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The origins of Hyde Abbey
The origins of Hyde Abbey
Hyde Abbey was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1110 AD on the orders of Henry I and became a wealthy and influential monastery in medieval Britain.
It was built as a replacement for New Minster (in the centre of Winchester, within the current Cathedral precincts), which had been built by King Alfred's son, Edward the Elder, as a resting place for Alfred and his relatives in 901 AD.
Believed to date from 1031, the New Minster Liber Vitae (the 'Book of Life') includes early historical accounts of New Minster's foundation and provides records of daily life at New Minster and subsequently at Hyde Abbey up to the 1530s. The original Liber Vitae survives and is now kept in the British Library in London.
On his death in 899 AD, Alfred was initially buried in Old Minster, also within the precincts of the present Cathedral. Edward directed the building of New Minster immediately adjacent to Old Minster, and the bodies of Alfred, and his wife Ealhswith (d. 902) were moved and reburied there in 903 AD.
In 1110, the Benedictine monks of New Minister processed through the streets of Winchester carrying royal remains and relics from New Minster. The remains were laid to rest before the high altar at Hyde Abbey and included King Alfred, his wife and Edward the Elder, their son.
This illustration from the Liber Vitae depicts King Cnut and Queen Emma presenting a jewelled gold cross to the altar of New Minster.
"The monks were enabled to leave their crowded site, the cause of many a serious inconvenience, and move to commodious quarters on the north side of Winchester, just beyond the city walls, known as Hyde Mead. Henceforth this important Benedictine house was known as Hyde Abbey.
The old site was surrendered into the king's hands, and was shortly afterwards restored to the cathedral church of St. Swithun. To the monks of Hyde the king granted another charter, whereby, amongst other regulations, it was arranged that a joint procession of the monks of St. Swithun and Hyde was to be made year by year.
Their new home was speedily ready for occupation, and in 1110 the monks of New Minster carried with them to the Abbey of Hyde, in solemn procession, their sacred relics, the great gold cross of Cnut's benefaction, together with the illustrious remains of Alfred, his queen and his son.
Henry I made several grants to the Abbey, among them the churches of Kingsclere and Alton and 5 hides in Alton which William I had given in exchange for land in the city of Winchester. He also confirmed to them the right of soc and sac, thol and theam and other liberties."
Why was a new abbey built at Hyde?
Why was a new abbey built at Hyde?
New Minster had suffered damage on 23rd April 1065 when the domestic buildings were destroyed by fire.
Also, after the conquest, William the Conqueror appropriated the Minster’s cemetery and built his royal palace within the Minster’s precincts.
Subsequently, land was bought at Hyde Mead just outside the north walls of the city and the new Abbey built.
The Golden Charter
The Golden Charter
In 964, Bishop Æthelwold evicted the secular married, non-monastic priests from New Minster and replaced them with strict Benedictine monks.
The Golden Charter, an Anglo-Saxon illuminated manuscript, formalised the monastery's conversion into a Benedictine order and bestowed royal protection - it was presented by King Edgar to New Minster in 966 AD.
The charter's benefits transferred to Hyde Abbey in 1110.
The illustration depicts King Edgar offering the charter to Christ, flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. Peter.
Relics and Rebuilding
Relics and Rebuilding
As well as the royal burials, the Abbey also acquired a number of relics from New Minster, including those of St. Josse (also known as St. Judoc) and the head of St. Valentine, gifted in 1041 by Queen Emma, widow of King Cnut.
As a result, the Abbey became a popular pilgrimage destination and stopping off point on the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to Canterbury.
However, in 1141, conflict between supporters of King Stephen and Matilda during the Siege of Winchester led to fire-damage and the Abbey had to be substantially rebuilt. Afterwards, it prospered and acquired considerable land in the area
What happened to Hyde Abbey at the Dissolution of the Monasteries?
What happened to Hyde Abbey at the Dissolution of the Monasteries?
In 1538, John Salcot, the last Abbot of Hyde, surrendered the Abbey to Henry VIII’s commissioners at the dissolution of the monasteries. Some of the twenty Hyde Abbey monks were pensioned off, others stayed in religious service in the Winchester area. Two monks remained in Hyde as vicar and curate of St Bartholomew’s, another two became curates in City, and one moved to the Cathedral.
Hyde Abbey's treasures were dispersed and the buildings rapidly dismantled for their building materials and anything else of value.
Survivors from the lost library are the cartulary, the late-13th or early-14th century breviary, and the Liber Vitae.
Four years later, when the antiquarian John Leland visited the site in 1542, the Abbey was already a thing of the past.
"In this suburbe stoode the great abbay of Hyde…", he commented. "The bones of Alfredus, King of the West-Saxons, and of Edward his sunne and king, were translatid from Newanministre, and layid in a tumbe before the high altare at Hyde."
For 250 years, the choir end of Hyde Abbey where Alfred and his family members were buried appears to have been gradually forgotten. Other parts of the Abbey precinct were developed, and a grand house built in the southwest corner. The area next to the stream seems to have been rough grazing, perhaps heaped with mounds of rubble.
What happened to the Hyde Abbey site?
What happened to the Hyde Abbey site?
In 1788, the Winchester Bridewell was relocated by the county authorities to the Hyde Abbey site - where Alfred and his family's burials seem to have been gradually forgotten. The Bridewell's construction caused much damage to the underlying archaeology, in particular the discovery and subsequent desecration of graves.
Discover more about the significance of Bridewell in the Abbey's history from contemporary eye-witness accounts.
The Bridewell remained on the site until its closure in 1849. From the 1860s onwards, the site was developed for residential use and is now mostly covered by high-density housing.
The only visible structures that remain from the Abbey are the stone gateway, an arch that used to span the millstream and the church built for the pilgrims and lay-brothers, now the nave and chancel of St Bartholomew’s Parish Church.
But if you know where to look, stones from the Abbey can be found hidden in plain sight all over Winchester!
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