Prinknash Abbey — former site

Prinknash Abbey

Prinknash Abbey is a Roman Catholic monastery situated in the Vale of Gloucester, near Cranham, Gloucestershire, England. It is part of the English Province of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation, which in turn belongs to the worldwide Benedictine Confederation.

History

The land known as Prinknash has a long-standing connection with Benedictine monks, stretching back nearly 900 years to 1096 when it was gifted to Serlo, Abbot of Gloucester. During the abbacy of William Parker, the last Abbot of Gloucester, a substantial part of the present building was erected as a hunting lodge around 1520. This property remained in monastic possession until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1541, after which it was leased from the Crown and subsequently served as a home for the local gentry and nobility for several centuries.

In 1928, the Benedictine monks of Caldey Island, who had converted to Roman Catholicism in 1913, were gifted Prinknash. Six monks arrived on October 26, 1928, to establish a monastery, with the rest of the community following soon after. They worked to transform the house into a functioning abbey. The community grew, and in 1939, a foundation stone for a new abbey was laid, though construction was delayed by World War II. The monks moved into the new abbey in 1972, and the older buildings were converted into a retreat and conference centre known as "St Peter's Grange." By 2008, the community had relocated back to St Peter's Grange, which is a Grade I listed building.

Notable Aspects

Prinknash Abbey is particularly noted for its historical expertise in blending resins and fragrance oils for the creation of church incense. Additionally, in the early 1940s, monks established Prinknash Pottery, which flourished commercially for fifty years and is now recognized for its collectable wares. The monastery has also been home to artists and theologians, including Brother Patrick, Dom Sylvester Houédard, and Dom Stephen Horton.