206:, Christopher Foyle, chairman of Foyles Bookshops, and from 1978 until 2006, chairman of the Air Foyle Group, his cargo and passenger airline corporation, and his wife Catherine, purchased Beeleigh Abbey and its 400-acre estate beside the river Chelmer from Christina Foyle's executors. They then set about a four-year restoration of the Abbey and its gardens, which had deteriorated somewhat during the previous 30 years. As a result, in 2008, they were awarded, by the
19:
92:
218:
In 2000, the owners arranged for an archaeological investigation of the site that continued until 2006. A geophysical survey was followed by an excavation. During the course of the investigation there were a number of "open days" which allowed hundreds of visitors to see the site. Nothing could be
179:, and three canons. Father Hugh Allan, Prior of Chelmsford, was promoted to Abbot, and with the agreement of the owners of Beeleigh Abbey, Mr & Mrs Christopher Foyle, became Titular Abbot of Beeleigh, the first Abbot of Beeleigh since 1536. On 8 December 2016 at the Roman Catholic Church of
151:
The abbey is now a private residence and is not generally open to the public, but small private groups may be shown around it by prior arrangement with the owners. The roofs of the resilient medieval buildings can be seen from a footpath that runs down market hill and ends following the
167:, some 8 miles from Beeleigh. In 2010 the Prior of St Philip's Priory and three of the canons were welcomed to Beeleigh Abbey, the first such visit by White Canons since the visit in 1955 by Father Norbert Backmund of
174:
In April 2011, the Abbot
General, worldwide head of the Premonstratensian Order (White Canons) in Rome, Father Thomas Handgraetinger, was welcomed at Beeleigh, together with the Prior of Chelmsford, Father
294:
A History of the County of
Huntingdon: Volume 2. Pages 374-376. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1932. Via British History Online, accessed 10 Jan 2023.
412:
140:. By the late 19th century, the buildings were in a ruinous condition, but in 1912, restoration was begun by Captain F. W. Grantham. In 1943, the Abbey was purchased by
442:
210:, their East of England Conservation Award, and later in the same year, their National Conservation Award, for the best restored historical building in the UK.
422:
65:
in
Lincolnshire, established at the instigation of Robert de Mantell, lord of the manor of Little Maldon. The abbey obtained a royal charter from
233:
Other finds included large amounts of pottery dated from the 12th to the 16th century, a small amount of early (13th - 16th century) coins, some
363:
133:, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Thirty years after the land was given away there was an extension added to the abbey of a farmhouse.
457:
437:
402:
260:
351:
110:
of the abbey of
Beeleigh and the hospital of St Giles at Little Maldon, acquired in exchange for the manor of Toseland (Hunts.) from
106:
In the year 14 Edward II (8 July 1320 - 7 July 1321), John Ammory retained the manor of Little Maldon, land in Great Maldon, and the
207:
432:
250:
180:
100:
447:
111:
95:
A plan of
Beeleigh Abbey as it was in 1536. By permission of Stephen P. Nunn from his book ‘St. Roger of Beeleigh’ 2001
255:
427:
407:
122:
417:
171:
in
Bavaria. He was the first White Canon to have visited Beeleigh since the monastic dissolution in 1536.
45:, as known as the Norbertines or Premonstratensians. The order linked the change of the separate life of
195:
and other Essex VIPs, many canons and clergy and a full congregation. Christopher Foyle presented the
77:
156:. The abbey gardens, are now also open to the public, on specific days during the summer months.
80:) was buried at Beeleigh and the abbey became a pilgrimage site. In 1289, pilgrims included King
202:
In August 2000, following the death in 1999 of the previous incumbent, William Foyle's daughter
452:
303:
160:
304:
National
Archives: John Ammory to retain the manor of Little Maldon, land in Great Maldon,...
291:
192:
126:
316:
188:
348:
8:
184:
176:
85:
42:
96:
219:
dated to the 1180 construction, but among the discoveries were the foundations of a
115:
355:
203:
22:
Beeleigh Abbey house, incorporating remains of the earlier monastery on the site
168:
396:
378:
365:
238:
153:
141:
130:
62:
30:
159:
137:
227:
220:
73:
223:
164:
66:
241:
that belonged to the Abbey. Further excavations are being planned.
