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St Radigund’s Abbey
St Radigund’s Abbey is on the hills about 3 miles outside Dover.
The Abbey was founded by the Premonstratensian Order
sometime around 1191-1193 (the recorded dates vary).
The Premonstratensians were a monastic order founded in 1120
by St Norbert (1080-1134), a German bishop, at Premontre in
Northern France. Members were known as White canons and
dressed in white woolen habits. The rule was a stricter version
of that of St Augustine canons. This order was first introduced
into England in 1143.
It is thought that Saxons originally farmed the land where the
abbey was built and lived nearby, calling the area Bradsole, the
Saxon meaning for Broad water or Broad Pond. In the
Doomsday book Hugo de Montfort is listed as the owner. Hugo’s
son, and then grandson, inherited the property. It then passed
to William de Poulton who with his heir granted the land of
Bradsole to the canons for their abbey sometime in the early
1190s.
St Radegund lived from 518-587. She was the daughter of the
King of Thuringia, whose assassination was avenged by the
Frankish King Clotaire I. Clotaire had the twelve year old
Radegund baptised and educated, and eventually married her.
However, her ill treatment by the King, and his murder of her
brother, compelled Radegund to leave him. She became a nun
and went on to found the great nunnery of the Holy Cross at
Poitiers, where she spent the last thirty years of her life.
In it's early days the abbey increased in wealth and reputation
and many notable people wanted to be buried there. In 1302
Edward I received the great seal at St Radigund’s and delivered
it to William Greenfield his then Chancellor. Little is known of
the abbey's subsequent history beyond a list of successive
Abbots and Priors who allowed the buildings to fall into
disrepair. The abbey was suppressed under Henry VIII in 1538
along with the lesser monasteries.
After the dissolution the church building was dismantled and
the stone reused. In 1538, 237 loads of stone went from St
Radigund’s to build Sandgate castle. Stone also went to build
Walmer Castle and also surrounding houses and farm buildings.
In 1590, Queen Elizabeth I sold the abbey site to Simon Edolph
who converted the refectory into a farmhouse. The abbey is still
a privately owned working farm.
The North Tower of the abbey can be clearly seen today. This
tower was not the gatehouse to abbey, as many people think
because the openings in the base are later alterations.
The Abbey was founded by the Premonstratensian Order
sometime around 1191-1193 (the recorded dates vary).
The Premonstratensians were a monastic order founded in 1120
by St Norbert (1080-1134), a German bishop, at Premontre in
Northern France. Members were known as White canons and
dressed in white woolen habits. The rule was a stricter version
of that of St Augustine canons. This order was first introduced
into England in 1143.
It is thought that Saxons originally farmed the land where the
abbey was built and lived nearby, calling the area Bradsole, the
Saxon meaning for Broad water or Broad Pond. In the
Doomsday book Hugo de Montfort is listed as the owner. Hugo’s
son, and then grandson, inherited the property. It then passed
to William de Poulton who with his heir granted the land of
Bradsole to the canons for their abbey sometime in the early
1190s.
St Radegund lived from 518-587. She was the daughter of the
King of Thuringia, whose assassination was avenged by the
Frankish King Clotaire I. Clotaire had the twelve year old
Radegund baptised and educated, and eventually married her.
However, her ill treatment by the King, and his murder of her
brother, compelled Radegund to leave him. She became a nun
and went on to found the great nunnery of the Holy Cross at
Poitiers, where she spent the last thirty years of her life.
In it's early days the abbey increased in wealth and reputation
and many notable people wanted to be buried there. In 1302
Edward I received the great seal at St Radigund’s and delivered
it to William Greenfield his then Chancellor. Little is known of
the abbey's subsequent history beyond a list of successive
Abbots and Priors who allowed the buildings to fall into
disrepair. The abbey was suppressed under Henry VIII in 1538
along with the lesser monasteries.
After the dissolution the church building was dismantled and
the stone reused. In 1538, 237 loads of stone went from St
Radigund’s to build Sandgate castle. Stone also went to build
Walmer Castle and also surrounding houses and farm buildings.
In 1590, Queen Elizabeth I sold the abbey site to Simon Edolph
who converted the refectory into a farmhouse. The abbey is still
a privately owned working farm.
The North Tower of the abbey can be clearly seen today. This
tower was not the gatehouse to abbey, as many people think
because the openings in the base are later alterations.
