Committee Round-Up

KAS Membership Committee

Visit to Boxley Abbey

The Committee continued its series of visits to historic buildings with a trip to Boxley Abbey on the afternoon of Saturday, 19 July. It is an indication of the interest in the once-famous Abbey of St Mary that some 65 KAS members attended. The group examined the great barn and other standing remains of the abbey, which was founded by the Cistercians in 1146. During the tour around the grounds, Joy Saynor, David Carder and Deborah Gacher provided an informative commentary on various aspects of the abbey.

There have been several archaeological investigations at Boxley Abbey over the years. In 1971-2 the KAS undertook a programme of excavation with the aim of establishing the general plan of the church and cloisters. At that time, despite only a limited amount of excavation of the remains being possible, it was established that the plan of the church was similar to three other Cistercian abbeys founded in the mid 12th Century: Fountains, Kirkstall and Rievaulx. There is a very interesting article on the findings of these excavations by P.J. Tester F.S.A. in Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 88 1973.

The church had contained the celebrated Rood of Grace, a cross with an image of Christ that was supposed to be gifted with movement and speech, and the image of St. Rumwold, also deemed to have miraculous powers. They were denounced as fakes at the time of the Dissolution. After the dissolution of Boxley Abbey in 1538, the west range of abbey buildings was converted into a dwelling house, and the church and east range were wholly or partly demolished.

The great barn is believed to have been built c. 1280. Like most old buildings, it was subject to many repairs and modifications over the centuries. In the Statutory List maintained by English Heritage the barn is referred to as the abbey hospitium, i.e. a guest-house. That could have been the purpose of the building at one time, particularly bearing in mind that many pilgrims would have visited the abbey. However, there is no doubt that the Cistercians, an order renowned for agricultural enterprise, did use the magnificent stone building as a barn. Some KAS members will have seen it across the fields when travelling on the M20 motorway.

Thanks go to Joy Saynor for organising once again a very enjoyable visit, and to David Carder and Deborah Gacher for assisting Joy in providing an insight into the history and architecture of this fascinating abbey.

Most importantly, thanks also go to the Best-Shaw family for so generously permitting the group – particularly such a large one – to visit the Abbey. This was a continuation of the tradition of hospitality shown to KAS members at Boxley Abbey. Almost 107 years before in 1901, at the invitation of Major Best, “On Wednesday, 31st of July, a large party started early to see the interesting excavations made at Boxley Abbey. … Afterwards the 1901 party went in carriages to Sutton Valence and East Sutton Place, and finally on to see East Sutton Church. Coincidentally, the KAS Churches Committee arranged a visit to the same parish church in June 2008.

Plus ça change...

Angela Davies

KAS Churches Committee

Study Day – Religious Houses in Medieval Canterbury

This absorbing and well attended study day in June was held jointly by the KAS and Canterbury Christ Church University, organised by KAS Council Member...

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Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh.
In the morning, three lectures took place in the Ramsey Lecture Theatre at Christ Church. Dr Louise Wilkinson, from the University's history department, set the theme with a talk that addressed the place of the church in medieval society and the fluctuating fortunes of monasticism from the Anglo-Saxon period to the great 12th century revival.
After coffee, Alison Hicks and Dr Sweetinburgh gave lectures drawing on the fruits of archaeological explorations of two particular Canterbury monastic institutions. Alison Hicks spoke about the Whitefriars excavations, carried out between 1999-2007, in which she was involved with Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Dr Sweetinburgh then spoke about St Gregory's Priory, drawing on the work of Alison Hicks and others involved in the excavations.
Following lunch, those attending split into groups to visit the sites of four of Canterbury's medieval monastic institutions. The expert guides were Dr Sweetinburgh at St John's Hospital, Margaret Sparks at Christchurch Cathedral Priory, Meriel Connor at the Greyfriars and Paul Bennett at St Augustine's Abbey. So ended what was an informative day with some distinguished speakers.

Visit to East Sutton and Ulcombe

Thirty two people attended the evening June visit to St Peter and St Paul, East Sutton and All Saints, Ulcombe. Both churches are situated along the Ragstone Range overlooking the Weald of Kent.
Mr Robert Argles gave the talk at St Peter and St Paul, where he is churchwarden. Although a small country church there was much of interest to investigate. These include a 13th century font and a Jacobean pulpit. The church was all but complete in the 14th century and has seen items of great turmoil. There are even marks of the bullet that was fired at the manor house by Cromwell's soldiers. There are many monuments to the Filmer family including a very fine brass reputed to be the most remarkable family portrait in Kent. Mr Philip Lawrence, Chairman of the Churches Committee, shared his knowledge of the piece with those attending.
The then made the short drive along the Range to All Saints Ulcombe where Mrs Molly Poulter and her band of helpers were waiting to greet us. All Saints is a surprisingly large church for a small village and this is explained by the fact that Archbishop Stephen Langton established a College of Priests here in 1213. The five misericords with carvings on their undersides have links with the five priests of the College. The church has some fine wall paintings, two can be found in the south aisle, one in the nave, one in the Lady Chapel and one in the north wall of the Sanctuary. Like East Sutton, All Saints has some fine brasses that are well covered for their protection. Another interesting feature of All Saints are the Yews in the churchyard. One is known as the Old Yew, 35 feet round the trunk and the other is known as the Young Yew, whose trunk is only 26 feet. We were provided with refreshments by the ladies at Ulcombe after our tour.
Jackie Davidson