Summary : Peada of Mercia founded this minster, originally called Medehamstede, in 655. Little is known of its history, and no details of the buildings survive, but the grandeur of the daughter church at Brixworth suggests that the church must have been large and similarly grand. It was destroyed by the Danes in 870, and lay ruined until refounded circa 963-6 as a Benedictine monastery. This building and its complex was attacked and sacked by Hereward the Wake in 1070, and in 1116 was set afire, the fire raging for 9 days. Rebuilding began shortly afterwards, again as a Benedictine monastery. It was dissolved in 1539 and reopened in 1541 as the cathedral of Peterborough. (see TL19NE17 for details of the cathedral).Dependencies: Oxney, the Hospitals of St Leonard and St Peter, (Peterborough), the Hospitals of St Giles, St Sepulchre and of St John the Baptist and St Thomas the Martyr, (Stamford), St Leonards Hospital (Cotes), and Southorpe Hospital, (Northants). |
More information : The abbey of Peterborough was founded about AD 655 by Peada, the first Christian King of Mercia and the first recorded abbot was Saxwulf who was appointed in 673. The monastery flourished until 870 when it was destroyed by the Danes. The site lay in ruins for nearly 100 years until it was re-established by Aethelwold in the mid-10th century. The monastery was again attacked and plundered, but not destroyed, in 1070 by Hereward after the appointment of a Norman, Turold, as abbot. After a disastrous fire in 1116, which burned for 9 days the Normans began the erection of the much more ambitious abbey which forms the core of the present cathedral. See plan. See component cards for cathedral and associated buildings. PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL & PRECINCTS COMPONENT CARDS TL 19 NE 117 St Peter's Cathedral 118 Chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury 119 Great Gate 120 The King's Lodging 121 Bishop's Gate 122 The Palace 123 Cloister 124 Refectory (Ruins of) 125 Former Barns and Stabling 126 Deanery 127 Laurel Court 128 Deanery Gateway and Wall 129 Canonry House & Table Hall 130 Galilee Court 131 Diocesan House 132 Lady Chapel (site of) 133 Gateway (1-5)
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