The Benedictines |
| The oldest monastic order (kind of monastery), there were already 36 Benedictine houses in England in 1066 - there were 136 when Henry VIII closed them all. The biggest communities were Abbeys ruled by an abbot, the smaller were called priories and ruled by a prior. In Somerset, Glastonbury Abbey was one of the oldest and most important in the country, with Stoke Courcey (Stogursey) Priory nearby. |
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Remains of Glastonbury Abbey Photograph by Mike Strange |
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Some of the great Cathedrals were once Benedictine abbey churches - Canterbury, Winchester, Durham, Norwich, Ely and Rochester. Benedictine monks worked with books and education, copying old manuscripts, and starting schools and universities. There were more Benedictine monasteries throughout Europe than any other kind and in England they were rich and powerful. Benedictine monks wear black. |
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Romsey Abbey was a convent of Benedictine nuns. The nuns looked after people who were old or ill, and taught children from important families. |
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Romsey Abbey |
Carving of Abbess Ethelflaeda |
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| Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery today. | ||
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Go back to 'Orders of Monastic Life' |