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{{Short description|Church in Dorset, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox church
{{Infobox church
|name = Wimborne Minster
|name = Wimborne Minster
|image = File:View of the Southern Side of Saint Cuthburga's Church, Wimborne Minster.jpg
|image = File:View of the Southern Side of Saint Cuthburga's Church, Wimborne Minster.jpg
|caption = Wimborne Minster
|caption =
|dedication = [[Cuthburh|Saint Cuthburga]]
|dedication = [[Cuthburh|Saint Cuthburga]]
|denomination = [[Church of England]]
|denomination = [[Church of England]]
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|diocese = [[Diocese of Salisbury|Salisbury]]
|diocese = [[Diocese of Salisbury|Salisbury]]
|province = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
|province = [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]]
|country = [[United Kingdom]]
|country = England
|presbytery =
|presbytery =
|archbishop =
|archbishop =
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|vicar1 =
|vicar1 =
|vicar2 =
|vicar2 =
|rector = The Revd Andrew Rowland
|rector = Andrew Rowland
|curate =
|curate =
|curate1 =
|curate1 =
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|organistdom = Colin Davey
|organistdom = Colin Davey
|organist =
|organist =
|website = [http://www.wimborneminster.org.uk www.wimborneminster.org.uk]
|website = {{official URL}}
|coordinates =
|coordinates =
|bells = 13 change ringing bells, 2 clock bells
|bells = 13 change ringing bells, 2 clock bells
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|embedded = {{Designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = Grade I Listed Building | designation1_offname = The Minster Church of St Cuthburga | designation1_date = 14 June 1952 | designation1_number = 1119581}}}}
|embedded = {{Designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = Grade I Listed Building | designation1_offname = The Minster Church of St Cuthburga | designation1_date = 14 June 1952 | designation1_number = 1119581}}}}


{{Portal|Christianity}}'''Wimborne Minster''', known locally as the Minster, is the [[parish church]] of [[Wimborne Minster|Wimborne]], [[Dorset]], [[England]]. The Minster has existed for over 1300 years and is recognised for its unusual [[chained library]] (one of only a few surviving chained libraries in the world). The Minster is a former [[monastery]] and Benedictine [[nunnery]], and [[Æthelred of Wessex|King Æthelred of Wessex]] is buried there.
{{Portal|Christianity}}'''Wimborne Minster''' is the [[parish church]] of [[Wimborne Minster|Wimborne]], [[Dorset]], England. The minster has existed for over 1300 years and is recognised for its unusual [[chained library]] (one of only a few surviving chained libraries in the world). The minster is a former [[monastery]] and Benedictine [[nunnery]], and [[Æthelred of Wessex|King Æthelred of Wessex]] is buried there.


