| Summary : Benedictine Abbey of St Peter and St Paul founded circa 1083-90 and dissolved 1540, on site of Anglo Saxon church or monastery. Parochial church after the Dissolution. The abbey church was cruciform and consisted of a nave, side aisles, transepts, choir, Lady Chapel, sacristy, and various chantries. There was a central tower and one at the West Front. The present Holy Cross Church comprises the nave, side aisles, porch and West tower, obviously spared at the Dissolution because it was then in parochial use. The East end has a lower roof line because the old roof collapsed due to neglect. The fabric of the present church consists of 11th century materials and 14th century repairs. It suffered damage during the Civil War siege. Extensively restored and rebuilt circa 1860.Dependencies: Morville Priory; and St Giles Hospital, (Shrewsbury). |
More information : (SJ 49851247) St. Peter and St. Paul's Abbey (G.T.) (Benedictine)
A.D. 1083 (1)
Knowles and Hadcock list Shrewsbury Abbey as founded ca.1083-90, and dissolved in 1540. The abbey was colonized by monks from St Martin's Abbey, Seez, and they quote J Cox Russell who gives14 monks in 1377 and 12 in 1381. The abbot and 17 monks received pensions after the surrender. (2)
According to Owen and Blakeway, the abbey was founded by the first Norman earl of Shrewsbury, Roger de Montgomery, on the site of the small, wooden, Saxon church dedicated to St Peter. This would be a parish church, they say, which would account for the Domesday reference to the Monastery of St. Peter ("In Sciropesberie civitate facit Rogerious comes abbatiam; and eiden dedit monasterium Sancti Petri"). In 1086 the abbey was being built, and on July 14th 1094, Earl Roger entered his own foundation as Monk and died there three days later.
The site was of some 10 acres and Owen and Blakeway speak of embattled walls still (in 1825) standing on the north and east. These probably originally enclosed the whole. A lower wall and gate separated the church from the street as far as the transept so that parishioners might have access to the nave which was parochial. The conventual buildings extended southwards as far as the brook. Of the main block nothing remained (by 1825) except a long red sandstone building at the western side of the cloister with traces of herring-bone masonry which possibly housed the dormitory.(3)
The remains of the monastic buildings were destroyed in 1836 when a road was built through the site.(4)
The abbey church was cruciform and consisted of a nave, side aisles, transepts, choir, Lady Chapel, sacristy, and various chantries. There was a central tower and one at the West Front. The present Holy Cross Church comprises the nave, side aisles, porch and West tower, obviously spared at the Dissolution because it was then in parochial use. The East end has a lower roof line because the old roof collapsed due to neglect. The fabric of the present church consists of C11th materials and C14th repairs. It suffered damage during the Civil War siege.(2-4)
At SJ49911240 is an old sandstone wall with an average height of 2.5m, which may be the remains of the Abbey precinct wall.(5)
Abbey Church of the Holy Cross. Plan and substantial elements of the structure C11-early C12, extensively restored and rebuilt by J L Pearson circa 1860, following earlier C19 restoration. (6)
SJ 498 124. Shrewsbury Abbey (including pulpit) (see SJ 41 SE 252 for pulpit). Scheduled. (7)
Listed. (8)
Full excavation report on the Abbey Mill site and Queen Anne House site, excavated in 1985-8. (9)
Set at the west end of the nave is a Roman column base which was reuse as a font in the 11th century, or possibly earlier. (10) |