Tolleshunt Knights — St John's Monastery

The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist

The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist is a significant Orthodox monastic community situated in Tolleshunt Knights, near Maldon, Essex, England. It holds the distinction of being the oldest Orthodox religious community established in the United Kingdom. The monastery was founded in 1958 by the revered St Sophrony of Essex, who had previously been a disciple of Saint Silouan the Athonite on Mount Athos.

Initially, the community operated under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Anthony, the ruling Russian Orthodox bishop in England. However, in 1965, the monastery transitioned to operating directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a move that also led to its designation as Stavropegic. A unique characteristic of the Monastery of St John the Baptist is its structure as a double monastery, which is rare within Orthodox monasticism. This arrangement means it houses both monks and nuns, who reside in separate, dedicated residential quarters.

The monastery's history is closely intertwined with its founder, St Sophrony of Essex. His desire to live the monastic life, inspired by his spiritual mentor, led to the formation of this community. The monastery's grounds include an underground crypt, built to facilitate burials on the property, a feature that St Sophrony himself noted he would await completion of before his own passing. St Sophrony died on July 11, 1993, just prior to the crypt's anticipated completion, and his funeral was held there shortly after.