Aylesford Priory

Last updated

Aylesford Priory
Native name
The Friars, Aylesford
Aylesford Priory - geograph.org.uk - 1202581.jpg
Inner courtyard of the Priory
Built13th, 15th century
Restored byFr. Malachy Lynch
Architect Adrian Gilbert Scott
Governing body Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark
Owner Carmelite Order
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameThe Friars, Main Block
Designated25 August 1959
Reference no.1070570
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameGatehouse and Wall to the NE
Designated25 February 1987
Reference no.1111775
Kent UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Aylesford Priory in Kent
The old gatehouse at the Friars The old gatehouse at the Friars - geograph.org.uk - 401130.jpg
The old gatehouse at the Friars
Shrine at night Shrine at night.jpg
Shrine at night

Aylesford Priory, or "The Friars" was founded in 1242 when members of the Carmelite order arrived in England from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. [1] Richard de Grey, a crusader, sponsored them, and conveyed to the order a parcel of land located on his manor in Aylesford in Kent. [2] [3] The estate came back into the ownership of the Carmelite order in 1949. After refurbishment, which revealed 15th century remnants, the manor house was Grade I listed in 1959. [4] After subsequent work on site, the 15th century gatehouse and the NE section of the wall were also Grade I listed on 25 February 1987. [5] The priory now contains an array of contemporary artworks by notable artists. It is a pilgrimage destination of national significance.

Contents

History

The Carmelites first came to Kent [2] in the 13th century. Richard of Wendover, then Bishop of Kent, [6] recognised the Carmelite foundation at Aylesford and the first General Chapter of the order, outside of the Holy Land, was held there. The Chapter changed the lifestyle of the Carmelites from hermits to mendicant friars. [7]

As a result of the English Reformation, the Carmelites were forced out of the property in 1538. Over the next four centuries, the buildings were repurposed, including their use as an "opulent, stately home". Following a fire in 1930, restoration work was required, during the course of which, many of the original features were revealed. In 1949, the property was offered for sale. This gave the Carmelites the opportunity to purchase their first motherhouse, and use it for its original purpose, as a place of worship.

Additional restoration work commenced, including plans to construct the Shrine. [1] Construction began in 1958, with renewed interest in The Friars, after the distraction of the war years. The first Prior, Fr. Malachy Lynch, a charismatic figure, inspired people with the words: "Courage to Build Anew". [8] In the presence of Cardinal Heenan, Archbishop Cyril Cowderoy rededicated the completed Shrine in 1965. [1]

Art at The Friars

The Friars features a wide variety of modern-day religious artwork, including sculptures, paintings, stained glass and ceramics. [9]

Sculpture

Philip Lindsey Clark [1] was both the son of a sculptor and the father of a sculptor. His commissions include work in Westminster Cathedral, other churches, and several War Memorials. As Chair of the Religious Artist Guild, he introduced to The Friars, both his son, Michael Clark, and Adam Kossowski.

Michael Clark [1] is known mainly for his religious sculptures. He was commissioned to create the small statues located over the doorways of the Courtyard. He received the Otto Beit Medal for Sculpture for his statue of the Glorious Assumption.

13th Station of the Cross by Adam Kossowski 13th Station of the Cross by Adam Kossowski.jpg
13th Station of the Cross by Adam Kossowski

Adam Kossowski was born in Poland in 1943, and studied in the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, Cracow and Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. [10] He began work at Aylesford in 1950. Kossowski's first major commission was by Fr. Malachy Lynch, then prior at Aylesford, to produce the seven-panel History of the Carmelites of Aylesford in tempera. [10]

Kossowski's first large ceramic project, a Rosary Way, was an Aylesford commission. When Kossowski suggested that he may not be "the man who should do that", Fr. Malachy replied, "Adam, I am sure Our Lady has sent you here for that purpose. [10] When the Rosary Way was successfully completed, Kossowski received "the biggest ceramic commission that I ever had till then", The Vision of St. Simon Stock . [10]

Kossowski's creative relationship with the Aylesford Carmelites lasted from 1950 to 1972, and he created for them approximately one hundred distinct pieces of art "in ceramic, tempera and oil painting, mosaic, wrought iron, and stained glass." [11] [12]

Stained Glass Windows

Moira Forsyth was one of the outstanding stained glass artists of the last century. The Flos Carmeli window was a personal gift of the artist, given to celebrate her reception into the Catholic Church in the Cloister Chapel on the Feast of Our Lady's birthday, 1957. The "Flos Carmeli" (Flower of Carmel) is the first line of a hymn that Carmelites sing to Our Lady.

