Oh my goodness! Where on Earth is this located - it's just incredible...would love to hear a bit about it's history. A beautiful shot - it looks lonely, and yet proud to have survived for what I'm sure is a very long time. A simply wonderful image.
Thank you both. It's a photo of the remains of Whitby Abbey. It might look lonely, but at one time was a bustling settlement with a higly organised and complex structure. A monastery was founded here in AD657 by Northumberland King Oswy (d AD671). This mixed community of men and women flourished under the rule of Abess Hild, attracting future bishops and the first English religious poet Caedmon. In AD664 the Synod of Whitby was held here to debate the date of Easter, King Oswy deciding in favour of the Roman rather than Celtic rite of calculating Easters date. This determined the pattern of the religious calender and paved the way for future political unification of England. Later in AD731, Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English people recognises these events as marking Englands conversion to Christianity. The abbey was sacked by Vikings in AD867 although some form of devotion continued. The name Streaneashalch was replaced by the Viking name Whitby meaning White or Hvitis Farmstead. In AD944 the bones of Hild who had died in AD680 becoming Saint Hild (now Hilda) were sent to Glastonbury by Edmund I. Between the years Ad1066-1087 the abbey was refounded by Reinfrid, a knight who had fought for William the Conqueror. The last Abbot William Davell and 20 monks surrendered the abbey to Henry VIII in Ad1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries. Monastic estates had an annual value of £437 2s 9p and the abbey had enjoyed a continuous existence of more than 400 years. After this date many of the abbey buildings were demolished, the abbey being leased to Richard Cholmley (who bought the freehold) in AD1541. The Abbots lodgings now Abey House becoming the main residence. The south transept collapsed in 1736, little of which now survives and the nave collapsed in 1762. Further damage was done to the west front of the church by a German naval bombardment in 1914. Hope you find this of interest, I'll be posting a couple more photos soon.
What an astounding history! I'll have to share this with my brother who lives in Bath - perhaps he can visit there someday. This just makes me want to go to England all the more...thanks very much, Keith, for posting all this information and wonderful photos!
5 comments:
Oh my goodness! Where on Earth is this located - it's just incredible...would love to hear a bit about it's history. A beautiful shot - it looks lonely, and yet proud to have survived for what I'm sure is a very long time. A simply wonderful image.
Yes, I'd love to know where this is and some history.
Wonderful contrasts!
Thank you both. It's a photo of the remains of Whitby Abbey.
It might look lonely, but at one time was a bustling settlement with a higly organised and complex structure. A monastery was founded here in AD657 by Northumberland King Oswy (d AD671). This mixed community of men and women flourished under the rule of Abess Hild, attracting future bishops and the first English religious poet Caedmon. In AD664 the Synod of Whitby was held here to debate the date of Easter, King Oswy deciding in favour of the Roman rather than Celtic rite of calculating Easters date. This determined the pattern of the religious calender and paved the way for future political unification of England. Later in AD731, Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English people recognises these events as marking Englands conversion to Christianity. The abbey was sacked by Vikings in AD867 although some form of devotion continued. The name Streaneashalch was replaced by the Viking name Whitby meaning White or Hvitis Farmstead. In AD944 the bones of Hild who had died in AD680 becoming Saint Hild (now Hilda) were sent to Glastonbury by Edmund I. Between the years Ad1066-1087 the abbey was refounded by Reinfrid, a knight who had fought for William the Conqueror. The last Abbot William Davell and 20 monks surrendered the abbey to Henry VIII in Ad1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries. Monastic estates had an annual value of £437 2s 9p and the abbey had enjoyed a continuous existence of more than 400 years. After this date many of the abbey buildings were demolished, the abbey being leased to Richard Cholmley (who bought the freehold) in AD1541. The Abbots lodgings now Abey House becoming the main residence. The south transept collapsed in 1736, little of which now survives and the nave collapsed in 1762. Further damage was done to the west front of the church by a German naval bombardment in 1914. Hope you find this of interest, I'll be posting a couple more photos soon.
What an astounding history! I'll have to share this with my brother who lives in Bath - perhaps he can visit there someday. This just makes me want to go to England all the more...thanks very much, Keith, for posting all this information and wonderful photos!
Your welcome Peggi. Hope you get to see the place yourself someday, I'm sure you'd like it.
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