Hexham Abbey

Hexham Abbey is a Grade I listed church dedicated to St Andrew, in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in the North East of England. Originally built in AD 674, the Abbey was built up during the 12th century into its current form, with additions around the turn of the 20th century. Since the dissolution of the monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham. In 2014 the Abbey regained ownership of its former monastic buildings, which had been used as Hexham magistrates' court, and subsequently developed them into a permanent exhibition and visitor centre, telling the story of the Abbey's history.

History

In 671/672, Saint Wilfrid was given the site for a church at Hexham by Northumbrian queen Æthelthryth and there has been a church on the site for over 1300 years since its building c.674. Of Wilfrid's Benedictine abbey, which was constructed almost entirely of material salvaged from nearby Roman ruins, the Saxon crypt still remains; as does a frith stool, a 7th/8th century cathedra or throne. For a little while around that time it was the seat of a bishopric. In the year 875 Halfdan Ragnarsson the Dane ravaged the whole of Tyneside, and Hexham Church was plundered and burnt to the ground. About 1050, one Eilaf was put in charge of Hexham, although as treasurer of Durham, he probably never went there. Eilaf was instructed to rebuild Hexham Church, which then lay in utter ruin. His son Eilaf II completed the work, probably building in the Norman style.

In 1113, Wilfrid's abbey was replaced by an Augustinian priory established by Thomas II, Archbishop of York. The current church largely dates from c.1170–1250, built in the Early English style of architecture. The choir, north and south transepts and the cloisters, where canons studied and meditated, date from this period. The east end was rebuilt in 1858. The Abbey was largely rebuilt during the incumbency of Canon Edwin Sidney Savage, who came to Hexham in 1898 and remained until 1919. This mammoth project involved re-building the nave, whose walls incorporate some of the earlier church, and the restoration of the choir. The nave was re-consecrated on 8 August 1908. The church was recorded as Grade I listed in 1951. In 1996 an additional chapel was created at the east end of the north choir aisle; named St Wilfrid's Chapel, which offers a place for prayer or quiet reflection. A high-profile wedding in the same year saw West Sussex socialites, Joanna and Richard Britton, married in the Abbey with their first-born son, Joshua, returning a year later for his christening service.

Stained glass Four of the stained glass windows in the Abbey are the work of Jersey-born stained glass artist Henry Thomas Bosdet who was commissioned by the Abbey. The east window was the first project and was installed about 1907. Two smaller windows followed and the large west window was installed in 1918.

Crypt The crypt is a plain structure of four chambers. Here were exhibited the relics which were a feature of Wilfrid's church. It consists of a chapel with an ante-chapel at the west end, two side passages with enlarged vestibules and three stairways. The chapel and ante-chapel are barrel-vaulted. All the stones used are of Roman workmanship and many are carved or with inscriptions. One inscription on a slab, partially erased, is:

Translated, this means The Emperor Lucius Septimus Severus Pius Pertinax and his sons the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Augustus and Publius Geta Caesar the cohorts and detachments made this under the command of ….. The words erased are of great interest: after the Emperor Geta was murdered by his brother Caracalla, an edict was made at Rome ordering that whenever the two names appeared in combination that of Geta was to be erased. This so-called damnatio memoriae was carried out, but so poorly that the name can still be read.

Bishopric of Hexham

The first diocese of Lindisfarne was merged into the Diocese of York in 664. York diocese was then divided in 678 by Theodore of Tarsus, forming a bishopric for the country between the Rivers Aln and Tees, with a seat at Hexham and/or Lindisfarne. This gradually and erratically merged back into the bishopric of Lindisfarne. Eleven bishops of Hexham followed St. Eata, of which six were saints. No successor was appointed in 821, the condition of the country being too unsettled. A period of disorder followed the Danish devastations, after which Hexham monastery was reconstituted in 1113 as a priory of Austin Canons, which flourished until its dissolution under Henry VIII. Meantime the bishopric had been merged in that of Lindisfarne, which latter see was removed to Chester-le-Street in 883, and thence to Durham in 995.

Bishops Eata, 'bishop of Bernicia', with his seat at Hexham and/or Lindisfarne, died 685, succeeded by John of Beverley (Bede, Ecclesiastical History IV.12) Trumbert, 682, as 'bishop of Hexham', at the same time as Trumwine's installation, with Eata continuing as bishop at Lindisfarne Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, 685, after Trumbert's deposition, moving his seat to Lindisfarne to become bishop of Lindisfarne (Bede, IV.28) St. John of Beverley (685–705) (Bede, V.2). From then on, the seat was at Hexham, and the bishopric of Lindisfarne continued independently, with Eadberht succeeding Cuthbert St. Wilfrid, who, resigning the See of York, died as Bishop of Hexham in 709 St. Acca, Wilfrid's successor, from 709 (Bede, V.20) Frithubeorht 734–766 St. Eahlmund 767–781 Tilbeorht 781–789 Æthelberht 789–797 transferred from Whithorn Heardred 797–800 Eanbehrt 800–813 Tidfrith, last bishop in this line, who died about 821

Rectors Canon Barker 1866–18[98?] Edwin Sidney Savage 1898–1918 James Vaux Cornell Farquhar 1919–1945 Archibald George Hardie 1945–1962 Rowland Lemmon 1962–1975 Bishop Anthony Hunter 1975–1979 Timothy Withers Green 1979–1984 Michael Middleton 1985–1992 Canon Michael Nelson 1992–2004 Canon Graham Usher 2004–2014 Canon Dr Dagmar Winter 2015–2019 Canon David Glover, KHC 2020

Other notable clergy Reverend Thomas Henry Sparshott 1876, temporary junior curate

Notable burials Ælfwald I of Northumbria Eata of Hexham Frithubeorht Acca of Hexham Alchmund of Hexham Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros Robert Umfraville I (d. 1145) Odinel Umfraville I Gilbert de Umfraville Gilbert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus Matilda, Countess of Angus Robert Ogle (MP) Caleb Rotheram D.D. (1694–1752), dissenting minister and tutor

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