Tag Archives: abbey

Pilgrimage Challenge 1: The South Dorset Old Stones Way

We arrived in the village of Little Bredy to the sound of the church bell bringing in the tenth hour of morning. Having not heard church bells since February this sound instantly brought me back to Oxford and how every Sunday I would open my window and be greeted by a chorus of bells, singing out across the city. The sound of that solitary bell in the middle of a small, remote Dorset village encouraged me. It was a good start.

Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 2: St Augustine’s Well

Cerne Abbas is full of hidden wonders. If you venture down Abbey Street and turn right through the churchyard gate, follow a small path that hugs the cemetery wall and venture down a small slope through a cluster of trees then you will find a beautiful though rather obscure spot – St Augustine’s Well. ButContinue reading “Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 2: St Augustine’s Well”

Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 1: Cerne Abbey

Nestled in a valley in the heart of Dorset is Cerne Abbas. Medievalists will know of this place because of its connection with Ælfric of Eynsham, one of the most prolific writers in Old English. However, many will mainly associate the village with its particularly well-endowed chalk giant which overlooks the valley. A Benedictine abbeyContinue reading “Cerne Abbas, Dorset Part 1: Cerne Abbey”