Beeleigh Abbey

Beeleigh Abbey near Maldon in Essex, England was a monastery constructed in 1180 for the White Canons, otherwise known as the Norbertine or Premonstratensians. The order linked the change of the separate life of monks in the 12th century with the retrospective life of the friar, who was considerably more active.

History

Beeleigh Abbey was originally a daughter of Newsham Abbey in Lincolnshire, established at the instigation of Robert Mantell, lord of the manor of Little Maldon. The abbey obtained a royal charter from Richard I in 1189.

The heart of Saint Roger of Beeleigh (Roger Niger) - a thirteenth century Bishop of London was buried at Beeleigh and the abbey became a pilgrimage site [ SP Nunn, "St Roger of Beeleigh", Maldon Archaeological and Historical Group ] . In 1289, pilgrims included King Edward I and Queen Eleanor.

After the dissolution of the monasteries, many of the abbey buildings were pulled down. In 1540, Henry VIII granted the abbey and lands to Sir John Gate, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Thirty years after the land was given away there was an extension added to the abbey of a farmhouse.

During the 18th century, the building was used as a public house. By the late 19th century, the buildings were in a ruinous condition, but in 1912, restoration was begun by Captain F W Grantham. In 1943, the Abbey was purchased by William Foyle, owner of Foyles bookshop.

The abbey is now a private residence and is not open to the public. The roofs of the resilient mediaeval buildings can be seen from a footpath that runs down market hill and ends following the River Chelmer.

According to local myths the abbey is connected by an underground tunnel to All Saints Church in Maldon, the reason for its construction supposedly being that during the dissolution of the monasteries the monks needed to be able to retreat to the church if the abbey was razed. One story relates that this tunnel apparently still existed some years ago and that its entrance was found by archaeologists. Finding it too full of debris to explore it themselves a dog was sent in, and some time later was heard barking in the depths of the abbey, and was found in its cellar.

Archaeology

In 2000, the owner arranged for an archaeological investigation of the site that continued until 2006 ["Below Ground at Beeleigh" (Maldon Archaeological and Historical Group, 2007)] . A geophysical survey was followed by an excavation. During the course of the investigation there were a number of "open days" which allowed hundreds of visitors to see the site. Nothing could be dated to the 1180 construction, but among the discoveries were the foundations of a medieval hall house. Other finds included large amounts of pottery dated from the 12th to the 16th century. A few early (13th - 16th century) coins were found as well as some jetons. One fascinating find was a seal matrix that belonged to the Abbey

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