Monument record TR 15 NE 227 - Ethelbert's Tower

Summary

The north west tower of St Augustine's Abbey Church. The construction of two west towers instead of Scolland's plan for the west front appears to have been the conception of Abbot Wido. Excavations have shown that the north tower or Ethelbert's Tower was begun during Wido's abbacy but it is likely that this was not finished until early in the time of Hugh de Fleury (1108-1126). The south half of the tower survived substantially until 1823 when it collapsed. A surviving drawing of 1798 shows that the lower part of the tower corresponded to the new hieght of the nave: above that it rose clear for at least two further stages flanking the gable wall. At its external corners the tower had massive buttresses. The main walls and buttresses were richly decorated with motifs found in English and Norman buildings of the decades around 1100. A number of arches also showed an Anglo-Saxon influence.

Location

Grid reference TR 1543 5777 (point) FCE
Map sheet TR15NE
County KENT
District CANTERBURY, KENT
Civil Parish CANTERBURY, CANTERBURY, KENT

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Full Description

<1> FI ASP 02-JAN-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE43414.

<2> OS 1/500 1874 (OS Card Reference). SKE48131.

<3> Arch J 11 1854 81 (Le Keux) (OS Card Reference). SKE36529.

<4> Monasticon Anglicanum, Caley's edn, vol 1 120 (W Dugdale) (OS Card Reference). SKE47325.

<5> Md Arch 22 1978 26 27 36 plan (A Saunders) (OS Card Reference). SKE46618.

<6> Md Art and Archit of Cant before 1220 1982 121 124 (H Woods) (OS Card Reference). SKE46654.

<7> St Augustine's Abbey, DOE Handbook, 1955 7 18 19 20 fig (A Clapham) (OS Card Reference). SKE49591.

<8> JBAA 140 1987 88-111 pls XI-XV (JP McAleer) (OS Card Reference). SKE44874.

<9> St Augustine's Abbey Rpt on Excavs 1960-78 14-15 plan KAS Mon IV 1988 (D Sherlock H Woods) (OS Card Reference). SKE49587.

<10> St Augustine's Abbey Eng Heritage Handbook 1988 9 13 (M Sparks) (OS Card Reference). SKE49581.

<11> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<12> Historic England, Archive material associated with r Ethelberts Tower at St Augustine's Abbey (Archive). SKE54635.

Sources/Archives (12)

  • <1> OS Card Reference: FI ASP 02-JAN-65.
  • <2> OS Card Reference: OS 1/500 1874.
  • <3> OS Card Reference: Arch J 11 1854 81 (Le Keux).
  • <4> OS Card Reference: Monasticon Anglicanum, Caley's edn, vol 1 120 (W Dugdale).
  • <5> OS Card Reference: Md Arch 22 1978 26 27 36 plan (A Saunders).
  • <6> OS Card Reference: Md Art and Archit of Cant before 1220 1982 121 124 (H Woods).
  • <7> OS Card Reference: St Augustine's Abbey, DOE Handbook, 1955 7 18 19 20 fig (A Clapham).
  • <8> OS Card Reference: JBAA 140 1987 88-111 pls XI-XV (JP McAleer).
  • <9> OS Card Reference: St Augustine's Abbey Rpt on Excavs 1960-78 14-15 plan KAS Mon IV 1988 (D Sherlock H Woods).
  • <10> OS Card Reference: St Augustine's Abbey Eng Heritage Handbook 1988 9 13 (M Sparks).
  • <11> Scheduling record: English Heritage. Register of Scheduled Monuments.
  • <12> Archive: Historic England. Archive material associated with r Ethelberts Tower at St Augustine's Abbey.

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Record last edited

Jan 11 2022 4:19PM