Leave us your comments and suggestions about your visit to polesworth abbey. The abbey dates to the early medieval period and lies 200m east of bridge street, polesworth. There is a thriving church, st edithas on site along with a beautifully restored medieval gatehouse. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. Porters lodge polesworth peak district self catering holiday. Editha the site of the abbey is a scheduled ancient monument, although apart from the church and the gatehouse and the restored ruins of the cloister very little remains. Polesworth history project group this is a group dedicated to the researching of the history of polesworth and the areas around. A history of the county of warwickshire, volume 4 1947 from british history online. Meetings are monthly in the tithe barn, polesworth, every second wednesday of the month and alternating between afternoon and evenings. Photo of polesworth, abbey church 1924, from the francis frith collection.
Polesworth, warwickshire genealogy genealogy familysearch wiki. It has a population of 6,300, having grown rapidly during a previous era of coal and clay industry. Polesworth abbey was a benedictine nunnery in polesworth, north warwickshire, england. Full of character and charm you could feel the history in every beam, wall and.
Originally published by victoria county history, london, 1908. Polesworth abbey was founded in 827 by king egbert and his daughter editha was the abbess. Gatehouse croft polesworth peak district self catering holiday. Polesworth is a large village in the borough of north warwickshire. Porters lodge, polesworth polesworth vrbo book your. Photo of polesworth, abbey church 1924 from francis frith.
The first abbess was edgytha daughter of king egbert. Situated in the centre of the large village of polesworth in north warwickshire, and close to the borders of staffordshire, leicestershire and derbyshire, these two polesworth cottages are located in the medieval gatehouse at the entrance to polesworth abbey which dates back to the 9th century. Our group meets at polesworth abbey, a house of worship located in warwickshire. From these banks you can admire the ancient polesworth abbey, founded in the 9th century by st. A roll, written in old english and more wonderfully spelt than most is printed by dugdale. Polesworth abbey was a benedictine nunnery in polesworth, north warwickshire, england abbey. There is no entry for tamworth in domesday book,15 and no other. An act, for dividing and the inclosing the open and common fields, common meadows, common pastures, and other commonable places in waverton, otherwise wareton, in the parish of polesworth, in the county of warwick. Polesworth, a village and a parish in warwickshire.
This free content was digitised by double rekeying. The book trunk this site is dedicated to my grandmother, who ran away from her norwegian home in 1915 and arrived in england with nothing but a trunk full of books. Modwena and king egbert and where william shakespeare. She has her crosier and book, and her feet rest on a stag. History of the site and buildings polesworth abbey pcc. The original polesworth poets polesworth poets trail. Polesworth is not named in domesday book, but, in the time of king stephen, robert marmion and his wife millicent gave all their land there to the abbess and convent of polesworth. Polesworth abbey was founded in 827 by king egbert of wessex with his daughter edith as abbess. Sign up for a newsletter and keep up to date with events. In 1242 the nuns were granted a weekly market on thursdays and a yearly fair from 19 to 21 july. This beautiful polesworth cottage occupies the first and second floor of one side of the medieval gatehouse leading to polesworth abbey, extending across the arched entrance way and can sleep two people in one bedroom.
There is a strong community surrounding polesowrth abbey and it has been a privilege to work with father philip wells on a number of projects since 2010. Services at polesworth abbey every day including sundays morning prayer 8. In 1544 the lands of the abbey were granted by the crown, to francis goodere, who used the stones of the abbey to build a manor house polesworth. In addition to those of polesworth and tamworth, the nearby church of orton. Narthex notice bards and display polesworth abbey pcc.
This gatehouse is virtually all that remains of polesworth abbey, and i. Edith, a parish, in the union of atherstone, tamworth division of the hundred of hemlingford, n. Polesworth abbey was founded in 827 by king egbert with. St edith of polesworth and her cult cambridge core. Subsequently, i read many more novels, and then many history books, and my interest expanded from the tudor period to encompass the whole sweep of british, indeed, european, history. See our beautiful church and stained glass windows before you visit and see them for yourself with our selfled smartphone tour. The name polesworth is derived from pol meaning a pool and worth meaning a dwelling or enclosure in the old english language. Polesworth, warwickshire genealogy heraldry and history. Tv with freeview, dvd, cdradio, wifi, selection of books, games and dvds. Polesworth sits proudly on the river anker having inspired poets michael drayton, john donne and reputedly shakespeare too. The collection of stories emerged into written history with the haunting of lord marmion of tamworth castle by the spectral. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of polesworth. An ideal defensive site, protected on three sides by the river and hidden within the folds of the surrounding continue reading town profile polesworth warwickshire.
