St Augustine's Abbey [3]

Image: © Michael Dibb Taken: 6 Sep 2021

An information board about the later development of the abbey site. St Augustine’s Abbey was an important monastery founded in 598 and functioned until the Dissolution in 1538. On land given by King Ethelbert, a large abbey church was erected, as were two other churches. The abbey church was extensively rebuilt shortly after the Norman Conquest, in a new Romanesque style, replacing the abbey’s three separate Anglo-Saxon churches. After the Dissolution some of the buildings were used as a royal palace, but most were demolished and the building materials sold. The site was purchased in 1844 by Alexander Hope. He and others gave money to construct buildings for the establishment of a college, which served as a missionary college of the Church of England from 1848 to 1947 and later as the Central College of the Anglican Communion from 1952 to 1967. Since 1976 the building have been part of King's School. The ruins of the abbey are in the care of English Heritage. The ruins are listed, grade I, with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1096932 The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument with much history and detail at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016844 The Abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canterbury is a small historic city on the River Stour in Kent, some 54 miles southeast of London. Occupied since prehistoric times, it became an important Roman city. In 672, the see of Canterbury gained authority over the entire English Church. After the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket at the cathedral in 1170, pilgrims from all parts of Christendom came to visit his shrine until the Dissolution. Today, Canterbury is a popular tourist destination and one of the most-visited cities in the United Kingdom. The city has a substantial student population, with four university campuses.

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