114:, who previously acquired the said manor, land, and advowsons from
107:
81:
38:
18:
145:
91:
234:
196:
50:
34:
46:
125:, many of the abbey buildings were pulled down. In 1540,
49:
in the 12th century with the retrospective life of the
413:
Christian monasteries established in the 12th century
187:
in the presence of the Bishop
Emeritus, the Anglican
183:
in
Chelmsford Father Hugh was enthroned Abbot by the
136:
During the 18th century, the building was used as a
336:(Maldon Archaeological and Historical Group, 2007)
443:Religious organizations established in the 1180s
394:
41:, was a monastery constructed in 1180 for the
306:Reference: C 143/143/9. Accessed 10 Jan 2023.
282:, Maldon Archaeological and Historical Group
61:Beeleigh Abbey was originally a daughter of
261:John Bourchier, 6th Baron Ferrers of Groby
423:Premonstratensian monasteries in England
208:Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
90:
17:
244:
76:(St Roger of Beeleigh), a 13th-century
395:
251:Isabel of Cambridge, Countess of Essex
53:, who was considerably more active.
43:Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré
13:
256:Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex
14:
469:
458:Burial sites of the House of York
438:1540 disestablishments in England
403:Grade I listed buildings in Essex
342:
129:granted the abbey and lands to
433:1180 establishments in England
327:
309:
297:
285:
272:
213:
123:Dissolution of the Monasteries
1:
7:
230:, and other outbuildings.
10:
474:
448:Grade I listed monasteries
56:
349:List of Abbots and Canons
334:Below Ground at Beeleigh
266:
428:Country houses in Essex
103:
23:
408:Grade I listed houses
193:High Sheriff of Essex
94:
21:
418:Monasteries in Essex
354:26 July 2013 at the
280:St Roger of Beeleigh
245:Burials at the Abbey
189:Bishop of Chelmsford
375: /
292:Parishes: Toseland.
185:Bishop of Brentwood
181:Our Lady Immaculate
161:St. Philip's Priory
379:51.7379°N 0.6635°E
104:
24:
465:
390:
389:
387:
386:
385:
380:
376:
373:
372:
371:
368:
337:
331:
325:
324:
313:
307:
301:
295:
289:
283:
276:
78:Bishop of London
473:
472:
468:
467:
466:
464:
463:
462:
393:
392:
384:51.7379; 0.6635
383:
381:
377:
374:
369:
366:
364:
362:
361:
356:Wayback Machine
345:
340:
332:
328:
315:
314:
310:
302:
298:
290:
286:
277:
273:
269:
247:
216:
204:Christina Foyle
59:
12:
11:
5:
471:
461:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
405:
359:
358:
344:
343:External links
341:
339:
338:
326:
308:
296:
284:
270:
268:
265:
264:
263:
258:
253:
246:
243:
215:
212:
199:to the Abbot.
169:Windberg Abbey
116:Thomas Filliol
58:
55:
27:Beeleigh Abbey
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
470:
459:
456:
454:
453:Maldon, Essex
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
400:
398:
391:
388:
357:
353:
350:
347:
346:
335:
330:
322:
321:christies.com
318:
312:
305:
300:
293:
288:
281:
275:
271:
262:
259:
257:
254:
252:
249:
248:
242:
240:
236:
231:
229:
225:
222:
211:
209:
205:
200:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
172:
170:
166:
162:
157:
155:
154:River Chelmer
149:
147:
143:
142:William Foyle
139:
134:
132:
131:Sir John Gate
128:
124:
119:
117:
113:
109:
102:
101:0 9511948 4 4
98:
93:
89:
87:
86:Queen Eleanor
83:
79:
75:
72:The heart of
70:
68:
64:
63:Newsham Abbey
54:
52:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
28:
20:
16:
360:
333:
329:
320:
317:"Christie's"
311:
299:
287:
279:
274:
232:
217:
201:
173:
158:
150:
138:public house
135:
120:
112:John de Grey
105:
71:
60:
26:
25:
15:
382: /
239:seal matrix
228:brick clamp
214:Archaeology
144:, owner of
74:Roger Niger
397:Categories
367:51°44′16″N
224:hall house
177:Hugh Allan
165:Chelmsford
148:bookshop.
127:Henry VIII
121:After the
370:0°39′49″E
278:SP Nunn,
108:advowsons
69:in 1189.
67:Richard I
352:Archived
221:medieval
82:Edward I
57:History
39:England
237:and a
235:jetons
191:, the
146:Foyles
99:
31:Maldon
267:Notes
197:mitre
51:friar
47:monks
35:Essex
29:near
226:, a
97:ISBN
84:and
163:in
33:in
399::
319:.
118:.
88:.
37:,
323:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.