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Polesworth Abbey
Abbey Church of St Editha, Polesworth
Polesworth Abbey
52°37′7.77″N 1°36′44.02″W / 52.6188250°N 1.6122278°W / 52.6188250; -1.6122278
OS grid reference	SK 26332 02433
Location	Polesworth
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	polesworthabbey.co.uk
History
Dedication	St Editha
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Administration
Diocese	Anglican Diocese of Birmingham
Archdeaconry	Aston
Deanery	Polesworth
Parish	Polesworth

Polesworth Abbey was a Benedictine nunnery in Polesworth, North Warwickshire, England.

By the late 600s Edgyth (Editha), Athea and Osgyth had established hermitages at Polesworth from which the village and Benedictine Abbey developed. The detail of this early foundation was incorporated into the twelfth-century hagiographical Life of St Modwynn of Burton upon Trent. In 1066, Sir Robert Marmion expelled the nuns from Polesworth, but after seeing a vision of St. Edith, he allowed them to return; in 1242, King Henry III granted the abbey a weekly market, as well as an annual fair for St Margaret.

Abbey

By 699 the Abbey had been established and accounts of Saint Edgyth (Editha) widely circulated in the local area. Polesworth Abbey is the place where the much-quoted ‘Osgyth' miracle — in which the nun, Osgyth, who had drowned in the river while delivering a Book of the Gospels to her Abbess — originates.

Always associated with Edgytha (Saint Editha) the foundation is often confused with the later development of Tamworth Castle and the 10th century church at Tamworth, which was also dedicated to Saint Editha and where relics of the Polesworth saint were translated in the time of Ethelfleda.

The early history also confused with that of St Modwenna of Burton whose Life was constructed in the early 12th century by Abbot Geoffrey and in which details of the foundation have been preserved.

The site of the Abbey is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, although apart from the church and the gatehouse and the restored ruins of the cloister very little remains visible. The 12th-century Abbey church, now the parish church of St Editha, is a Grade II* listed building. The 14th-century gatehouse is both a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It has recently been restored and renovated to provide apartments available for rent.

Parish church

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the Abbey was granted by Henry VIII to Francis Goodere of St Albans, Hertfordshire in 1544; Goodere dismantled many of the Abbey buildings to provide stone for a new manor house (Polesworth Hall) which he built on the site. Later Sir Henry Goodere was a patron of the arts and leader of the Polesworth Group of poets, which included his protégé Michael Drayton.

Polesworth Hall was demolished before 1868 and the Vicarage was built on the site. The abbey now functions as the Church of England parish church of Polesworth.

Organ

The church contains a three manual pipe organ by Taylor of Leicester. It was originally installed in 1912 in St Michael & All Angels' Church, Leicester. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

See also

• List of English abbeys, priories and friaries serving as parish churches

References

1. Visit North Warwickshire website, Polesworth
2. ^
3. Historic England. "Church (Grade II*) (1252564)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
4. Historic England. "Abbey gatehouse (Grade II*) (1262202)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
5. Polesworth Abbey website, The GateHouse
6. Our Warwickshire website, Site of Manor House at Polesworth Vicarage
7. Visit Polesworth website, Polesworth Abbey
8. "NPOR [R00640]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 9 January 2015.

Other sources

• A History of the County of Warwickshire, Volume 4 (1947) from British History online
• Polesworth Abbey by Warwickshire Timetrail.

External links

• Polesworth Abbey
• Polesworth Abbey Choir
• Polesworth Abbey Arts
• British History website, list of Abbesses from opening until 1539

v t e Monasteries in Warwickshire
Augustinian	Arbury Priory Atherstone Austin Friary Holywell Cell Kenilworth Abbey Maxstoke Priory Studley Priory Thelsford Priory Warwick St Sepulchre Priory
Benedictine	Alcester Abbey Alvecote Priory Atherstone Priory Bretford Priory Monks Kirby Priory Nuneaton Priory Oldbury Priory Polesworth Abbey Warmington Priory Wolston Priory Wootton Wawen Priory Wroxall Priory
Cistercian	Cawston Grange Coombe Abbey Holywell Cell Merevale Abbey Pinley Priory Stoneleigh Abbey
Dominican	Warwick Blackfriars
Knights Hospitaller	Grafton Preceptory Warwick Preceptory
Knights Templar	Warwick Preceptory
Trinitarian	Thelsford Priory
Independent Houses	Stratford-on-Avon Monastery

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• Scheduled monuments in Warwickshire
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