Description
Wymondham Abbey was founded in 1107 by William d’Albini chief butler to King Henry I, as a priory and a cell for his brother’s abbey at St Alban’s.
It was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Alban but after the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket in 1170 this changed to St Mary and St Thomas of Canterbury.
When built, the church was intended to serve both the Benedictine monks and the parishioners of Wymondham, but the rights of each were unclear from the start and this led to many quarrels between the two factions.
This problem was not finally solved until the fifteenth century when the priory obtained independence from St Alban’s, thus becoming an Abbey.
The central octagonal tower was built by the monks, while the large western tower was built by the towns people.
When the Abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII, all of the Abbey domestic buildings were demolished as well as the eastern end of the Church, which had belonged to the monks.
The western part was retained as the Parish Church, which function it still serves.
Image size: 3992×2992
File size: 5.5MB
DPI: 240
Bit: 24 bit
Colour: Yes
Property/model release: No
Edited: Yes. Adobe Lightroom CC
Location: Wymondham Abbey, Wymondham, Norfolk
Year took: 2019
Copyright owner: J. J. Williamson
