I had passed the sign to St Radegund's Abbey a while ago, and I decided to go back and investigate yesterday. The ruined Abbey is a couple of hundred yards from the cross roads of Minnis Road and Abbey Road.
The Abbey was built in 1191 and survived until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. St Radegund lived from 518-587. She was the daughter of the King of Thuringia, whose assassination was avenged by the Frankish King Clotaire I. Clotaire had the twelve year old Radegund baptised and educated, and eventually married her. However, her ill treatment by the King, and his murder of her brother, compelled Radegund to leave him. She became a nun and went on to found the great nunnery of the Holy Cross at Poitiers, where she spent the last thirty years of her life.
After the Dissolution the Abbey was sold to one Simon Edulph who converted the Refectory into a house and the church tower into a gatehouse which dominates the ruins today. As time passed the Abbey ruins became more and more overgrown whilst the house became less and less like the Refectory. Today the Abbey stands at the end of a farm track, which fortunately is a public footpath, although many of the buildings are hidden behind the gatehouse and hedges.
Foxley is a far more modern building and is now getting towards being habitable. Yesterday was preparation day and today the top window was put into place at the front of the house.
No comments:
Post a Comment