1 week Ago By [email protected] (Cait Findlay)
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More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice The sound of church bells ringing is deeply evocative, bringing to mind Sunday services and wedding celebrations. The tradition of ringing bells at churches dates back more than a thousand years – and is believed to have originated from an abbey close to Cambridgeshire . If you visit Crowland Abbey, a dozen miles from Peterborough , today, you'll see magnificent ruins containing a church where worshippers still attend services every Sunday.
People have been praying at the site since the 8th century, when a Benedictine monastery was founded there in the memory of St Guthlac, according to the Crowland Abbey website . Throughout the turbulence of the last 1,300 years, the form of the religious site where the abbey now stands has changed frequently. What persists is the desire to rebuild, to pray, and to remember the history of all those who came before.
Read next: The quiet Cambridge lane that turned into a bustling community Read next: The Cambridgeshire library once used as Hindu shrine now facing decision for future That first monastery was destroyed by the Danes in 866 and the local community was wiped out. A place of worship was rebuilt during the 10th-century reign of King Eadred of England, before once again being destroyed in 1091 – this time by a fire. It was rebuilt again about 20 years, before once again being burnt down and rebuilt.
The abbey played an important role in the Fens during the medieval era, serving as an administrative and economic hub. In 1539, the monastery was dissolved, according to Historic England , despite the abbot previously writing to Thomas Cromwell in the hopes of saving the abbey. Henry VIII disbanded Catholic institutions across England, Wales, and Ireland during this period, partly to increase the wealth of the Crown and partly to strengthen his political control.
After the monastery was dissolved, all the monastic buildings were demolished. The nave and aisles of the abbey were saved and were used as the parish church. There were more troubled times to come for the abbey, however, and it was under siege by Oliver Cromwell's forces in 1643.
Still more of the abbey was taken down or collapsed, including the nave roof and the main south wall, leaving the semi-skeletal ruins visitors can see today. It is believed that the first church bells in Britain were hung and rung at Crowland Abbey in around 986. They were also the first bells to be broadcast on the radio, ringing out across the airwaves in November 1925.
The north aisle remains in use as the parish church and visitors are able to see both the ruins and the surviving church. Given the building's history, it seems almost miraculous that it has survived for so long – but perhaps a miracle is exactly what should be expected from a place of worship with a centuries-long history. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks.
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