with estates in Wymondham and nearby New Buckenham. The d'Albini (or d'Aubigny) family originated from St. Martin d'Aubigny in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. William d'Albini's monastery was a dependency of the Benedictine

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

at St Albans, where his uncle Richard was Abbot. The foundation charter stipulated that the prior, as a token of dependence, was to pay a mark of silver yearly to the abbot on the festival of St. Alban. If the priory should become an abbey, then all tokens of subjection to St. Albans would cease."Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Wymondham." ''A History of the County of Norfolk'' Volume 2. (William Page, ed.) London: Victoria County History, 1906. 336-343. British History Online
/ref> Wymondham Priory was relatively small, initially for some twelve Benedictine monks, but grew in influence and wealth over the coming centuries. William de Albini, the founder, and Maud his wife, who was the daughter of Roger Bigod, and sister of

Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1095–1177) was the second son of Roger Bigod (also known as Roger Bigot) (died 1107), sheriff of Norfolk and royal advisor, and Adeliza, daughter of Robert de Todeni. Early years After the death of his eld ...

, richly endowed the priory with lands, churches, tithes, and rents. The monastery church was completed by about 1130, and originally was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Later, following the murder of

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

in 1170, Becket's name was added to the dedication. Archaeological excavation in 2002 disclosed indications of a Late Saxon or Norman church beneath the nave of the current church."Wymondham Abbey", Norfolk Heritage Explorer
/ref> In 1174, the founder's son, also called William d'Aubigny, established a chapel in the town dedicated to Becket and served by two monks from the priory. In the time of

Stephen, King of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 unti ...

, the prior obtained the grant of a three days' fair at Wymondham on the eve, day and morrow of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, and also a confirmation of the weekly market. William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel joined in the

Fifth Crusade The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was a campaign in a series of Crusades by Western Europeans to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering Egypt, ruled by the powerful Ayyubid sultanate, led by Al-Adil I, al-Adil, brothe ...

and died on his journey home, in Caneill, Italy, near

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, on 1 February 1221. He was brought home and buried at Wymondham Abbey. In 1349, both the prior and sub-prior died of the pestilence. Seven of the monks of St. Albans and its cells joined the crusade in Flanders in 1383, under

Henry le Despenser Henry le Despenser ( 1341 – 23 August 1406) was an English nobleman and Bishop of Norwich whose reputation as the 'Fighting Bishop' was gained for his part in suppressing the Peasants' Revolt in East Anglia and in defeating the peasants at t ...

, bishop of Norwich. Among them was William York of Wymondham Priory. The prior of Hatfield Peverel, in Essex, who was one of the number, died in Flanders; the rest returned, but none of them regained their former health, having suffered much from the heat and from foul water. Thomas Walsingham was appointed prior in 1394. Disputes between the Wymondham and St. Albans monks were quite common, and in 1448, following a successful petition to the king, the Pope granted Wymondham the right to become an

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

in its own right. The Vicar of Wymondham was appointed by the Abbot. After a visitation in October, 1492 which found numerous irregularities, such as the buildings of the dorter and farm not repaired; that after prime, the brothers mix with the seculars in the south part of the church; that the brothers were not in cloister at the customary hours; and that they did not exercise themselves in the study of letters but were too fond of ease Bishop Goldwell replaced the abbot. King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries brought about the closure of Wymondham Abbey, which was surrendered to the King in 1538. The monks had, apparently willingly, already signed the Oath of Supremacy, and were given generous pensions.

Architecture

The church was originally cruciform in shape, with a central tower and twin west towers. When it was built,

Caen stone Caen stone (french: Pierre de Caen) is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in north-western France near the city of Caen. The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about ...

in Normandy was shipped specially across the

English channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

to face the walls. The central tower was replaced in about 1376 by a tall octagonal tower (now ruined), which held the monks' bells. In 1447, work on a much taller single west tower began. This replaced the original Norman towers and held the townspeople's bells. From the start, the church had been divided between monks' and townspeople's areas, with the nave and north aisle serving as parish church for the town."Wymondham Abbey", National Churches Trust
/ref> This, too, was from time to time the cause of disputes which occasionally erupted into conflict. Hatchment 7

The years following the Dissolution saw the gradual demolition of the monastic buildings for re-use of the stone. The eastern end of the church (blocked off from the nave by a solid wall since about 1385) was destroyed, leaving the present church (at 70 m.) only about half its original length. Repairs to the church were carried out following

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

's visit in 1573 (date and initials may be seen on exterior stonework). Notable features of the church are the twin towers (a landmark for miles around), the Norman nave, the 15th-century angel roof in the nave and fine north-aisle roof. The west tower houses a

peal In campanology (bell ringing), a peal is the special name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing which meets certain exacting conditions for duration, complexity and quality. The definition of a peal has changed considerably ...

of 10 bells, re-cast and re-hung in 1967. Hung in the bell tower are six well-preserved 18th-century hatchments.

