June 2012:
CROWLAND Sts Mary, Guthlac, and Bartholomew.
When I closed down on the evening before our June meeting I had received 18 apologies from group members who said they would not be at Crowland the following morning. This didn’t seem to bode well for the day. In fact ten intrepid church crawlers made their way across the ‘fascinating fens’ to meet up at the place where in the early eighth century a monk named Guthlac came to what was then an island in the Fens to live the life of a hermit. Following in Guthlac’s footsteps, a monastic community came into being here. Marshland beside the island was drained and a town gradually grew up near the abbey.
Our visit started with an introductory talk over refreshments by one of our two excellent guides. The group then split into two with one guide taking his group round the church and the other round the remains of the ruined medieval Croyland Abbey, which was dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin, Saint Bartholomew and Saint Guthlac in the eighth century.
Our visit started with an introductory talk over refreshments by one of our two excellent guides. The group then split into two with one guide taking his group round the church and the other round the remains of the ruined medieval Croyland Abbey, which was dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin, Saint Bartholomew and Saint Guthlac in the eighth century.
This turned out to be one of the best visits since the group started in February 2010. We all expressed our sympaythy for the members who for very valid reasons could not be with us.
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