Bardney Abbey

The nave of the abbey church
Surviving pillar base
Gravestone of former abbot Richard Horncastle, in the nearby church of St Lawrence, Bardney

Bardney Abbey in Lincolnshire, England, was a Benedictine monastery founded in 697[1] by King Æthelred of Mercia, who was to become the first abbot. The monastery was supposedly destroyed during a Danish raid in 869.[2] In 1087, the site was refounded as a priory, by Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln, and it regained status as an abbey in 1115.[2][3][4]

In 1537, six of the Bardney Abbey monks were executed for their role in the Lincolnshire Rising.[2][3][5] In 1538, the Abbey was disbanded and its property seized during the Dissolution of the Monasteries campaign started by Henry VIII. The property was then granted to Sir Robert Tirwhit.

Tirwhit retained the abbot's lodging as a house and converted the cloister into a garden. In later years, the lodging and garden became ruins along with the remainder of the former abbey.[5]

Excavations from 1909 through 1914 revealed the layout of Bardney Abbey. This can still be seen, though nothing remains to any height. Further excavations and conservation took place in 2009[6] and 2011.[7] Some grave slabs and carved stones are preserved in Bardney parish church, which is dedicated to St Lawrence.[8][9] The abbey site is now owned by the charity the Jews' Court and Bardney Abbey Trust.[10]

  1. ^ This date comes from the National Monument record, but according to Bede the abbey already existed when Oswald was interred there in 679
  2. ^ a b c Historic England. "Bardney Abbey (351575)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Bardney". A History of the County of Lincoln: Volume 2. Victoria County History. 1906. pp. 97–104. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bowyer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Historic England. "House and Garden (1058729)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  6. ^ Cope-Faulkener, Paul (December 2009). Archaeological evaluation at Bardney Abbey (BASM09 12/09) (PDF). Heckington: Archaeological Project Services. Retrieved 4 April 2013. Report on 2009 investigation, includes detailed floor plan.
  7. ^ "Bardney Abbey Revealled 2011". Lincolnshire county council. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  8. ^ "New exhibition of sculpture from Bardney Abbey". Heritage Lottery Fund. 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  9. ^ "Bardney church". Bardney Heritage Group. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Jews Court and Bardney Abbey Trust, registered charity no. 5021279". Charity Commission for England and Wales.