Flos Carmeli by Moira Forsyth in the Cloister Chapel Flos Carmeli in the Cloister Chapel.tif
Flos Carmeli by Moira Forsyth in the Cloister Chapel

Dom Charles Norris is responsible for the windows in the Relic Chapel. The windows in the side chapel were designed by Norris.[ citation needed ] Norris used a style of stained glass called ‘dalles de verre’ in which ‘tiles’ of coloured glass are chipped into shape and laid, mosaic-fashion, in a matrix of resin. [13]

Adam Kossawski designed the windows in the body of the chapel.

Hartley Wood Glass of Sunderland, made a number of windows: the diamond-designed windows in the Choir Chapel; the tribune of the Relic Chapel and St. Joseph's Chapel; the Spring of Faith windows in St. Anne's Chapel and the gold, brown and orange tinted windows in the old Convent Chapel.

Virgin of the Glorious Assumption by Michael Clark Virgin of the Glorious Assumption.jpg
Virgin of the Glorious Assumption by Michael Clark

Shrine

Adrian Gilbert Scott, the architect of the Shrine, [12] was a member of the family who have been described as "the family who built Gothic Britain". His older brother was Giles Gilbert Scott and their father was George Gilbert Scott Jr.

The medieval building comprises the Prior's Hall; two walks of the Cloisters; the Cloister Chapel and the Courtyard with the Pilgrims’ Hall, which stands beside the River Medway. [9]

Behind the Shrine is the Rosary Way, which is near the Peace Garden.

Barns

There are two restored barns by the main entrance one of which houses the Tearoom and Giftshop. This barn dates to the seventeenth century. [12]

Pottery

Aylesford Pottery was founded in 1953 by David Leach, a recent catholic convert, as a Malachy Lynch project in part to benefit the Priory. [14] It continues to be located in the precincts of the Priory and remains one of the few surviving commercial craft potteries in the southeast of England.

Burials

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmelites</span> Roman Catholic religious order

The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order for men and women. Historical records about its origin remain uncertain, but it was probably founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel in the Crusader States. Berthold of Calabria, as well as Albert of Vercelli, have traditionally been associated with the founding of the order, but few clear records of early Carmelite history have survived. The order of Carmelite nuns was formalised in 1452.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury Cathedral</span> Church in Kent, England

Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Its formal title is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aylesford</span> Human settlement in England

Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, England, 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Maidstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Stock</span> 13th-century English saint; Carmelite Prior

Simon Stock, OCarm was an English Catholic priest and saint who lived in the 13th century and was an early prior of the Carmelite order. The Blessed Virgin Mary is traditionally said to have appeared to him and given him the Carmelite habit, the Brown Scapular. Thus, popular devotion to Stock is usually associated with devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmelite Rite</span>

The Rite of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly called the Carmelite Rite, is the liturgical rite that was used by the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, Hospitallers, Templars, Carmelites and the other orders founded within the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clare Priory</span>

Clare Priory is a religious house in England, originally established in 1248 as the first house of the Augustinian Friars in England. It is situated on the banks of the River Stour, a short distance away from the medieval village of Clare, Suffolk. The friary was suppressed in 1538 and the property passed through many hands until it was again purchased by the Augustinian friars in 1953. Today the Priory offers modern retreat facilities for guests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vannes Cathedral</span> Roman Catholic Church

Vannes Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Peter in Vannes, Brittany, France. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Vannes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Kossowski</span> Polish artist

Adam Kossowski was a Polish artist, born in Nowy Sącz, notable for his works for the Catholic Church in England, where he arrived in 1943 as a refugee from Soviet labour camps and was invited in 1944 to join the Guild of Catholic Artists and Craftsmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stella Maris Monastery</span> 19th-century Discalced Carmelite monastery in Haifa, Israel

The Stella Maris Monastery is a Catholic Christian monastery for Discalced Carmelite monks, located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Doncaster</span>

Our Lady of Doncaster is a Marian shrine located in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The original statue in the Carmelite friary was destroyed during the English Reformation. A modern shrine was erected in St Peter-in-Chains Church, Doncaster in 1973. The feast day of Our Lady of Doncaster is 4 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Abbey</span> Church in County Kilkenny, Ireland

The Black Abbey of Kilkenny, Ireland, is a Catholic priory of the Dominican Order, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Black Abbey was established in 1225 as one of the first houses of the Dominican Order in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Shrine of Saint Jude (England)</span> Church in Kent, United Kingdom

The National Shrine of Saint Jude, adjoining the Roman Catholic parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Faversham Kent, England, is a shrine to Saint Jude and a place of pilgrimage and prayer for Catholics and other Christians since it was officially opened in 1955. It comes under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark. It is located on Tanners Street, to the west of the town centre. The shrine was founded by the Order of Carmelites and it lies within the Faversham Conservation Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominican Church and Convent of St. James, Sandomierz</span>