Interior

The church is also remarkable for its high quality fittings such as the 1783 organ by James Davis and 1810 chamber organ (also by James Davis) and the splendid gilded reredos or altar screen, one of the largest works of Sir Ninian Comper. This was dedicated in 1921 as a war memorial, though the gilding was not finished until 1934. Also of note is the early Tudor terracotta sedilia, a memorial to Elisha Ferrers, the last Abbot and later Vicar of Wymondham; the Georgian candelabrum and Royal Arms of

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

, the carved medieval font with modern gilded font cover, and many smaller features such as angels, musicians and figures carved on the roof timbers and corbels. A modern

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

panel by the late Rev. David Hunter is on display in the church and tells the story of Becket's life.

Burials at the Abbey

* William d'Aubigny (died 1139) *

William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny (c. 110912 October 1176), also known as William d'Albini, William de Albini and William de Albini II, was an English nobleman. He was son of William d'Aubigny and Maud Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod of Norfolk. William fought ...

William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel (b. 138-1150 d. 24 December 1193), also called William de Albini III, was the son of William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel and Adeliza of Louvain, widow of Henry I of England. He married Matilda (or Maud ...

* William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel * William d'Aubigny, 4th Earl of Arundel *

Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel (died 7 May 1243) was the last in the Aubigny male line to hold Arundel Castle. He was the son of William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel and younger brother of William d'Aubigny, 4th Earl of Arundel. He inh ...

Present day

The Church of St Mary and St Thomas of Canterbury serves as the parish church of Wymondham. A wide range of services for worship take place, including Sunday Mass, Daily Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer."Wymondham Abbey", Church of England Diocese of Norwich
/ref> It is an active parish with a Friends group and is taking part in the Warm Spaces Initiative in 2022. There is also much interest in the history of the building and parish, with an archivist and a Preservation Trust in operation.

Organ

A specification of the organ can be found on th
National Pipe Organ Register

List of organists

*Richard Sharp 1793 - 1801 *George Warnes 1828 - 1843 *Reuben Warnes 1844 - 1848 *Mrs Warnes 1849 - 1851 *George Church 1852 - 1857 *Horace Hill 1857 - 1867 *Arthur Glasspoole 1867 - 1880 * James Harcourt 1880 - 1881 (formerly organist of

St Peter Mancroft St Peter Mancroft is a parish church in the Church of England, in the centre of Norwich, Norfolk. After the two cathedrals, it is the largest church in Norwich. It was originally established by the then Earl of East Anglia, Ralph de Gael between ...

, Norwich) *Algernon Wilde 1882 - 1929 *L. Hemingway 1929 - 1930 *Geoffrey Palmer 1930 - 1946 *Winifred Stubbs 1940 - 1955 *N. Charleton-Burdon 1955 - 1956 *Robert Norton 1956 - 1957 *N. Charleton-Burdon 1957 - 1960 * Michael Bryan Hesford 1960 - 1964 *Norman Crowhurst 1964 - 1967 *Maxwell Betts 1967 - 1981 * Ralph Cupper 1981 *Denis Wright 1981 - 1988 * David Baker 1988 - 1995 *Howard Thomas 1995 - 2012 *Robert Goodrich 2012 – 2020 *Mike Webb 2012–2020 (Hon.) *Vacant 2021- Image:Beckets Chapel.jpg, Becket's Chapel Image:Wymondham Abbey East Tower.jpg, The ruined East Tower as seen from inside the grounds Image:JamesDavisOrgan.JPG, The 1793 organ by James Davis Image:ChamberOrgan.JPG, 1810 Chamber organ

References

External links

Wymondham Abbey Homepage

* ttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/NormanPillars.JPG Norman pillars in Abbey nave {{Authority control Church of England church buildings in Norfolk Grade I listed churches in Norfolk Grade I listed monasteries Monasteries in Norfolk Scheduled monuments in Norfolk 1107 establishments in England Christian monasteries established in the 12th century 1538 disestablishments in England Benedictine monasteries in England Wymondham, Norfolk