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Top 10 Amazing facts about St Augustine Abbey

St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury, Kent, England, was a Benedictine monastery. For those curious, a Benedictine monastery is a religious community of monks or nuns who live according to the teachings and rules of Saint Benedict of Nursia, a Christian monk who lived in the 6th century.

It was founded in 598 AD and served as a monastery until it was dissolved in 1538 during the English Reformation. After that, the abbey was slowly torn down, and by 1845, most of the buildings were in ruins.

The abbey was one of the most important monasteries in medieval England. It was a center for learning and spirituality for nearly 1,000 years. The abbey was founded as part of a mission to bring Christianity to England. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the reign of King Henry VIII, who closed down many monasteries in the 16th century.

St. Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory the Great, arrived in the kingdom of Kent (in what is now southeastern England) to convert the Anglo-Saxons from paganism to Christianity. Christianity had been brought to Britain by the Romans, but after the Romans left in the 5th century, many parts of Britain became pagan again.

When the abbey was built, one of Augustine’s companions, named Peter, became the first abbot (leader) of the monastery. The early abbey included buildings like chapels and other structures, all designed in the style common in Europe at the time. One of the first chapels built was the small church of St. Pancras, which some believe was founded by Queen Bertha of Kent.

The abbey also had a school, which Augustine set up. The school quickly became popular and attracted scholars from all over Britain. And by the late 7th century, the school was known for being a place of learning and had a library filled with books, including those written by Augustine himself and others sent by Pope Gregory.

Here are some amazing facts about the St. Augustine’s Abbey;

1. From Royal Bedchamber to Bombed Ruins: The Story of Fyndon’s Gate

Augustine’s Abbey Canterbury gatehouse. Photo by Ymblanter –Wikimedia commons 

The gatehouse of St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury was rebuilt between 1301 and 1309 by Abbot Fyndon. It became known as Fyndon Gate or The Great Gate. The chamber above the gate was used as the state bedchamber of the monastery. In 1625, King Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria stayed there after their marriage in Canterbury Cathedral.

During World War II, the gate was heavily damaged by German bombs but was later rebuilt. The gate now faces a small square, which has been known since the reign of Charles I as Lady Wotton’s Green. On this green, you can find statues of Ethelbert of Kent and Queen Bertha standing as part of the historic memorial.

2. The Abbey serves as the gravesite for Anglo-Saxon Kings of Kent

Gravesite at  Abbey. Photo by Ealdgyth- Wikimedia commons – 

The Abbey served as the final resting place for several important figures from the Anglo-Saxon period. Notable burials at St. Augustine’s Abbey include:

 Justus, the first Bishop of Rochester and the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury. He played a significant role in the Christianization of England, having been one of the missionaries sent by St. Augustine of Canterbury.

 Eadbald of Kent, King of Kent, buried in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. He is remembered for strengthening Christianity in Kent following his conversion, as well as for his marriage to Emma of Austrasia.

 Ã†thelbert of Kent, King of Kent,  was also buried in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. His shrine was later moved above the high altar of the Norman church. He was the first English king to convert to Christianity, following the mission of St. Augustine. He is often remembered for his support of the Christian faith and his significant role in the spread of Christianity in southern England.

 Emma of Austrasia, the daughter of King Dagobert I of Austrasia. Emma married Eadbald of Kent, which aided in solidifying the ties between the Anglo-Saxon kingdom and the broader Christian world. Her burial at the Abbey further strengthened the religious and political connections between Kent and the European mainland.

These burials, along with the significance of the Abbey as a site of early Christian history, made it a popular place of pilgrimage and reverence for centuries after these key figures passed away.

3. St Augustine’s Abbey Conduit House

The Conduit House was an essential part of the monastic water system that supplied St. Augustine’s Abbey with water. Built in the mid-12th century on a steep hillside in Canterbury, it was designed to capture and channel water from a natural spring to the Abbey.

The structure housed an octagonal stone tank, which collected the spring water. Its strategic hillside location further allowed gravity to assist in channeling the flow of water down to the Abbey below via a lead pipe. This water was essential for the daily operations of the monastic community, providing drinking water, water for washing, and for the Abbey’s gardens.

4. Octagonal rotunda

Between 1047 and 1059, under the leadership of Abbot Wulfric, one of the most notable features of the monastery ruins was constructed.

He commissioned the building of an octagonal rotunda, which connected the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul to the chapel dedicated to St. Mary. This striking architectural feature remains one of the most enduring elements of the site.

The rotunda’s unique shape and function helped to create a sense of unity between the two important areas of the Abbey complex.

5. St. Augustine’s Abbey Museum

The St. Augustine’s Abbey Museum houses a variety of artifacts and stone carvings discovered during excavations at the Abbey. The collection spans several centuries and includes items such as skeletons and costumes worn by actors who perform scenes depicting King Æthelbert and Queen Bertha of Kent in reenactments celebrating St. Augustine’s arrival in Kent.

The museum also features a short video that provides an overview of the different phases of the Abbey’s buildings, accompanied by reconstructions of how the site looked through the ages.

The museum also offers exhibitions that tell the story of the Abbey, from the early Christian mission of St. Augustine to the excavation efforts carried out in the last century, shedding light on the rich history of the site and its inhabitants.

6. St. Martin’s church

St. Martin’s Church is located a short distance east of the Abbey ruins, along St. Martin’s Hill, and is within walking distance of Canterbury city center.

It is Canterbury’s third UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the oldest church in continuous use in the English-speaking world, St. Martin’s holds great historical significance.

The church’s oldest sections date back to the Roman period. It was here that St. Augustine established his mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.

Today, St. Martin’s Church continues to be a place of worship and is visited by pilgrims and tourists alike, who come to experience its ancient atmosphere and to reflect on its pivotal role in England’s Christian history

7. Church of St Pancras

St Augustine’s Abbey St. Pancras church. photo by Cbaile –

The Church of St. Pancras was constructed in red brick near the Abbey’s cemetery. After the Norman invasion, the Abbey church was rebuilt and expanded, becoming a grand Romanesque cathedral, though only a few remnants of it remain today.

The cathedral featured arches along one side of its walls and the bases of stone columns that once supported the roof.

Later, a second church was added to the site. The Church of St. Pancras which was designated for the lay brothers (non-clerical monks) of the Abbey. The nearby cloisters included a scriptorium, where the monks would copy and create manuscripts. This area was not only sheltered from the elements but also bathed in sunlight, making it an ideal place for both work and reflection.

8. St Mary Church

The final grand procession to enter the Abbey church before its dissolution was the funeral cortege of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk, and the favorite sister of King Henry VIII.

She was buried in the Abbey church in 1533. However, her remains are now located at St. Mary’s Church, which was built between 1290 and 1490.

St. Mary’s Church is part of the Abbey precincts and was intended for use by the local townspeople. Although the present structure of the church has survived, little of the original Norman church survives today.

9. St. Augustine’s College

In the 1840s, Sir Alexander James Beresford Hope acquired much of the St. Augustine’s Abbey site.

In 1848, he, along with Edward Coleridge, established St. Augustine’s College on the site. The college, designed by the renowned architect William Butterfield, operated until 1947 before the buildings were leased to The King’s School.

10. The site of Abbey’s Cathedral church

The site was originally dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul and flourished for two centuries after its foundation, becoming the most significant religious establishment in Kent.

When St. Dunstan became Archbishop of Canterbury, he expanded the Abbey church and added St. Augustine’s name alongside those of St. Peter and St. Paul. From that point onward, it became known as St. Augustine’s Abbey.