Monument record MDO701 - Medieval Abbey of St Peter, Cerne Abbas

Medieval Benedictine monastery founded in AD 987 and dissolved in 1539. Standing remains comprise the Abbot's Porch, Abbey Guesthouse, Gatehouse incorporated into post-medieval Abbey Farm and North Barn. Earthwork remains of uncertain nature survive to the east. Earthworks seem to include the remains of the precinct boundary. The location of St Peter's Abbey Church and Claustral buildings are assumed to lie to the north and east of St Austin's Well, possibly in open ground to the north and east of the churchyard. Portions of tile pavement have occasionally been unearthed in the eastern part of the graveyard.

Medieval Benedictine monastery founded in AD 987 and dissolved in 1539. Standing remains comprise the Abbot's Porch, Abbey Guesthouse, Gatehouse incorporated into post-medieval Abbey Farm and North Barn. Earthwork remains of uncertain nature survive to the east. Earthworks seem to include the remains of the precinct boundary. The location of St Peter's Abbey Church and Claustral buildings are assumed to lie to the north and east of St Austin's Well, possibly in open ground to the north and east of the churchyard. Portions of tile pavement have occasioanlly been unearthed in the eastern part of the graveyard. At the Dissolution in 1539 it had an abbot and 16 monks. <2> The Benedictine Abbey of Cerne was traditionally supposed to have been founded by St Augustine but, though there was evidence of a monastery here in the late 9th century, it was in AD 987 that the monastery was founded or refounded by Ethelmaer, Earl of Cornwall and dedicated to St Mary, St Peter and St Benedict. The conventual buildings were destroyed soon after the Dissolution in 1539 and no record survives of the appearance or dimensions of the church or claustral buildings. The church ('A' ST 66640137) seems to have stood on the eastern part of the present graveyard. A 13th century Purbeck marble effigy of an abbot was dug up on the site. All that now remains of the monastic church is an angle of wall bounding St Augustine's Well (ST 60 SE 1). The Cloisters ('B' ST 66580140) and main conventual buildings must have occupied the ground to the north of the churchyard but no traces survive. The Abbot's Hall ('C' ST 66530140) was built by Abbot Thomas San (1497-1509). The porch and the adjoining portion of the west wall are all that now survive. The porch is of three storeys with diagonal buttresses and a modern embattled parapet. The outer entrance has moulded jambs and a four centred arch with a two storeyed oriel window above. HHR Grade I. The Earthworks immediately NE of the abbey site ('D' ST66650146) appear to consist of a series of enclosures with well marked banks and ditches. The south-east end contains three unexplained but well preserved circular mounds each surrounded by a ditch and each within a separate enclosure. The Abbey Farm ('E' ST 66530136), also known as Abbey House, incorporates part of the abbey buildings, probably part of the gate house, in its 15th century south wing, while the northern wing is early 16th century. The main block was restored in the 18th century. HHR Grade I. The Guest House ('F' ST 66550136) is a 2-storey building of banded flint and ashlar with a stone slate roof, possibly an earlier Abbot's Lodging; 14th or 15th century. <4> 'A' The remains of the Church consists of a NE-SW angle of wall 15.0 m long 3.5 m high and about 1.0 m thick. Now acting as a retaining wall for the churchyard, it once represented the south wall of the nave and west wall of the south transept. 'B' The site of the Cloisters is a grass covered area with no evidence of its former use. 'C' The Abbot's Hall, also known as 'The Gateway' is in a good state of preservation. 'D' The Earthworks are best preserved in the area of the circular mounds where the perimeter bank averages 2.0 m high with an outer ditch of similar depth. The mounds are 11.0 m in diameter, on average, and 0.8 m high, with surrounding ditches which average 2.2 m wide and 0.4 m deep.<3> 'F' As decribed and in a good state of preservation. 'A' It is highly doubtful that the angle of wall bounding St Augustine's Well is part of the church. The walling, now stripped of its facing stones, is of cemented random rubble with little strength to it. It is more likely to have been constructed as a retaining wall which purpose it still serves. It stands to a height of 3.5 m above the well and runs for 8.0 m in a NE direction and for 15.0 m in a SW direction. It is about 1.0 m in thickness. 'B' The site of the Cloisters and main conventual buildings is a grass covered area which has at some time been quarried over, probably for the building stone of the abbey buildings. 'C' The Abbot's Hall, also known as "The Gateway", is as described by the RCHM (3) and is in a good state of preservation. 'D' The existing earthworks represent the NE half of the site, the remainder having at some time been quarried away, for flint and marl and doubtless for the stone of the conventual buildings. A perimeter bank with an outer ditch encloses the site on the SE and NE sides. The bank is 14.0 to 16.0 m in width and up to 1.8m in height. The ditch is 6.0m to 8.0 m in width and up to 1.5 m in depth. Within, are several embanked enclosures and a hollow way with banks on either side. In the NE corner are three probably post Dissolution circular pillow mounds, 10.0 to 14.0 m in diameter and 1.2 m in height with encircling ditches. One is contained within a small embanked enclosure. 1:2500 resurvey on PFD. 'E' 'Abbey Farm' is as decribed by the RCHM (3). The only visual remains of the abbey buildings is a fragment of moulded archway from the springing on the west side of a gateway arch in the south end of the south wing. 'F' The Guest House is as described by the RCHM (3) and is in a fair state of preservation. The building is disused. <6> Although Aethelmaer's Charter (Auth 2), is dated as 978 AD, it is suggested thqat King Edgar granted the Abbey's charter in the 970's and that Aethelmaer's charter dates from the dedication of the Abbey Church. <7> Guest House of Cerne Abbey. Grade I (see ST 60 SE 79). Cerne Abbey, formerly listed as Abbey House. Abbot's Porch, formerly listed as the Gatehouse. <5> (See also ST 60 SE 62 for the monastic barn associated with Cerne Abbey). There is little evidence for a minster at Cerne, and if there was one, itmust have been long before the foundation of the Abbey. <8>

Record last edited

Nov 25 2022 9:33AM