Every town has its notable quirks and features that it has accumulated over its lifetime. Some History you can see around you, but some is hidden from view now, lost if we don’t remember it; this week’s post highlights the many Chapels and Churches in Sherborne.
Once Upon a time, a long, long time ago, when the history of Sherborne goes back well into the 6th or 7th century, we know that Christianity was established here and had probably been her for a considerable time, even before Aldhelm came as bishop in AD705.
We know this as there facts are recorded both in the Saxon Chronicles, and in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History.
But whatever the exact origins, here in Sherborne was the Saxon Cathedral of 705, and it remains as we know it today in its slightly altered form as the Parish Church of Sherborne, St Mary the Virgin.
But there must have been something about Sherborne that made it seem a suitable place for Aldhelm to settle here, and for Sherborne to become the Bishopric.
Sadly there is so little knowledge, so little evidence, ant the Sherborne roots must be hidden somewhere back in the 6th and early 7th century. Perhaps even earlier, we just do not know.
The history of Sherborne is generally understood to have begun in AD705 as this was the year that the Kingdom of Wessex was divided into two Dioceses , and Aldhelm was appointed bishop of the Western section.
Archaeological evidence describes Saxon burial sin the 7th century through to the 11th century, and we know that the bones of two Saxon kings, Ethelbert and Ethelbald, the two elder brothers of Alfred the great , are buried beneath the floor behind the High Altar, and can be viewed to this day.
Alongside St Mary’s, the Cathedral Church, there were other churches, here in Sherborne.
All Hallows Church was built onto the West end of St Mary’s, as a result of a dispute between the monks and the townspeople. Then the dispute grew worse, ending in The Great Fire of 1437.
After the Reformation in 1540, when the Abbey become the Parish Church, All Hallows was demolished. (You can still see the remains of it embedded in the West end wall of the Abbey).
At Oborne, there was the Chapel of St Cuthbert, though later rebuilt as a church. The original Old Church was built in 1533 and was a chapel of ease to the Abbey until the dissolution in 1539. It deteriorated in later years and all but the chancel was demolished in 1860. A new Church was subsequently built on a more convenient site a mile to the North in 1861, still within Oborne, with provision for 129 sittings.
In the Saxon era there were at east 8 or more small Chapels in and around the town. You have to remember in those early years all places of worship were Catholic, and these chapels were all Daughter-Chapels to the Mother church, the Abbey.
Each chapel had its own Priest-In-Charge who was appointed by the Abbot. In those early days it was very popular to give these Chapels dedication to known saints.
Three of the original chapels are still standing, and remain in use, though one has been rebuilt, one is in commercial use, and one is still offering weekly worship.
The other six very sadly over the centuries have fallen into ruin, and after the Dissolution were demolished.
There used to be a chapel dedicated to a remarkable Saint, St Emerenciana. It was built in the Northern outskirts of the town in Coombe.
It probably dates from the 14th century, but has completely gone now, except for a tiny West window, blocked up, and incorporated into the wall of a former old farmhouse, which is standing on the edge of the ground of the International School.
St Emerenciana er-appeared in Sherborne about 100 years ago, when the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm was built by the Sisters of the Religions of Christian Instruction. The nuns had come from Belgium to found a convent and a school, and to mark the opening of the church in 1894, a statue of the Saint was donated by their Mother House. Today she stands on a plinth, high on the North wall of the nave.
There was a chapel in the town dedicated to St Michael, and a Hermitage of St John by the mill, which mill though is not known. Both are long gone, demolished, and I can find no traces of exactly where they were, or of any known history of them.
Over in Castleton, Bishop Roger held two chapels. St Probus and St Mary Magdalene, both East of the Old Castle.
St Probus’s Chapel long ago decayed and disappeared, but St Mary Magdalene was re-sited and rebuilt by Sir Walter Raleigh to the West of the Old Castle, then rebuilt again by the first Lord Digby.
Just below The Green, at the top of Cheap Street, was an important Chapel. The Chapel of St Thomas-The-Martyr. Sometimes known as Thomas a Beckett.
It was built in 1177 and was still standing, but unused, in 1540. Some remains were reported in 1770, but all traces now lie under the former coaching inn, The Angel, now called The Green, and has become residential apartments.
At the bottom of South Street, (previously known as Ludbourne, which means dirty stream, as this was this was the same water that had flushed the latrines from the monks’ reredorter), there was St Andrew’s Chapel.
This Chapel was very likely built near to where Gainsborough House is and Gainsborough could have been it’s vicarage. It could potentially have been where the Bridewell was built, we can’t be certain, but fascinating history!
Along Newland, where the Newland Gardens are now, was another Chapel, St Swithin’s.
Newland Garden was the original market place of the medieval Borough of Newlands, which was completely separate from Sherborne.
At the east end was where the Borough Court held their weekly meetings. At the West end, many human bones were found when the house currently sited there was being built in 1956. Was this the graveyard to St Swithin’s Chapel?
When the present Newland Gardens were being laid out, four large Ham Stone blocks and a large part of the shafts of a Preaching Cross, along with a very ancient font were found.
There were three very large Preaching Crosses in Sherborne. One at the top and one at the bottom of Cheap Street. The third, as parts discovered show, was at the East end of Newland Gardens. All these crosses were similar to the Cross which still stands today in the village of Stalbridge.
So to return to the two ancient chapels that are still in use today. Everyone knows them well.
The Almshouse, built in 1437, with its chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist. A divine service is held by the vicar in the chapel every Friday at noon throughout the year.
And finally, The Julian, at the top of Cheap Street, next to The George public house. No longer a chapel, but now serving the public as a Wool & Craft Shop.
Formerly the Hospice of Saint Julian of Norwich, it was given by Margaret Gough in 1437 towards the endowment of the almshouse.
Sherborne has been here for so very long. So much history to learn, so much to appreciate. I have a very deep love for Sherborne and we have a great heritage.