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St Bees Priory
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St Bees Priory
54°29′38″N 3°35′36″W / 54.493777°N 3.593461°W
St Bees Priory is the parish church of St Bees, Cumbria, in England. There is evidence of a pre-Norman religious site, on which a Benedictine priory was founded by the first Norman Lord of Egremont William Meschin. It was dedicated by Archbishop Thurstan of York, sometime between 1120 and 1135.
Sculptural and charter evidence suggests the site was a principal centre of religious influence in the west of the county, and an extensive parish developed, with detached portions covering much of the Western Lakes.
The priory was dissolved in 1539. Since then, the buildings have served as the Anglican church of St Bees parish, and are now Grade I listed buildings.
There is sculptural and place-name evidence for the existence of a pre-Norman religious site, although no buildings still remain from that time. The St Bees place-name is derived from 'Kirkeby Becok' (the 'Church town of Bega'), which was used in the 12th Century. St Bega, a mysterious figure from pre-Norman Britain, is said to have been an Irish princess who fled across the sea to St Bees to avoid an enforced marriage. According to the legend, she then lived a life of piety at St Bees. The most likely period for her journey would have been sometime in the thirty years after 850, when the Vikings were settling Ireland.
The continuance of the cult of St Bega following the arrival of the Normans is recorded in the Register of the Priory by the swearing of oaths on the "Bracelet of St Bega". This relic was touched as the means of taking a binding oath; oaths are recorded up to 1279, and offerings to the bracelet were made as late as 1516.
A cross shaft dating from the 10th century is in the graveyard, showing Viking influence. There is also a cross shaft of the Cumbrian spiral-scroll school from the same period, now in the church. Both show evidence of this being a pre-Norman religious site.[citation needed]
Pre-Norman parish boundaries suggest that St Bees had considerable influence in the west, and it has been suggested that St Bees was a "minster church" serving the west coast, but there is no firm evidence.
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St Bees Priory
54°29′38″N 3°35′36″W / 54.493777°N 3.593461°W
St Bees Priory is the parish church of St Bees, Cumbria, in England. There is evidence of a pre-Norman religious site, on which a Benedictine priory was founded by the first Norman Lord of Egremont William Meschin. It was dedicated by Archbishop Thurstan of York, sometime between 1120 and 1135.
Sculptural and charter evidence suggests the site was a principal centre of religious influence in the west of the county, and an extensive parish developed, with detached portions covering much of the Western Lakes.
The priory was dissolved in 1539. Since then, the buildings have served as the Anglican church of St Bees parish, and are now Grade I listed buildings.
There is sculptural and place-name evidence for the existence of a pre-Norman religious site, although no buildings still remain from that time. The St Bees place-name is derived from 'Kirkeby Becok' (the 'Church town of Bega'), which was used in the 12th Century. St Bega, a mysterious figure from pre-Norman Britain, is said to have been an Irish princess who fled across the sea to St Bees to avoid an enforced marriage. According to the legend, she then lived a life of piety at St Bees. The most likely period for her journey would have been sometime in the thirty years after 850, when the Vikings were settling Ireland.
The continuance of the cult of St Bega following the arrival of the Normans is recorded in the Register of the Priory by the swearing of oaths on the "Bracelet of St Bega". This relic was touched as the means of taking a binding oath; oaths are recorded up to 1279, and offerings to the bracelet were made as late as 1516.
A cross shaft dating from the 10th century is in the graveyard, showing Viking influence. There is also a cross shaft of the Cumbrian spiral-scroll school from the same period, now in the church. Both show evidence of this being a pre-Norman religious site.[citation needed]
Pre-Norman parish boundaries suggest that St Bees had considerable influence in the west, and it has been suggested that St Bees was a "minster church" serving the west coast, but there is no firm evidence.
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