In 1544 the lands of the abbey were granted by the crown to francis goodere, who used the stones of the abbey to build a manor house. Saturday snapshots of a gateway to the past the book trunk. Originally published by victoria county history, london, 1947. The refounding by the marmion family of tamworth castle led to a rebuilding of. Polesworth abbey high street polesworth tamworth b78 1du route map and parking. Upcoming events, tickets, information, and maps for polesworth abbey in tamworth from, the uks biggest entertainment website. From her book royal saint editha the collegiate church of tamworth, staffordshire, and polesworth abbey church, warwickshire, are dedicated to st. In the 2001 census it had a population of 8,439, inclusive of the continuous subvillages often regarded as suburbs of st helena, dordon and hall end directly to the south, reducing slightly to 8,423 at the 2011 census. Recent archaeological research indicates that polesworth, situated in the anker valley in north warwickshire, has been regarded as a good place to live ever since it was selected as a camp site by early nomadic clans. Click here to download a map with route instructions and details of parking facilities. Abbey open every day with refectory for us to welcome you. We were provided with a bit of history from father phillip, the caretaker of keys. The first abbess was edgytha daughter of king egbert, now st.
Polesworth abbey was founded in 827 by king egbert with his daughter editha later saint editha as abbess. Photo of polesworth, abbey church 1924 francis frith. A national poetry competition will help the project achieve greater exposure. Polesworth abbey and gatehouse lodge tamworth, staffordshire. The oldest part of the abbey gatehouse, porters lodge retains early 14thcentury timbers and is built over the stone archway. There is a thriving church, st edithas on site along with a beautifully. In the anglosaxon period it was a tiny village in the kingdom of mercia.
Polesworth is a large village and civil parish in the north warwickshire district of warwickshire, england. The history of polesworth village and its convent is interesting. St edith of polesworth and her cult the journal of ecclesiastical. Polesworth abbey was founded in the 9th century by st. The site of the abbey is a scheduled ancient monument, although apart from the church and the gatehouse and the restored ruins of the cloister very little remains visible. Youll find an av presentation about the history of our abbey, and details about the selftour of the church and grounds.
It prospered for 700 years until the dissolution of the monasteries. The story can be tested against copies of twelfthcentury charters, which. Bristol also had a church dedicated to st werburh, the. But from the first, my chief fascination was with the british monarchy, and it became my ambition to produce a book that would provide the reader with a complete. The collegiate church of tamworth, staffordshire, and polesworth abbey.
The saint is also commemorated in other parishes in the midlands and in a cluster of churches in louth, lincolnshire. Polesworth abbey, a nunnery house governed by an abbess. History of the site and buildings 29 seems to have remained rooted in the locality in the middle ages. It prospered for 700 years but was disbanded as part of the dissolution of the monasteries. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, the abbey was granted by henry viii to. Founded in the seventh century in the valley of the river trent, mercia grew into the largest early english kingdom and the most influential after wessex. Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from july 1837 to the present day.
My family lived in coventry, and when i was 12 my sister and brother and i were evacuated to polesworth. Polesworth photos, maps, books, memories francis frith. Footpaths meander through abbey green park along the river banks for visitors and locals to enjoy this haven of peace. Healing sleep music 247, insomnia, boost your immune system, deep sleep music, spa, sleep music yellow brick cinema. Both of these polesworth abbey holiday homes boast many pieces of antique. Polesworth abbey warwickshire and the marmion lord of tamworth. The english poet michael drayton 15631631 spent his childhood in the town before rising to prominence with his work during the elizabethan era, and there is a popular literary theory that william shakespeare was educated at polesworth.