The Church of St. James in Sandomierz, also known as the Shrine of Blessed Sadok and 48 Dominican martyrs, Monastery of Dominicans, Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, is one of the oldest brick churches in Poland and the second oldest Dominican monastery in Poland. This church is a unique indirect form of Romano-Gothic style. The Roman ceramic decorations on the outside gabled walls are unusual and beautifully done. The stained glass windows inside are particularly beautiful, and date from 1910 to 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Shrine of St Therese</span> Roman Catholic shrine

The National Shrine & Museum of St. Therese in Darien, Illinois is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. The Shrine is a part of the Aylesford Carmelite campus, run by the Carmelite Order, Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. The National Shrine & Museum of St. Therese is supported and served by the Society of the Little Flower, a religious organization dedicated to promoting devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Dominic Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.)</span> Church in D.C., United States

St. Dominic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church, established in 1852. It is located in Southwest Washington, D.C., in the Archdiocese of Washington, and is administered by the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominicans, in the Province of St. Joseph (Eastern).

Dom Charles Norris OSB (1909–2004) was an influential artist who created works in stained glass and dalle de verre for Roman Catholic churches in the UK. He is thought to be the most prolific artist working in dalle de verre in the UK in the 20th century. His contributions to listed Modernist buildings are an integral part of their value and are mentioned in their listings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hitchin Priory</span>

Hitchin Priory in Hitchin in Hertfordshire is today a hotel built in about 1700 on the site of a Carmelite friary founded in 1317, which was closed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII. Parts of the original priory are incorporated in the existing building, which has been a Grade I listed building on the Register of Historic England since 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefania Kossowska</span> Polish woman editor

Stefania Kossowska, née Szurlej was a Polish literary editor, political activist, writer and broadcaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Carmel Shrine (Quezon City)</span> Church in Quezon City, Philippines

Mount Carmel Shrine, formally called as the Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located in Barangay Mariana, Quezon City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. Dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the church opened in 1964 after a decade of construction. It was declared a parish church in 1975 and a national shrine in 2015. In 2019, it was declared a minor basilica, making it the fifteenth minor basilica in the country.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "History". www.thefriars.org.uk. 29 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Friaries: The Carmelite friars of Aylesford". www.british-history.ac.uk. British History Online.
  3. ↑ "Friaries: The Carmelite friars of Aylesford," in A History of the County of Kent: Volume 2, ed. William Page (London: Victoria County History, 1926), 201-203. British History Online, accessed July 15, 2020, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/kent/vol2/pp201-203.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Name: The Friars, Main Block (1070570)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  5. ↑ Historic England. "Name: GATEHOUSE AND WALLS TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE FRIARS (1111775)". National Heritage List for England .
  6. ↑ "The city and liberty of Rochester: The diocese, bishops and archdeacons | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Friars - Aylesford Priory, Maidstone, Kent". www.thefriars.org.uk. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Fielding, Edwina. (1968). Courage to build anew: the story of the rebuilding of The Friars, Aylesford, taken from the newsletters of Malachy Lynch;. Lynch, Malachy. London: Burns & Oates. ISBN   0-223-31392-0. OCLC   41032.
  9. 1 2 "ArtWay.eu". www.artway.eu.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Kossowska, Stefania, ed. (1990). "Sankey, An Interview with Adam Kossowski". Adam Kossowski: Murals and Paintings. London: Armelle Press. p. 65-77.
  11. ↑ Image of Carmel: The Art of Aylesford, Faversham, Kent, UK: Carmelite Fathers of Aylesford, 1974. p. 18.
  12. 1 2 3 "Attractions". www.thefriars.org.uk. 12 December 2017.
  13. ↑ "Modern History". www.buckfast.org.uk.
  14. ↑ Cooper, Emmanuel (2003). Bernard Leach, Life & Work. New Haven and London: Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art/ Yale University Press. p. 267-8. ISBN   0300099290.
  15. ↑ "Tile Gazetteer - Kent - TACS". tilesoc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Chwastyk-Kowalczyk, Jolanta (2020). "Kontrowersyjna i niezależna postać kultury polskiej na emigracji – dziennikarka, pisarka, redaktor Stefania Kossowska". Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Librorum (in Polish). 2 (31): 81. doi:10.18778/0860-7435.31.05. hdl: 11089/37697 . S2CID   236857106.

Further reading

51°18′10″N0°28′17″E / 51.30278°N 0.47139°E / 51.30278; 0.47139

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.