| were also ordained priests) tried to establish a monastery at Dale. They all failed, basically because the land was still forest and they had nowhere to grow crops or pasture animals, and were too poor to survive. Around 1200 though, the situation improved, and a handful of canons set up the Abbey. These were Premonstratensian canons, an order founded by St. Norbert at Premontre in France. They wore unbleached white habits and lived an austere, strictly disciplined life of worship, service and hard work. The inauguration service of the Abbey dedicated to Saint Mary, was held on the 15th August 1204. The basic builing took about a hundred years to complete but other buildings were added and improvements made throughout the Abbey's working life. As abbeys go, Dale was medium-sized: it housed an abbot plus twenty-three canons in its heyday, dwindling to fifteen or sixteen in latter years. At least four of these would not normally be in residence as they served as parish priests to the churches of Stanton-by-Dale, Kirk Hallam, Ilkeston and Heanor. The Abbey was self-supporting and self-sufficient. Over the years benefactors gave farms to it, which were worked either by lay-brothers attached to the Abbey or leased out to local farmers. (When the Abbey was dissolved in 1538 it owned some 24,000 acres of land.) The canons spent some of their time growing vegetables and herbs, and some were in charge of lay-brothers manning the bakery and the brew house. The Abbey owned many mills, most of which can no longer be traced. Seven services were held each day, beginning at 2a.m. and ending at 6p.m., and canons were expected to spend several periods of their day reading, studying and meditating on the gospel. The sick were well cared for in the infirmary-the canons using both herbal medicines and the power of prayer in their healing ministry. The Abbey never turned away a visitor, whether rich or poor, but welcomed, fed and shared its peace with all guests. It is wonderful to see the three ministries of worship, healing and hospitality returning again to Dale, as God renews the work of Church and Abbey here. Henry VIII suppressed the monasteries in and around the year 1538. They were closed and their assets were sold off. The money went to the Crown. The vast majority of Dale Abbey's belongings, and the site itself, were sold to Francis Pole of Radbourn, near Derby. These included the furnishings and equipment even down to the smallest item. |
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