Sherborne (Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Sherborne (Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Sources:

• John Hutchins, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset, 3rd ed., edited by William Shipp and James Whitworth Hodson. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols, 1861-75.
• R. Willis, Sherborne Minster. Archaeological Journal, Vol. 22, 1865, pp. 176-199.
• M.M.C. Calthrop, The Abbey of Sherborne. In: William Page, (ed.), The Victoria history of the County of Dorset, Vol. 2. London: Archibald Constable, 1908, pp. 62-70.
• W.B. Wildman, Life of St. Aldhelm: first Bishop of Sherborne. Chapman & Hall, 1905.
• W.B. Wildman, A short history of Sherborne from 705 AD, 4th ed. Sherborne: Abbey Bookshop, 1930.
• Joseph Fowler, The stones of Sherborne Abbey. 1938.
• Arthur Mee, ed., Dorset: Thomas Hardy's Country. The King's England. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1939, pp. 212-224.
• Joseph Fowler, Medieval Sherborne. Dorchester: Longmans, 1951.
• Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England, An inventory of the historical monuments in the County of Dorset., Vol. 1, West Dorset. London: HMSO, 1952, pp. xlvii-l, 200-209.
• H.P.R. Finberg, Sherborne, Glastonbury, and the expansion of Wessex. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 3rd ser., Vol. 3, 1953, pp. 101-124.
• H.M. Taylor and J. Taylor, Anglo-Saxon architecture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1956, Vol. II, pp. 540-543.
• John Newman and Nikolaus Pevsner, Dorset. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1971, pp. 368-377.
• J.H.P Gibb, Interim report of excavations carried out at the west end of Sherborne Abbey. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Vol. 93, 1971, pp. 205-210.
• J.H.P. Gibb, The Anglo-Saxon cathedral at Sherborne. Archaeological Journal, Vol. 132, 1975, pp. 71-110.
• Walter Leeds, Wells Cathedral & Sherborne Abbey. Gesta, Vol. 16, 1977.
• Michael Lapidge and Michael Herren, (trans.), Aldhelm, the prose works. Cambridge: Brewer; Totowa, N.J.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1979.
• Katherine Barker, The early Christian topography of Sherborne. Antiquity, Vol. 54, 1980, pp. 229-231.
• J.H.P. Gibb, The book of Sherborne. Barracuda Books, 1981.
• Katherine Barker, Early ecclesiastical settlement in Dorset: a note on the topography of Sherborne, Beaminster and Wimborne Minster. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Vol. 102, 1982, pp. 107-112.
• Katherine Barker, Sherborne in Dorset: an early ecclesiastical settlement and its estate. Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 3. Oxford: BAR, 1982.
• Katherine Barker, The early history of Sherborne. In: Susan M. Pearce, (ed.), The early church in western Britain and Ireland. BAR British Series, 102. Oxford: BAR, 1982, pp. 77-116.
• Michael Lapidge and James L. Rosier, (trans.), Aldhelm, the poetic works. Cambridge: Brewer, 1985.
• M.A. O'Donovan, (ed.), Charters of Sherborne. Anglo-Saxon charters, 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press for the British Academy, 1988.
• Dorset Historic Churches Trust, Dorset churches. Dorchester: Dorset Historic Churches Trust, 1988, p. 42.
• J.H.P. Gibb, The fire of 1437 and the rebuilding of Sherborne Abbey. Journal of the BAA, Vol. 138, 1985, pp. 101-124.
• J.H.P. Gibb, The battle of the fonts and the fire in Sherborne Abbey. Typescript, n.d.
• Michael Hope, Dorset. In: Stephen C. Humphrey, ed., Blue guide: churches and chapels of southern England. London: Black; New York: Norton, 1991, pp. 195-198.
• John Betjeman, Sir John Betjeman's guide to English parish churches, revised and updated by Nigel Kerr. London: HarperCollins, 1993, p. 184.
• Claudius J.P. Beatty, Thomas Hardy: conservation architect. His work for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Dorchester: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1995, pp. 57-62.
• Alan Miller, The monasteries of Dorset. Bournemouth: Albemarle Books, 1999, pp. 173-193.
• Janet Backhouse, The Sherborne missal. London: British Library, 1999.
• Simon Jenkins, England's thousand best churches. London: Allen Lane, the Penguin Press, 1999, pp. 160-161.
• Linda Monckton, The late medieval rebuilding of Sherborne Abbey: a reassessment. Architectural History, 43, 2000, 88-112.
• Janet Backhouse, Medieval birds in the Sherborne missal. London: British Library, 2001.

Current guidebooks (as of early 1999):

• J.H.P. Gibb, Sherborne Abbey, 2nd ed. Sherborne: Friends of Sherborne Abbey, 1989. ISBN 0-9511782-3-7.

  A revised edition of a guidebook first published in 1971 (and often reprinted) but based on earlier guides. Other books that are currently on sale in Sherborne Abbey include illustrated guides to the stained glass, fan vaulting and medieval scuptures (for details, see below). A variety of other publications can also be purchased. These include Gibb's typescript account of the battle of the fonts and the 1437 fire, and reprints of his 1975 article on the Saxon cathedral that was published in the Archaeological Journal.

• J.H.P. Gibb, Fan vaults and medieval sculpture of Sherborne Abbey. Sherborne: Friends of Sherborne Abbey, n.d.
• J.H.P. Gibb and John Hayward, The stained glass of Sherborne Abbey. Sherborne: Friends of Sherborne Abbey, n.d. [ca. 1998].

Watercolour of Sherborne Abbey

Bells:

Sherborne Abbey contains a peal of eight bells, a sanctus bell, and a fire-bell. The peal is the heaviest ring of eight in the World. The tenor weighs 46 cwt. (46-0-5 in Bb) and - at least according to its inscription (which probably dates from it's re-casting in 1670) - was the gift of Cardinal Wolsey, although the bell has since been recast three times - most recently in 1934.

The Fire-Bell is unusual, and has an interesting incription. There is an illustration of it in the article by Walters (p. 98).

Sources

• J.J. Raven, The Church Bells of Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, Vol. 25, 1904, pp. 83-85
• J.J. Raven, The Church Bells of Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, Vol. 27, 1906, pp. 111, 131-135 [by W.B. Wildman].
• H.B. Walters, Dorset Church Bells. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, Vol. 60, 1938, pp. 98, 119.

Other links:

• John Hayward, who produced the new great west window in Sherborne Abbey (1996-97) has a "portfolio" on the Web site of the British Society of Master Glass Painters. It includes some graphical details taken from the window.
  http://www.bsmgp.org.uk/members/bsmgp1.htm
• There is an entry for Sherborne Abbey in the online Catholic Encyclopedia. It was originally written by G. Cyprian Alston, and first published in The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIII, 1912.
  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13756c.htm
• An aerial photograph of the Abbey (by Francesca Radcliffe) can be found on the West Dorset Internet page:
  http://www.wdi.co.uk/air/sherborn.html

More images

Sherborne Abbey: Ruins of arch formerly linking the Abbey Church with the parish church of All Hallows, May 2007.

Sherborne Abbey: Carving of lion on the south side of the choir, May 2007.

Sherborne Abbey: Norman (?) carving high above the nave crossing, May 2007.

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Maintained by Michael Day
Last updated: 1 November 2001.