==History==
==History==
===Wimborne Abbey===
===Wimborne Abbey===
The Minster is dedicated to [[Cuthburh|Saint Cuthburga]] (sister to [[Ine of Wessex|Ine, King of Wessex]] and wife of [[Aldfrith of Northumbria|Aldfrith, King of Northumbria]]) who founded a [[Benedictine]] [[abbey]] of nuns at the present day minster {{circa}} 705. [[Saint Walpurga]] was educated in the monastery, where she spent 26 years before travelling to Germany, following the missionary call of her mother's brother [[Saint Boniface]]. [[Leoba]] was also educated in this place. A monastery for men was also built around this time, adjacent to the abbey. Over the next hundred years the abbey and monastery grew in size and importance.
The minster is dedicated to [[Cuthburh|Saint Cuthburga]] (sister to [[Ine of Wessex|Ine, King of Wessex]] and wife of [[Aldfrith of Northumbria|Aldfrith, King of Northumbria]]) who founded a [[Benedictine]] [[abbey]] of nuns at the present day minster {{circa}} 705. [[Saint Walpurga]] was educated in the monastery, where she spent 26 years before travelling to Germany, following the missionary call of her mother's brother [[Saint Boniface]]. [[Leoba]] was also educated in this place. A monastery for men was also built around this time, adjacent to the abbey. Over the next hundred years the abbey and monastery grew in size and importance.
[[File:Wimborne Minster 2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The West Tower]]
[[File:Wimborne Minster 2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The West Tower]]
In 871 King [[Ethelred of Wessex|Ethelred I]] of [[Wessex]], elder brother of [[Alfred the Great]], was buried in the minster. Alfred was succeeded by his son [[Edward the Elder]] in 899, and Ethelred's son, [[Æthelwold ætheling|Ethelwold]], rebelled and attempted to claim the throne. He seized a nun, probably of Wimborne, and made a stand there, probably because of its symbolic importance as his father's burial place, but he was unable to gain enough support to fight Edward and fled to the Vikings of Northumbria.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ryan|last= Lavelle|chapter=The Politics of Rebellion: the Ætheling Æthelwold and the West Saxon Royal Succession, 899–902|title=Challenging the Boundaries of Medieval History: The legacy of Timothy Reuter|editor-first= Patricia|editor-last= Skinner|publisher= Brepols|year= 2009|pages=61–63|isbn=978-2503523590}}</ref>
In 871 King [[Æthelred of Wessex|Æthelred I]] of [[Wessex]], elder brother of [[Alfred the Great]], was buried in the minster. Alfred was succeeded by his son [[Edward the Elder]] in 899, and Æthelred's son, [[Æthelwold ætheling|Æthelwold]], rebelled and attempted to claim the throne. He seized a nun, probably of Wimborne, and made a stand there, probably because of its symbolic importance as his father's burial place, but he was unable to gain enough support to fight Edward and fled to the Vikings of Northumbria.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ryan|last= Lavelle|chapter=The Politics of Rebellion: the Ætheling Æthelwold and the West Saxon Royal Succession, 899–902|title=Challenging the Boundaries of Medieval History: The legacy of Timothy Reuter|editor-first= Patricia|editor-last= Skinner|publisher= Brepols|year= 2009|pages=61–63|isbn=978-2503523590}}</ref>


===Collegiate church===
===Collegiate church===
The women's monastery was destroyed by the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]] in 1013 during one of their incursions into [[Wessex]] and never rebuilt, though the main abbey building survived. In 1043 [[Edward the Confessor]] founded a college of secular (non-monastic) [[canon (priest)|canon]]s, consisting of a [[Dean (Christianity)|dean]], four [[prebend]]s, four [[vicar]]s, four [[deacon]]s, and five singers at the minster. The minster was remodelled and rebuilt by the [[Normans]] between 1120 and 1180, to support that institution.
The women's monastery was destroyed by the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]] in 1013 during one of their incursions into [[Wessex]] and never rebuilt, though the main abbey building survived. In 1043 [[Edward the Confessor]] founded a college of secular (non-monastic) [[canon (priest)|canon]]s, consisting of a [[Dean (Christianity)|dean]], four [[prebend]]s, four [[vicar]]s, four [[deacon]]s, and five singers at the minster. The minster was remodelled and rebuilt by the [[Normans]] between 1120 and 1180, to support that institution.
[[File:Pulpit Wimborne Minster.jpg|thumb|upright|The pulpit]]
[[File:Pulpit Wimborne Minster.jpg|thumb|upright|The pulpit]]
In 1318 [[Edward II of England|Edward II]] issued a document that made the minster a [[Royal Peculiar]] which exempted it from all diocesan jurisdiction. The choir used to wear scarlet robes, a legacy of this peculiar. Similar robes of this type are worn in [[Westminster Abbey]] and [[St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle]]. In 1496 [[Lady Margaret Beaufort]], great-granddaughter of [[John of Gaunt]] and mother of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]], founded a small [[chapel]] in the minster. With the reign of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] the remaining parts of the monastery were adopted into part of the minster to avoid being destroyed. However much of the wealth of the minster was confiscated by King Henry VIII.
In 1318 [[Edward II of England|Edward II]] issued a document that made the minster a [[royal peculiar]] which exempted it from all diocesan jurisdiction. The choir used to wear scarlet robes, a legacy of this peculiar. Similar robes of this type are worn in [[Westminster Abbey]] and [[St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle]]. In 1496 [[Lady Margaret Beaufort]], great-granddaughter of [[John of Gaunt]] and mother of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]], founded a small [[chapel]] in the minster. With the reign of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] the remaining parts of the monastery were adopted into part of the minster to avoid being destroyed. However much of the wealth of the minster was confiscated by King Henry VIII.


