Muchelney Abbey
Æthelred | |
Site | |
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Location | Muchelney, Somerset, England |
Coordinates | 51°01′13″N 02°48′57″W / 51.02028°N 2.81583°W |
Muchelney Abbey is an English Heritage property in the village of Muchelney in the Somerset Levels, England. The site consists of ruined walls showing the layout of the abbey buildings constructed from the 7th to 16th centuries, and the remaining intact Abbot's House. It is next to the parish church in which some of the fabric of the abbey has been reused.
It comprises the remains and
The abbey was founded in the 7th or 8th century, damaged by
Toponymy
The name derives from two elements:
History
The site of the Abbey was effectively an island in the marshy and frequently flooded
According to the
Much of the building was carried out in the 12th century. The abbot successfully appropriated the nearby Perry Moor and surrounding areas and was involved in their drainage and management.
Between the 13th century and the dissolution five monks were sent from Muchelney to the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Muchelney_Abbey_1.jpg/360px-Muchelney_Abbey_1.jpg)
In the inquiry into monastic finances of 1535, Muchelney was recorded as distributing £6 13s 4d in cash as alms.[21]
In 1538 the Abbey with all land and possessions was surrendered by the monks to
In 1927 the ruins of the abbey were taken over by the Office of Works,[27] and later passed to English Heritage.[6] The Abbot's House was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1959.[1][28]
Architecture
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Muchelney_Abbey_-_Abbot%27s_House.jpg/220px-Muchelney_Abbey_-_Abbot%27s_House.jpg)
The Abbey is the second largest in Somerset after Glastonbury. The church is 192 feet (59 m) long and 52 feet (16 m) wide.[25] Of the main building only some foundation walls remain. The south cloister walk and the north wall of a refectory are other surviving features. The south cloister includes remnants of the arcading and fan vault ceiling.[29]
The only intact structure is the Abbot's House with well-preserved architectural features including external stonework and inside a great chamber with ornate fireplace, carved settle and stained glass, and timber roof.[30] Some of the wall paintings within the abbots house are in need of restoration.[31]
An unusual attraction is the nearby
A barn west of the abbey is a scheduled monument.[33]
References
- ^ a b Historic England. "The Abbot's House, Muchelney Abbey (1236790)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Muchelney Abbey (1006230)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Mulcheney". Key to English Place-Names. University of Nottingham. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ Historic England. "Muchelney Abbey (193791)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ a b c Adkins & Adkins 1992, pp. 88–90.
- ^ Quinn 2008, p. 23.
- ^ Dunning 2001, p. 19.
- ^ "Muchelney". Kemble The Anglo-Saxon Charters Website. Cambridge University. Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Hugo 1859, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d Page 1911.
- ^ "A Tenth Century Document. Charter to Muchelney Abbey". Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser. British Newspaper Archive. 27 July 1946. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- ^ Williams & Williams 1992, pp. 43–44.
- ^ Storer 1985, p. 27.
- ^ "Bede-roll, bead-roll". The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-108-00310-0.
- ^ Historic England. "The Priest's house (1056574)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ Dunning 2003, p. 48-49.
- ^ Dunning 2001, p. 90.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey". Isle of Avalon. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ Dunning 2001, p. 61.
- ^ a b "Muchelney Abbey". Properties. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey, Somerset". The Heritage Trail. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ Baggs, A. P.; Bush, R. J. E.; Tomlinson, Margaret (1974). Dunning, R. W. (ed.). "Parishes: Muchelney". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Muchelney Abbey". Western Gazette. British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey. Its story through the ages. An admirable pageant". Western Gazette. British Newspaper Archive. 6 June 1924. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey". Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser. British Newspaper Archive. 28 September 1927. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "The Abbot's House, Muchelney Abbey". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey, Nr Langport (Somerset)". Historic Britain.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Muchelney Abbey — English Heritage". Culture24. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Babington, C; Welford, P. "Wall Painting Condition Audit, Muchelney Abbey, Somerset" (PDF). English Heritage. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Monks' Reredorter, Muchelney Abbey (1056573)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ Historic England. "Barn W of Muchelney Abbey (1006181)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
Bibliography
- Adkins, Lesley; Adkins, Roy (1992). A Field Guide to Somerset Archeology. Dovecote Press. ISBN 0946159947.
- Dunning, Robert (2001). Somerset Monasteries. Tempus. ISBN 0752419412.
- Dunning, Robert (2003). A History of Somerset (3rd ed.). Somerset Books. ISBN 0861834763.
- Hugo, Thomas (1859). A memoir of Muchelney Abbey, in the county of Somerset. F. May.
- Quinn, Tom (2008). Hidden Britain. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 9781847731296.
- Page, William (1911). "Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Muchelney". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 2. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- Storer, Bernard (1985). The Natural History of the Somerset Levels. Dovecote Press. ISBN 0946159289.
- Williams, Robin; Williams, Romney (1992). The Somerset Levels. Ex Libris Press. ISBN 0948578386.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Mulchelney Abbey—Official site at English Heritage