March 1153 A.D. Dale Abbey, Erewash (6 Miles N or Derby), Derbyshire, UK—Abbey Church Named “Blessed Virgin Mary;” 12th Century Hermitage; Augustinian Canons Regular
March 1153 A.D. Dale Abbey, Erewash
(6 Miles N or Derby), Derbyshire, UK—Abbey Church Named “Blessed Virgin Mary;”
12th Century Hermitage;
Augustinian Canons Regular;
Founded by Serlo de Grendon;
Canons Recalled to Calke, 1184; Premonstatensian Canons from Tupholme,
Lincolnshire, 1192; Transferred to
Wellbeck, Nottinghamshire, 1196-1200; Avoided Suppression, 1536; Dissolved 30
Oct 1538
Dale Abbey
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
Dale Abbey is a village and civil parish in the borough of Erewash in Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England, 6 miles north east of Derby.
Formerly known as Depedale or Deepdale, the village contains the
remains of an abbey founded in the 12th or 13th century.
The north west corner of the village is separately named as Dale, while the north east corner is separately named as Dale Moor.[1]
Contents
The Abbey
Remains of Dale Abbey as part of a house in the
village
The Augustinian monks moved to Dale Abbey in 1162 from their previous home at Calke Abbey. A few years later they
were joined by Premonstratensian canons from Tupholme and finally, a few years after this, by another
group from Welbeck. All these attempts failed, primarily due to the isolation
of the area and the lack of good arable land amidst the thick woodlands.
From around the year 1199, the Abbey became well established enough—and
with the acquisition of further lands, tithes and other properties—to survive
for the next three hundred and forty years. Although a relatively large
establishment, the abbey was home to no more than 24 canons. The Abbey
provided priests at Ilkeston, Heanor, Kirk Hallam and Stanton by Dale.
The Abbey owned around 24,000 acres (97 km2) of land.
Much would have been leased or rented out or used for grazing or for the
production of produce for the residents of the Abbey.
In 1539, the Act of Dissolution brought an end to almost four centuries
of monastic life in the Dale. The remains comprise a 40-foot-high chancel window. Excavations have shown the church to
have possessed transepts 100 feet in length, a crossing tower, a cloister 85
feet square and a nave of unknown length. Some of the remains of the building
can be found in houses around the village.
The last Abbot of Dale Abbey, John Bebe, died in 1540.
Sir Francis Pole of Radbourne took possession of Dale Abbey. The furnishings and fittings were either
gradually sold off or stripped out and installed in other churches. Morley Church became home to some of the stained and painted glass, floor tiles
and an entire porchway. The ornately carved font cover was installed in
Radbourne Church while Chaddesden received a window frame. The
font eventually found its way back to All Saints Church Dale Abbey in 1884
and the slabs upon which the canons walked for so many centuries can be found
in the grounds of the church at the Moravian Settlement at Ockbrook.
Dale Abbey is recorded as the site of the "Wedding of
Allan-A-Dale", the third of the stories of Robin Hood.[2]
The village
Church of All Saints, Dale Abbey
The church of All Saint's, at just 26 by 25 feet, is probably one of the
smallest in the country. It shares a roof with an adjoining farmhouse. Dating
from the mid-12th century, it was altered in 1480. It contains a pulpit from
1634. The adjoining farmhouse may have been used as an infirmary for the
Abbey. For some time before 1820 it was used as a pub called the Blue Bell,
the bar being used as a vestry, with a door into the aisle. It was rebuilt in
1883. '...it is said the village inn was anciently under the same roof, and
there was a door in the wall leading from the gallery into the house, through
which the worshippers were accustomed to steal to refresh themselves.'[3] 'The clergyman used to dress
in the bar of the Blue Bell inn and enter the church through a now-blocked
door'[4]
Behind the church is an area of woodland. In the wood is Hermit Cave,
hewn out of the sandstone cliff by a 12th-century Derby baker who wished to
live a life as a recluse. It is well preserved, measuring 6 yards by 3 with a
doorway, two windows, a peephole and a niche for a light.
The mill
Cat and Fiddle Mill
A windmill Cat and Fiddle Mill is a post mill situated close to the village SK 438 398. It has a small round house and covered platform
at the top of the ladder.[5]
Blue Bell Inn and the methodist society of Dale Abbey
Ancient All Saints church and combined Blue Bell
Inn
The Blue Bell Inn was part of the old oratory, which is now the church
and farmhouse at Dale Abbey. Before relocating to the Carpenter's Arms, the
old Blue Bell Inn was the source of religious discord among the villagers of
Dale Abbey. Rev. Joseph Thorpe Milner wrote in his 'Memoirs of the rev.
Joseph Hollingworth' 'that there was a door in the wall, leading from the
gallery into the house, through which, in ancient times worshippers were
accustomed to steal to refresh themselves.' Milner suggests that the ancient
villagers of Dale Abbey became divided on matters of religion. Many in the
village prescribed to the instructions found in the 'King's Book of Sports',
published in 1618. The 'Book of Sports' suggested that following the Sunday
service that peoples of England should 'indulge in such recreations as
dancing, archery, morrice dances, may-poles and other such amusements.'[6]
For many others in the village, they were influenced by the purist
religious teachings of Rev. John Hieron M.A, the Rector from Breadsall in
1644. The Rector of Breadsall had established a monthly lecture at Dale Abbey
until his ejectment from the Establish Church for non-conformity. From this
time on there was a strong devotion by the villagers of Dale Abbey to the
Christian Faith.[7]
Methodist chapel nearly destroyed in 1844, and
rebuilt 1904
The Carpenters Arms Inn built by the
Hollingworths
The old Dale family of Hollingworth had been the publicans of the Blue
Bell Inn and later established the Carpenter's Arms. In 1771, the first of
John Wesley's ministry began calling upon Dale Abbey and the Hollingworth
family. The first preacher to come to the village was Mr. S. Bardsley. Soon
afterwards a society of Methodists was formed. Rev J. Taylor of the Methodist
movement made comment that Mr. (William) Hollingworth became one of the first
members of the Methodist Society to form in Dale Abbey in 1786.[7] Mr. Hollingworth's grandson
Rev. Joseph Hollingworth was to later become one of the more notable
Methodist priests to circuit the midlands between 1802 and 1836. Before the construction
of the Methodists chapel at Dale Abbey, an attentive congregation used to
attend the barn of Mr. Joseph Hollingworth senior of Dale.[7] The Hollingworth family of Dale
originally came from the neighbouring village of Breadsall where they were
publicans of the Old Hall Inn. This family are a junior scion of the
Hollingworths of Hollingworth Hall in Cheshire who descend directly from 1240
to this time.[8] Rev. Peter John Hollingworth
AC, OBE, Archbishop of Brisbane and the 23rd Governor-General of Australia is
a direct descendant of the Hollingworths of Dale Abbey.[9]
References
1.
Jump up^ "Vision of Britain Through Time:
Boundary Map of Dale Abbey CP/AP".
RetrievedMarch
2, 2014.
6.
Jump up^ McCrie, Hetherington, William, Thomas
(1843). History of the Westminster Assembly of
Divines.
7.
^ Jump up to:a b c Milner,
Joseph. Memoirs of the rev. Joseph Hollingworth.
Retrieved 11 January 2012.
External links
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