Tarrant Abbey was a

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

nunnery in Tarrant Crawford,

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

History

The abbey was founded as an independent monastery in 1186 by Ralph de Kahaines (of nearby

Tarrant Keyneston Tarrant Keyneston is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated in the Tarrant Valley, southeast of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 census the parish had 152 dwellings, 145 households and a population of 310. On the hills nor ...

) and has been identified as a possible site of "Camestrum", referred to by

Gervase of Canterbury Gervase of Canterbury (; Latin: Gervasus Cantuariensis or Gervasius Dorobornensis) (c. 1141 – c. 1210) was an English chronicler. Life If Gervase's brother Thomas, who like himself was a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury, was Thomas of M ...

. The abbey was then re-founded in either 1228 or 1233 as a

Cistercian nunnery Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order of the Catholic Church. History The Cistercian Order was initially a male order. Cistercian female monasteries began to appear by 1125. The first Cistercian monastery ...

, later supposedly the richest in England. Two famous people are associated with the abbey. The first is Queen Joan, the wife of

Alexander II of Scotland Alexander II ( Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; nicknamed "the Peaceful" by modern historians; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined t ...

and daughter of King

John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

, who is buried in the graveyard (supposedly in a golden coffin). The second is Bishop

Richard Poore Richard Poore or Poor (died 15 April 1237) was a medieval English bishop best known for his role in the establishment of Salisbury Cathedral and the City of Salisbury, moved from the nearby fortress of Old Sarum. He served as Bishop of Chic ...

, builder of

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

, who was

baptise Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three t ...

d in the abbey church and later (in 1237) buried in it, as its second founder. The church of St Mary the Virgin, the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

of Tarrant Crawford, is all that remains of Tarrant Abbey. It was the lay church of the abbey and was built in the 12th century. It has now been designated as a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

and is now in the care of the

Churches Conservation Trust The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...

. The site of the abbey is a

Scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...

containing mostly buried remains.

Known Abbesses of Tarrant Abbey

* Claricia, elected about 1228 * Emelina * Maud, occurs 1240 * Isolda, occurs 1280 * Elena, elected 1298 * Anne, occurs 1351 * Clemence de Cernyngton, occurs 1377 * Joan, occurs 1402 * Avice, occurs 1404 * Edith Coker, died in 1535 * Margaret Lynde (uncertain) * Margaret Russell, elected 1535, surrendered to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

in March 1539.Deeds of Surrender, No. 233

References

Monasteries in Dorset Cistercian nunneries in England Christian monasteries established in the 1180s 12th-century establishments in England 12th-century church buildings in England Grade I listed churches in Dorset Grade I listed monasteries 1186 establishments in England {{UK-Christian-monastery-stub