In 1562 a grant was obtained from [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] by which part of the property formerly belonging to the college, together with all ecclesiastical rights and prerogatives was returned to Wimborne and vested in twelve governors. The charter was surrendered to [[James I of England|James I]] and a new charter was obtained from [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] at a cost of [[pound sterling|£]]1,000 with the addition of an organist and singing men. During the [[English Civil War|Civil War]], when Charles I was beheaded, his coat of arms was painted out from the wall of the minster, but on the restoration of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] the arms were speedily replaced and have now been restored.
In 1562 a grant was obtained from [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I]] by which part of the property formerly belonging to the college, together with all ecclesiastical rights and prerogatives was returned to Wimborne and vested in twelve governors. The charter was surrendered to [[James I of England|James I]] and a new charter was obtained from [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] at a cost of [[pound sterling|£]]1,000 with the addition of an organist and singing men. During the [[English Civil War|Civil War]], when Charles I was beheaded, his coat of arms was painted out from the wall of the minster, but on the restoration of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] the arms were speedily replaced and have now been restored.


In 1846 the Royal Peculiar was abolished, and now all that remains of the old order is the control by 12 governors of some of the minster affairs. The church was renovated towards the end of the 19th century and its last addition, a [[vestry]] was added at the same time. Today the church is a place of visit and worship for the local community and visitors.
In 1846 the royal peculiar was abolished, and now all that remains of the old order is the control by 12 governors of some of the minster affairs. The church was renovated towards the end of the 19th century and its last addition, a [[vestry]] was added at the same time. Today the church is a place of visit and worship for the local community and visitors.


===Deans of Wimborne===
===Deans of Wimborne===
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==Architecture==
==Architecture==
⚫
[[File:Sun Dial outside Wimborne Minster.jpg|thumb|right|Sun dial outside the church]]
The central tower and nave were founded in [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] times, but the surviving building is predominantly [[Norman architecture|Norman]] in design and construction, with [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] components from various periods. One of its more famous architectural features include a working [[astronomical clock]], which rings every hour and is represented in the form of a colourful quarterjack. The minster is built in a combination of Dorset limestone and [[New Forest]] stone.
The central tower and nave were founded in [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] times, but the surviving building is predominantly [[Norman architecture|Norman]] in design and construction, with [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] components from various periods. One of its more famous architectural features include a working [[astronomical clock]], which rings every hour and is represented in the form of a colourful quarterjack. The minster is built in a combination of Dorset limestone and [[New Forest]] stone.


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==The chained library==
==The chained library==
[[File:Chained library, Wimborne Minster 1.jpg|thumb|right|Books in the chained library]]
Until it was [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|confiscated during Henry VIII's reign]], the old Treasury held the wealth of the minster and numerous artefacts such as (reputed to be) a piece of the true cross, wood from The Manger and cloth from The Shroud. Since 1686 it has housed an important [[chained library]]. The chained library was one of the first public libraries in the UK, and it remains the second-largest.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Wimborne Minster|title=The Chained Library|url=http://www.wimborneminster.org.uk/library.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/66SdXNetc?url=http://www.wimborneminster.org.uk/library.html|archive-date=2012-03-26}}</ref> Some of the collections of the library include a manuscript written on lambskin in 1343, a book bound for the Court of [[Henry VIII]], an [[incunabulum]] printed in 1495 on the works of [[Anselm of Canterbury|Saint Anselm]], and a [[Paraphrases of Erasmus|Paraphrase of Erasmus]] printed in 1522 with a title page designed by Holbein.
Until it was [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|confiscated during Henry VIII's reign]], the old Treasury held the wealth of the minster and numerous artefacts such as (reputed to be) a piece of the true cross, wood from the Manger and cloth from the Shroud. Since 1686 it has housed an important [[chained library]]. The chained library was one of the first public libraries in the UK, and it remains the second-largest.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Wimborne Minster|title=The Chained Library|url=http://www.wimborneminster.org.uk/library.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325070152/http://www.wimborneminster.org.uk/library.html|archive-date=2012-03-25}}</ref> Some of the collections of the library include a manuscript written on lambskin in 1343, a book bound for the Court of [[Henry VIII]], an [[incunabulum]] printed in 1495 on the works of [[Anselm of Canterbury|Saint Anselm]], and a [[Paraphrases of Erasmus|Paraphrase of Erasmus]] printed in 1522 with a title page designed by Holbein.


