Ampleforth Abbey

A friend recently treated me to a mini-break in North Yorkshire, to celebrate my birthday. The first stop was at Ampleforth Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery founded in 1802, and linked to a (now) co-educational boarding school, Ampleforth College. It's a long, rambling site on a hillside, with beautiful views. It has a newly-opened tea room (very nice!) and visitor centre, with displays about the history and explanations of Benedictine monastic life. 

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in the 1500s, the English Benedictines were banished to France, and then forced to return in 1792 owing to the French Revolution. They were invited to use a lodge that had been gifted by Lady Anne Fairfax to her chaplain Fr Anselm Bolton, which then became the new monastery and a school was opened in 1803 that became one of the country's leading Catholic boarding schools. Sadly the school was embroiled in a historic child sexual abuse scandal and seems to have struggled to meet safeguarding requirements in recent years, though this now appears to be resolved, after a clearer separation has been made between the College and the Abbey. 

Although it didn't say, I assume this statue outside the Abbey Church is St Benedict, though it may be St Lawrence after whom the church is named. 

The Abbey Church is a Grade 1 listed building designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, whose other notable creations include Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Battersea Power Station - and red telephone boxes. It was constructed in two phases in 1922 and 1961. 

I'm afraid I didn't really like Ampleforth Abbey Church. I found it very austere and very heavy looking. It felt cold and unspiritual to me. However, it is always interesting to explore new places. I liked some of its modern stained glass rather more, which I will show tomorrow.