St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth

Benedictine abbey in Surrey, England

51°12′31″N 0°31′30″W / 51.208745°N 0.525123°W / 51.208745; -0.525123

St Augustine's Abbey or Chilworth Abbey, formerly Chilworth Friary, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine abbey in Chilworth, Surrey. The building, which is Grade II listed,^[1] was designed by Frederick Walters and was built in 1892. It was formerly a Franciscan friary and a novitiate for the order.^[2] The abbey church is open to the public 365 days a year.

Friary

Construction

Construction of the friary started in 1890 and it was designed by the architect Frederick Walters, who also designed the nearby St. John's Seminary in Wonersh. It was financed by a £7,000 bequest from Mary Anne Alliott who was the aunt of the founder of the friary, Fr Arthur Wells. On 18 June 1892 the friary and church was dedicated and consecrated by the Bishop of Southwark. The friary was built to serve as a novitiate for the Franciscans in Britain.^[3]

Developments

The yew tree in the centre of the cloister was planted from a cutting taken from the Ancient Yew at Muckross Abbey in Killarney, Ireland.^[4] In 1915, an organ, built by Lewis & Co was installed.^[3] It was paid for by John Courage of Derryswood, Wonersh (owner of both Lewis & Co and Courage Brewery) and was done with permission from the architect. The same year, Albert Ketèlbey wrote his light classical music piece, In a Monastery Garden, having visited the friary.^[5]

Parish

In 1945, the parish of Holy Ghost Church was entrusted to the friary. It expanded and the friary also served a Mass centre in Gomshall, Our Lady of the Angels.^[3]

Abbey

In 2011, it was announced that the friars would leave Chilworth. The friars were distributed amongst the other Franciscan houses in Britain and the parish church of the Holy Ghost was closed. That year, St Augustine's Abbey in Ramsgate also closed and the Benedictine monks from the Order of St Benedict, of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation, looked for a smaller property to move into. When Chilworth Friary became available, they agreed to move to the area and it became St Augustine's Abbey.^[6]

The monastic community follows the Rule of St Benedict under the guidance of an Abbot, centred on the Divine Office and Mass prayed daily in the Abbey Church, often in a mix of Latin and English including Gregorian Chant. The community currently numbers eight monks and one postulant.^[7] There are a number of lay oblates. The monks run a guest house and offer a programme of retreats, monastic vocation visits, study days, meditation sessions and healing days. They also make and sell skin creams and furniture polish made from bees wax.^[8] St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth compiles 'The Book of Saints, A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary' by Dom Basil Watkins OSB.^[9]

St Augustine's Abbey is not a parish church but the abbey church is open to the public to attend services every day of the year, along with other regular events in the church calendar.^[4]

Gallery

Exterior

South side of the abbey
East side
Abbey Church
Southeast view of the abbey

Interior

Interior
Organ
Chancel
Christ figure in Abbey Church

References

^ Historic England. "St Augustine's Abbey (1241338)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
^ Ramsgate Benedictines move to Chilworth from Independent Catholic News retrieved 25 February 2014
^ ^a ^b ^c Chilworth News Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine from Order of Friars Minor retrieved 25 February 2014
^ ^a ^b "The Abbey : St Augstine's Abbey". Blackheath Village Archives. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
^ Hubert Whelbourn (2007), Standard Book of Celebrated Musicians Past and Present, p. 162
^ History from Chilworth Benedictines retrieved 25 February 2014
^ "'Pevsner' Editor Visits Chilworth's Benedictine St Augustine's Abbey". Guildford Dragon. 9 November 2020 [6 November 2020]. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
^ "Chilworth Benedictines Shop". Chilworth Benedictines. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
^ Watkins, Basil (2016). The Book of Saints (Eighth ed.). London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567664563.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth.

St Augustine's Abbey site

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See also: St John's Seminary, Wonersh Our Lady of England Priory, Storrington St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster Worth Abbey Apostolic Vicariate of the London District
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