Wymondham Abbey

Wymondham Priory - it was raised to the status of an Abbey a mere ninety years before its suppression - was founded in 1107 as a community of Benedictine monks. The founder was William D'Aubigny, sometimes referred to as d'Albini, Chief Butler to King Henry I whose widow, Alice of Louvrain, was later to marry William's son.

The building was on an ambitious scale. Stone was shipped across the English Channel from Caen, in Normandy, and the original Nave - a scaled-down version of the Nave of Norwich Cathedral - was twelve bays long.

The Priory Church was cruciform, with a central Tower and two low Towers at the western end; it had Aisles and Transepts, and the monastic Quire was flanked by chapels. The monastic buildings - of which very little remains above ground, with the exception of the east wall of the Chapter House - lay on the south side of the church. The buildings seem to have been substantially completed by 1130, when Nigel was appointed the first Prior.

Learning

The Benedictine Monks, who inhabited this abbey for many centuries, would have regarded learning as an integral part of their life.

Today, over 900 years later, the Abbey continues to play a pivotal role in learning – whether it is for the groups of school children who come and visit us for lessons and activity days, members of the community who take part in Community Arts Events, or whether you are seeking to find out about the history of your family, the town of Wymondham, or the Abbey itself in our archives, you are most welcome!

Find out more about Wymondham's Monks HERE!