The library is run by volunteers and remains open to the public on week days 10.30-12.30 & 2-4 (closed in winter season).
The library is run by volunteers and remains open to the public on week days 10.30-12.30 & 2-4 (closed in winter season).


== The bells ==
== The bells ==
Since 1911 the west tower at the minster has been home to a ring of ten bells.<ref name="Oliver2002">{{cite book|title=The Chained Library of Wimborne Minster Guidebook|last=Oliver|first=Christine|year=2002|publisher=Wimborne Minster Press|page=8}}</ref> The original tenor bell was housed in the central tower and was cast in 1385. The central tower was considered too structurally weak to add much more additional weight, so in 1464 the west tower was constructed in order to house five bells.<ref name="Oliver2002" /> In 1629 the tenor bell was recast. Besides the tenor, the minster at this time was home to the 'Bell of St. Cuthburga', 'The Fyfer Bell', 'The Jesus Bell' and 'The Morrow Mass Bell'; presumably all housed in the west tower.<ref name="Oliver2002" /> In 2012, the bells were augmented to 12 by [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]], with an additional semitone bell cast to make a total of 13 bells.<ref>http://www.wmscbr.org/wmscbr/TheNewBellsPage/TheNewBellsPage</ref>
Since 1911 the west tower at the minster has been home to a ring of ten bells.<ref name="Oliver2002">{{cite book|title=The Chained Library of Wimborne Minster Guidebook|last=Oliver|first=Christine|year=2002|publisher=Wimborne Minster Press|page=8}}</ref> The original tenor bell was housed in the central tower and was cast in 1385. The central tower was considered too structurally weak to add much more additional weight, so in 1464 the west tower was constructed in order to house five bells.<ref name="Oliver2002" /> In 1629 the tenor bell was recast. Besides the tenor, the minster at this time was home to the 'Bell of St. Cuthburga', 'The Fyfer Bell', 'The Jesus Bell' and 'The Morrow Mass Bell'; presumably all housed in the west tower.<ref name="Oliver2002" /> In 2012, the bells were augmented to 12 by [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]], with an additional semitone bell cast to make a total of 13 bells.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmscbr.org/wmscbr/TheNewBellsPage/TheNewBellsPage |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064545/http://www.wmscbr.org/wmscbr/TheNewBellsPage/TheNewBellsPage |archive-date=21 April 2014 |title=Wimborne Minster Society of Bell Ringers}}</ref>


==The organ==
==The organ==
[[File:Wimbourne Minster-12-Orgel-2004-gje.jpg|thumb|right|The organ in 2004]]
The organ was originally built in 1664 by Robert Hayward, of Bath. There are a number of ranks of pipes, still functioning in the present instrument, which date from this time. Originally, the organ stood upon a screen which separated the nave from the choir. However, in 1856 the organist at that time (Mr. F. Blount) removed the instrument and resited it in the south choir aisle. J. W. Walker & Sons rebuilt and enlarged the organ in 1866 and carried out further work in 1899, when a new case to house the Choir Organ was provided. This was designed by Walter J. Fletcher, F.R.I.B.A. In 1965, a major rebuilding and re-designing of the instrument took place, the work again being undertaken by J. W. Walker & Sons. The organ is currently being rebuilt by [[Mander Organs|Mander Organ Builders]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/ManderOrganBuilders/posts/3653660514728955?__cft__[0]=AZU0yKTdN0Ii3OoAVHmsIoYoCE_ydeaYfwyFLjiXe_KIty57r2uOtxed5oyoNKmzrShdxOfVkT9wrUGeuWj-b-7t2dFt-_Je_QkeWFsu4U97TMXN2BEWjkMQJEOETvVwxY18l3B9uLS8ZVZHJ-oHlXtW&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R |website=Facebook |access-date=5 February 2021}}</ref> The project will see the instrument reorganised, with two new cases, a revised winding system and a new 32' pedal Sub Bass.
The organ was originally built in 1664 by Robert Hayward, of Bath. There are a number of ranks of pipes, still functioning in the present instrument, which date from this time. Originally, the organ stood upon a screen which separated the nave from the choir. However, in 1856 the organist at that time (Mr. F. Blount) removed the instrument and resited it in the south choir aisle. J. W. Walker & Sons rebuilt and enlarged the organ in 1866 and carried out further work in 1899, when a new case to house the Choir Organ was provided. This was designed by Walter J. Fletcher. In 1965, a major rebuilding and re-designing of the instrument took place, the work again being undertaken by J. W. Walker & Sons. The organ started being rebuilt by [[Mander Organs|Mander Organ Builders]] in 2021 with a possible completion date of early 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mander-organs.com/wimborne-minster/ |title=Wimborne Minster |website=Mander Organs}}</ref> The project will see the instrument reorganised, with two new cases, a revised winding system and a new 32' pedal Sub Bass.


