Crowland Abbey — Attraction in South Holland

Though the name of the town is 'Crowland', the abbey is properly 'Croyland', the result of a misspelling by a medieval monk. The abbey at Crowland dates to the early 8th century, though its roots go back even further.

Legend tells that the island of Crowland was chosen by St. Guthlac as the site for his hermit's cell. Guthlac was a young man who turned away from the world and sought a life of contemplation.

He arrived at Crowland on St. Bartholomew's Day, 699 AD, and he dedicated his cell to that saint. At that time Crowland was literally an island, rising up out of the fens. It must have been a desolate spot in the 8th century - even the name suggests that; Crowland stems from Old English for "wild land".

Over time the hermit's reputation for holiness grew, and people began to seek him out. Among his supporters was Aethelbald, a claimant to the throne of the kingdom of Mercia.

Guthlac prophesied that Aethelbald would one day gain the throne, and the nobleman swore that if the hermit were proved correct he would found a monastery in Guthlac's honour.

Sure enough, Aethelbald became king of Mercia, and on St. Bartholomew's Day 716 AD, two years after Guthlac's death, Aethelbald founded Croyland Abbey.

The abbey suffered under the Danish depredations of the following two centuries; in 870 a Danish attack surprised the monks at prayer, the abbot was killed and the buildings burned to the ground. Much of the abbey was restored by Turketyl, abbot in the mid 10th century, but a terrible fire in 1091 destroyed Turketyl's Saxon buildings.

Once more Crowland was rebuilt, this time in Norman style, and again the abbey buildings were destroyed, by an earthquake in 1118 and by a fire in 1143. Surviving parts of that first Norman abbey can be seen in the font and the west arch of the central tower.

The abbey underwent its final destruction in 1539 as part of Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. The nave of the abbey church and two side aisles were left standing to serve as the parish church for Crowland. Sadly, only the north aisle now remains.

Despite this destruction, enough remains to give a good sense of the glories that were Crowland; above the west door are quatrefoil carvings depicting scenes from the life of Guthlac, and statues showing saints associated...

Deepings NWR women's group enjoyed an incredible tour of the Abbey inside and out recently led by the team of volunteer guides at the former Benedictine Abbey of St Guthlac in deepest Lincolnshire. A place steeped in history from the Saxon period, through the Middle Ages, the Reformation and the Civil War.

We learned of the bells, all named: Bartholomew, Beccelm, Turketyl, Tatwin, Pega and Bega - the originals long since melted by a great fire in 1091 were the first ever bells to be mounted in an English church belfry and today's bells the first to be heard on BBC Radio in 1923. The bell ropes are the longest in England and ringers come from all over the country to ring a peal here.

We learned about the remarkable man Guthlac who inspired King Ethelbald of Mercia to found a shrine and later a monastic community here on the site.

Outside on the fragment of standing Norman period wall you can see a depiction of the passing of Haley's Comet in the 11th century (second only to the recording of the comet on the Bayeux Tapestry).

The graveyard covers the area of the former monastic cloisters, dormitory, brew house and extant buildings and the remains of the cruciform church that once equalled the size of current day Peterborough Cathedral. We rather marvelled at the thought of all this upstanding Ancaster stone on the skyline in the tidal marsh Fen landscape of pre 17th century drained Lincolnshire. How the Abbey must have gleamed then. How it must have drawn folk to it. How marvellous to know it stands there still - in part and is loved and cherished by the local community.

Thanks to David and Mike who made this an...

"Ryght mekely besychinge yowr lordshippe favourably to accept the same fyshe ,and to be gude and favourable Lord unto me and my poore house" nice try I would say but these words from the Abbot of Croyland to Thomas Cromwell in 1537 just didn't cut it . And this beautiful Abbey was dissolved in 1539 . This place has real character and if I may say I met a couple of very friendly informative and colourful characters here working as guides . This fantastic place is Grade 1 listed and shouldn't be missed . Founded on the site where Saint Guthlac came and settled as a hermit between 699 and 714 in the 8th century . It is dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin ,Saint Bartholemew and Saint Guthlac himself . It is said that Hereward the Wake a legendary hero of these here parts once lodged here . This place has been through the wars in its time but still remains awe inspiring . A very pleasant visit pleased to have found the time . Thanks again to the two lovely guides , sorry I didn't get your names , for making me...