Minster Abbey, St Mary the Virgin Church, Minster-in-Thanet

St Mildred’s shrine marks one end of the Royal Saxon Way, which begins at the shrine of another royal saint, in Folkestone

Minster’s ancient parish church would be a treasure in any town, but it is eclipsed by the neighbouring Minster Abbey. With two holy places to visit, and the relics of the founding saint still here, Minster is uniquely blessed among Kent’s many sacred places.

Highlights

• St Mildred’s relics
• Revived Benedictine abbey
• Saxon parish church

Minster Abbey is a short walk from the parish church. It is a working convent, home to a community of Benedictine nuns since 1937. Most of the grounds are closed to visitors, although there are daily guided tours (see details opposite). More importantly, however, the abbey’s chapel is accessible throughout the day for private prayer, and sometimes contains St Mildred’s ancient relics.

This chapel is a modern structure, located just inside the main entrance. When I visited, her reliquary was shown to me, along with a beautifully painted icon of the saint.

The stone base of the saint’s medieval shrine can also be seen in the abbey gardens, but only if you attend a guided tour. It is located in the apse of the former abbey church, of which only foundations remain.

The original Minster Abbey was founded as a community in the late 7th century by St Mildred’s mother, St Ermenburga. Mother and daughter were probably the first and second abbesses. Yet another saint, Edburga, served as the third abbess. Her miracle-working shrine was also kept for a time in the abbey church.

The abbey was closed at the Reformation and the buildings used as a farmhouse. It was re-opened as a convent in 1937 by a group of Bavarian nuns fleeing Nazi persecution. One of England’s oldest monastic foundations is flourishing again as an international Benedictine community.

Some of the abbey buildings fell into ruin after the Reformation, but two wings of the 12th-century structure are intact, and house the current community. The abbey is believed to be the oldest inhabited building in England.

St Mildred’s and St Edburga’s bodies were taken to St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury in 1035, possibly after being kept safe at Lyminge to avoid Viking raids. At this time, some of St Mildred’s relics were given to the city of Deventer in the Netherlands. It is these relics that were returned to Minster in 1953, having been kept safe in a Dutch church following the Reformation in Europe.

Images of St Mildred, including the icon in the abbey chapel, depict her patting a hind. The story behind this relates to her mother. The king promised to give St Ermenburga as much land for her monastery as her pet hind could run around in a day. It sounds an endearing story, but the king was in fact paying compensation for murdering St Ermenburga’s two brothers in a royal feud.

St Ermenburga is believed to have built her monastery on the site of the current parish church, which is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. It was moved a few decades later, under abbess St Edburga, to its current location.

The parish church is worth a visit when you have finished at the abbey. Its structure includes some later Saxon remains, particularly the thick wall by the western entrance, but nothing survives from the earliest monastic period. The current church is mostly Norman work and later. It is usually unlocked, and has a display of church artefacts, including an ancient wooden chalice, in the nave.

The town was ransacked by Viking raiders in the 10th century. The monastery was only closed for a few decades, however, and reopened in 1027.

St Mildred died around 725 on 13 July, her saint’s day. She is patron saint of the Isle of Thanet – which was a genuine island until the channel silted up in the 18th century. As for the other two abbesses, St Ermenburga’s day is 19 November, and St Edburga’s is 12 December.

Directions

Minster Abbey, Minster, near Ramsgate CT12 4HF

www.minsterabbeynuns.org

Abbey

W3W: behalf.hike.glitter

GPS: 51.3315N 1.3184E abbey

Church

W3W: neon.curls.coats

GPS: 51.3304N 1.3156E

Minster railway station 150m to parish church, 350m to abbey

Both the church and abbey are at the southern end of Minster. The church is on the corner of Church Street and Station Road. It is usually open. To find the abbey, come out on to Church Street and turn right. After 150m you can see part of the abbey on the opposite side of the road, through a metal gateway. This offers the best view of the abbey’s ancient building, but isa private entrance. Keep walking along Church Street, following the abbey wall round the corner, and you will see the main entrance on your left after another 150m.

Guided tours around the abbey grounds are conducted year-round on Saturdays 11am–12noon, and also weekdays from May to September 2:45pm–4pm. The abbey can accommodate visiting families, groups and single women, and has strong relationships with the Orthodox community.

To contact the abbey call 0184 3821254 or see the website.