===The organists===
===The organists===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-1-of-3}}
*1537 John Clifford
*1537 John Clifford
*1590 Robert Durman
*1590 Robert Durman
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*1664 John Silver
*1664 John Silver
*1695 George Day
*1695 George Day
{{Col-2-of-3}}
*1713 John Fyler
*1713 John Fyler
*1743 George Combes
*1743 George Combes
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*1897 J. E. Tidnam
*1897 J. E. Tidnam
*1902 [[Albert Edward Wilshire]]
*1902 [[Albert Edward Wilshire]]
{{Col-3-of-3}}
*1915 G.E.C. Eyers
*1915 G.E.C. Eyers
*1945 Norman Charlton-Burdon
*1945 Norman Charlton-Burdon
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*2005 David Gostick (Director of Music)
*2005 David Gostick (Director of Music)
*2019 Colin Davey
*2019 Colin Davey
{{Col-end}}
{{div col end}}


===Assistant organists===
===Assistant organists===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*1943 Ronald Gomer
*1943 Ronald Gomer
*1965 John Slater
*1965 John Slater
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*Ed Dowie
*Ed Dowie
*1997-2018 Sean Tucker (organist)
*1997-2018 Sean Tucker (organist)
{{div col end}}


==The clock==
==The clock==
[[File:Wimborne_Minster,_the_astronomical_clock_-_geograph.org.uk_-_533559.jpg|thumb|right|The astronomical clock]]
Wimborne Minster is the home of [[Wimborne Minster Astronomical Clock]], one of a group of famous 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the west of England. (See also
Wimborne Minster is the home of [[Wimborne Minster Astronomical Clock]], one of a group of famous 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the west of England. (See also
[[Salisbury Cathedral clock|Salisbury]],
[[Salisbury Cathedral clock|Salisbury]],
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==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Wimborne_Minster_1.jpg|The South Window of the Minster
File:Wimborne_Minster_1.jpg|The south window of the minster
File:Wimborne_Minster_3.jpg|The Baptistry door of the Minster
File:Wimborne_Minster_3.jpg|The baptistry door of the minster
File:Wimborne_Minster_4.jpg|The Tower from the South West
File:Wimborne_Minster_4.jpg|The tower from the south west
File:Wimborne_Minster_5.jpg|The Minster Close 1
File:Wimborne_Minster_5.jpg|The minster close 1
File:Wimborne_Minster_6.jpg|The Minster Close 2
File:Wimborne_Minster_6.jpg|The minster close 2
File:Wimborne_Minster_7.jpg|The Crypt of the Minster 1
File:Wimborne_Minster_7.jpg|The crypt of the minster 1
File:Wimborne_Minster_8.jpg|The Crypt of the Minster 2
File:Wimborne_Minster_8.jpg|The crypt of the minster 2
File:Wimborne_Minster_10.jpg|The Altar and the Brass to King Ethelred I
File:Wimborne_Minster_10.jpg|The altar and the brass to King Ethelred I
File:Wimborne_Minster_11.jpg|The Astronomical Clock of the Minster
File:Wimborne_Minster_13.jpg|The window of St. Georges Chapel
⚫
File:Sun Dial outside Wimborne Minster.jpg|Sundial outside the church
File:Wimborne_Minster_13.jpg|The window of St.Georges Chapel
</gallery>
</gallery>


