On Abbey Road (literally)

Lesnes Abbey and neighbouring Abbey Woods provide a welcome breath of fresh air and greenery. Modern-day London denizens suffering from lock-down fatigue can head out on Abbey Road to seek out such pleasures. But, the roots of hospitality at the abbey go back much further.

Founded in 1178AD by Richard de Lucy, Lesnes Abbey served as an Augustinian outpost on the London periphery. It was a probable stopover point for pilgrims on their way from London to Canterbury. Functioning under the Order of St Augustine, the abbey was home to a community of cannons (priests). Indeed, lacking monks, it was not technically a monastery.

Richard de Lucy served as the Chief Justiciar under Henry II, a post similar to that of a prime minister. Some scholars think de Lucy founded the abbey as penance for his complicity in the murder of Thomas Becket. The trouble started when De Lucy supported steps by Henry II to reign in the power and holdings of the church. As archbishop of Canterbury, Beckett had steadfastly opposed such measures. In 1170AD, this led to his murder by knights of the king, a grisly development that took place in the midst of a service in the cathedral at Canterbury.

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“[…] King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries between 1536 and 1541 and in so doing perpetrated one of the greatest acts of vandalism and theft in English history.”

David Miles, The Land of the White Horse: Visions of England, 2019

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Lesnes Abbey – A foreshadowing of troubles to come

Lesnes Abbey struggled over the next few centuries without thriving. Mandated to maintain a protective wall along the River Thames and keep local marshes drained, it was saddled with high costs. Debts accumulated. And, by 1524, the abbey was home to a community of less than 7 cannons. This made it open to suppression under a license restriction imposed by Henry VIII. Thus, well before the subsequent dissolution of the monasteries began in 1536, Lesnes foreshadowed ecclesiastical troubles on the horizon. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey carried out the closure in 1526.

As a consequence of these developments, the abbey was demolished and the building materials were recycled. For example, some elements were used for the renovation of an old Anglo-Saxon church in nearby Erith. Wolsey arranged for the transfer of the remaining assets to support his “Cardinal’s College” at Oxford.

Today, little remains of the Abbey. The ruins include a few walls (part of the cloister) and the foundations of the church, dormitory, a brewery, and other structures. A small garden presents some relevant plants and sculptures mimic the bee hives formerly kept by the monks.

Peaceful refuge

The adjacent Abbey Woods forest provides a hilly 88 acre refuge from the pressures of city life. Trails offer access to interesting features such as a fossil pit, an old chalk quarry, ponds, and a heather patch. In a previous post, we discussed how the countryside in England provides a great environment for managing stress. Abbey Woods provides a fine illustration of that effect. A quiet moment on a bench can reveal birds and squirrels actively exploiting bounty from the brush and trees. In today’s turbulent times, solace can be found around the abbey where previously trouble was brewing.

Photos from a visit to Lesnes Abbey and Abbey Woods

(If you don’t see the pictures, click here.)

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References (links valid as of 21 September 2020)

Historic England, Scheduled Monument – Lesnes Abbey, 2016

The Lost City of London, Erith, 17 January 2018

South London Club, A brief history of Lesnes Abbey, 16 September 2017

Wikipedia, Thomas Becket, 16 September 2020

=> Here’s how to pronounce “Lesnes Abbey“.

A few posts from this blog on related themes