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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Minster of St. Cuthburga, Wimborne Minster}}
{{Commons category|Minster of St. Cuthburga, Wimborne Minster}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.wimborneminster.org.uk/ The Wimborne Minster's Main Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060812181441/http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/wimborne-minster.html Excellent Information on the Minster including Sources for further study]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060812181441/http://people.bath.ac.uk/lismd/dorset/churches/wimborne-minster.html Excellent Information on the Minster including Sources for further study]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15648a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia Article on the Minster]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15648a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia Article on the Minster]
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{{Coord|50|47|56|N|1|59|17|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}
{{Coord|50|47|56|N|1|59|17|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Wimborne Minster (Church)}}
[[Category:Church of England church buildings in Dorset]]
[[Category:Church of England church buildings in Dorset]]
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon monastic houses]]
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon monastic houses]]
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[[Category:Grade I listed churches in Dorset]]
[[Category:Grade I listed churches in Dorset]]
[[Category:8th-century establishments in England]]
[[Category:8th-century establishments in England]]
[[Category:Burial sites of European royal families]]
[[Category:Burial sites of Anglo-Saxon royal houses]]
[[Category:Former Royal Peculiars]]
[[Category:Former Royal Peculiars]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 705]]
[[Category:705 establishments]]
[[Category:Churches completed in the 700s]]
[[Category:8th-century church buildings in England]]
[[Category:8th-century church buildings in England]]

Latest revision as of 02:32, 28 June 2024

Wimborne Minster
Map
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Websitewimborneminster.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata
History
DedicationSaint Cuthburga
Specifications
Tower heightCentral Tower: 84 ft (26 m)
West Tower: 95 ft (29 m)
Bells13 change ringing bells, 2 clock bells
Tenor bell weight29 long cwt 2 qr 20 lb (3,324 lb or 1,508 kg)
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseSalisbury
ParishWimborne Minster
Clergy
RectorAndrew Rowland
Laity
Organist/Director of musicColin Davey
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameThe Minster Church of St Cuthburga
Designated14 June 1952
Reference no.1119581

Wimborne Minster is the parish church of Wimborne, Dorset, England. The minster has existed for over 1300 years and is recognised for its unusual chained library (one of only a few surviving chained libraries in the world). The minster is a former monastery and Benedictine nunnery, and King Æthelred of Wessex is buried there.

History

[edit]

Wimborne Abbey

[edit]

The minster is dedicated to Saint Cuthburga (sister to Ine, King of Wessex and wife of Aldfrith, King of Northumbria) who founded a Benedictine abbey of nuns at the present day minster c. 705. Saint Walpurga was educated in the monastery, where she spent 26 years before travelling to Germany, following the missionary call of her mother's brother Saint Boniface. Leoba was also educated in this place. A monastery for men was also built around this time, adjacent to the abbey. Over the next hundred years the abbey and monastery grew in size and importance.

The West Tower

In 871 King Æthelred I of Wessex, elder brother of Alfred the Great, was buried in the minster. Alfred was succeeded by his son Edward the Elder in 899, and Æthelred's son, Æthelwold, rebelled and attempted to claim the throne. He seized a nun, probably of Wimborne, and made a stand there, probably because of its symbolic importance as his father's burial place, but he was unable to gain enough support to fight Edward and fled to the Vikings of Northumbria.[1]

Collegiate church

[edit]

The women's monastery was destroyed by the Danes in 1013 during one of their incursions into Wessex and never rebuilt, though the main abbey building survived. In 1043 Edward the Confessor founded a college of secular (non-monastic) canons, consisting of a dean, four prebends, four vicars, four deacons, and five singers at the minster. The minster was remodelled and rebuilt by the Normans between 1120 and 1180, to support that institution.

The pulpit

In 1318 Edward II issued a document that made the minster a royal peculiar which exempted it from all diocesan jurisdiction. The choir used to wear scarlet robes, a legacy of this peculiar. Similar robes of this type are worn in Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. In 1496 Lady Margaret Beaufort, great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt and mother of Henry VII, founded a small chapel in the minster. With the reign of Henry VIII the remaining parts of the monastery were adopted into part of the minster to avoid being destroyed. However much of the wealth of the minster was confiscated by King Henry VIII.

In 1562 a grant was obtained from Queen Elizabeth I by which part of the property formerly belonging to the college, together with all ecclesiastical rights and prerogatives was returned to Wimborne and vested in twelve governors. The charter was surrendered to James I and a new charter was obtained from Charles I at a cost of £1,000 with the addition of an organist and singing men. During the Civil War, when Charles I was beheaded, his coat of arms was painted out from the wall of the minster, but on the restoration of Charles II the arms were speedily replaced and have now been restored.

In 1846 the royal peculiar was abolished, and now all that remains of the old order is the control by 12 governors of some of the minster affairs. The church was renovated towards the end of the 19th century and its last addition, a vestry was added at the same time. Today the church is a place of visit and worship for the local community and visitors.

Deans of Wimborne

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  • Martin de Pateshull 1223
  • Randolf Brito 1229
  • John Mansell 1247
  • John Kirby 1265
  • John de Berwick 1286
  • Stephen de Malo Lacu or Mauley 1312
  • Richard de Clare 1317
  • Richard de Swynnerton 1335
  • Richard de Murymouth 1338
  • Robert de Kyngeston 1342
  • Thomas de Clopton 1349
  • Reginald Brian 1349
  • Thomas de Brembre 1350
  • Henry de Bukyngham 1361
  • Richard de Beverley 1367
  • John Carp 1387
  • Roger Coryngham 1400
  • Peter de Altobasso or Altobosco 1412
  • Walter Medford c. 1415
  • Gilbert Kymer 1423
  • Walter Hurte c. 1467
  • Hugh Oldham 1485
  • Thomas Ruthall c. 1508
  • Henry Hornby c. 1509
  • Reginald Pole 1518
  • Nicholas Wilson 1537

Architecture

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The central tower and nave were founded in Saxon times, but the surviving building is predominantly Norman in design and construction, with Gothic components from various periods. One of its more famous architectural features include a working astronomical clock, which rings every hour and is represented in the form of a colourful quarterjack. The minster is built in a combination of Dorset limestone and New Forest stone.

The central length of the minster is 198 feet (60 m). The width, except the transepts, varies from 23 feet (7.0 m) in the nave to 21 feet (6.4 m) in the choir. The western tower of the minster is 95 feet (29 m) high. The smaller tower of the minster, above the transepts, is 84 feet (26 m). The 13th-century spire which once topped this tower fell down in a storm around 1600.

It is a Grade I listed building.[2]

The chained library

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Books in the chained library

Until it was confiscated during Henry VIII's reign, the old Treasury held the wealth of the minster and numerous artefacts such as (reputed to be) a piece of the true cross, wood from the Manger and cloth from the Shroud. Since 1686 it has housed an important chained library. The chained library was one of the first public libraries in the UK, and it remains the second-largest.[3] Some of the collections of the library include a manuscript written on lambskin in 1343, a book bound for the Court of Henry VIII, an incunabulum printed in 1495 on the works of Saint Anselm, and a Paraphrase of Erasmus printed in 1522 with a title page designed by Holbein.

The library is run by volunteers and remains open to the public on week days 10.30-12.30 & 2-4 (closed in winter season).

The bells

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Since 1911 the west tower at the minster has been home to a ring of ten bells.[4] The original tenor bell was housed in the central tower and was cast in 1385. The central tower was considered too structurally weak to add much more additional weight, so in 1464 the west tower was constructed in order to house five bells.[4] In 1629 the tenor bell was recast. Besides the tenor, the minster at this time was home to the 'Bell of St. Cuthburga', 'The Fyfer Bell', 'The Jesus Bell' and 'The Morrow Mass Bell'; presumably all housed in the west tower.[4] In 2012, the bells were augmented to 12 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry, with an additional semitone bell cast to make a total of 13 bells.[5]

The organ

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The organ in 2004

The organ was originally built in 1664 by Robert Hayward, of Bath. There are a number of ranks of pipes, still functioning in the present instrument, which date from this time. Originally, the organ stood upon a screen which separated the nave from the choir. However, in 1856 the organist at that time (Mr. F. Blount) removed the instrument and resited it in the south choir aisle. J. W. Walker & Sons rebuilt and enlarged the organ in 1866 and carried out further work in 1899, when a new case to house the Choir Organ was provided. This was designed by Walter J. Fletcher. In 1965, a major rebuilding and re-designing of the instrument took place, the work again being undertaken by J. W. Walker & Sons. The organ started being rebuilt by Mander Organ Builders in 2021 with a possible completion date of early 2022.[6] The project will see the instrument reorganised, with two new cases, a revised winding system and a new 32' pedal Sub Bass.

The organists

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  • 1537 John Clifford
  • 1590 Robert Durman
  • 1596 Arthur Maynard
  • 1600 Thomas Noble
  • 1610 William Eames
  • 1622 Thomas Noble
  • 1627 Thomas Cottrell
  • 1664 John Silver
  • 1695 George Day
  • 1713 John Fyler
  • 1743 George Combes
  • 1765 Richard Combes
  • 1798 William Mitchell
  • 1808 John Wright Blount
  • 1835 Frederick Stanley Blount
  • 1863 J. Whitehead Smith
  • 1897 J. E. Tidnam
  • 1902 Albert Edward Wilshire
  • 1915 G.E.C. Eyers
  • 1945 Norman Charlton-Burdon
  • 1954 Graham Sudbury
  • 1959 David S. Blott
  • 1967 Michael Austin
  • 1971 Barry Ferguson
  • 1977 Christopher Dowie
  • 2005 David Gostick (Director of Music)
  • 2019 Colin Davey

Assistant organists

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  • 1943 Ronald Gomer
  • 1965 John Slater
  • Graham Davies
  • 1974 Michael James
  • 1981 Roger Overend and Michael Pain
  • 1982 Simon Morley
  • 1986 Alex Ditchmont
  • 1987 Jonathan Melling
  • 1988 Sean Tucker
  • Ed Dowie
  • 1997-2018 Sean Tucker (organist)

The clock

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The astronomical clock

Wimborne Minster is the home of Wimborne Minster Astronomical Clock, one of a group of famous 14th to 16th century astronomical clocks to be found in the west of England. (See also Salisbury, Wells, Exeter, and Ottery St Mary.)

The clock's case was built in the Elizabethan era, but the face and dial are of a much greater age; the first documents relating to the clock concern repairs carried out in 1409.[7] The face utilizes a pre-Copernican display, with a centrally placed earth orbited by the sun and stars.

It is currently maintained by Wimborne resident Bruce Jensen.

Tombs

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The most important tomb in the church is that of King Ethelred, the brother of Alfred the Great. Ethelred was mortally wounded in a battle at Martin, near Cranborne. The exact location of the tomb however is unknown, though sources and legend indicate that it resides somewhere near the altar. A 14th-century metal brass memorial next to the altar states that the former king is buried in the wall and is the only brass to mark the burial site of an English monarch. Two other important tombs are also in the minster: they are those of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, and his duchess, the maternal grandparents of King Henry VII of England, constructed out of alabaster and Purbeck Marble.

Other burials

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[edit]
  • The south window of the minster
    The south window of the minster
  • The baptistry door of the minster
    The baptistry door of the minster
  • The tower from the south west
    The tower from the south west
  • The minster close 1
    The minster close 1
  • The minster close 2
    The minster close 2
  • The crypt of the minster 1
    The crypt of the minster 1
  • The crypt of the minster 2
    The crypt of the minster 2
  • The altar and the brass to King Ethelred I
    The altar and the brass to King Ethelred I
  • The window of St. Georges Chapel
    The window of St. Georges Chapel
  • Sundial outside the church
    Sundial outside the church

References

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  1. ^ Lavelle, Ryan (2009). "The Politics of Rebellion: the Ætheling Æthelwold and the West Saxon Royal Succession, 899–902". In Skinner, Patricia (ed.). Challenging the Boundaries of Medieval History: The legacy of Timothy Reuter. Brepols. pp. 61–63. ISBN 978-2503523590.
  2. ^ Historic England. "The Minster Church of St Cuthburga (1119581)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  3. ^ "The Chained Library". Wimborne Minster. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Oliver, Christine (2002). The Chained Library of Wimborne Minster Guidebook. Wimborne Minster Press. p. 8.
  5. ^ "Wimborne Minster Society of Bell Ringers". Archived from the original on 21 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Wimborne Minster". Mander Organs.
  7. ^ Oliver, Christine (2002). The Chained Library of Wimborne Minster Guidebook. Wimborne Minster Press. p. 9.
  • Patricia H. Coulstock, The Collegiate Church of Wimborne Minster - Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, (Boydell Press)
  • Oliver, Christine (2002). The Chained Library of Wimborne Minster Guidebook. Wimborne Minster Press.
  • Wimborne Minster Official Guidebook, Wimborne Minster and Jarrold Press (2002)
  • Charles Herbert Mayo, A history of Wimborne Minster: the collegiate church of Saint Cuthburga and King's free chapel at Wimborne, (Wimborne: Bell & Daldry, 1860)
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