Shaftesbury Abbey
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Shaftesbury has had a colourful past, and below are some of the highlights. |
In 880, the town was founded by King Alfred the Great and was one of the four Dorset towns mentioned in the Burghal Hidage. Eight years later, Alfred built the Abbey and placed his daughter, Aethelgifu, as the first Abbess.
For 650 years the Abbey was the most important in the country with many royal links.
St. Edward, King and Martyr, the boy-king murdered by his stepmother, was brought from Wareham and re-interred at the Abbey. King Canute died in Shaftesbury and it is said his heart was buried here. Elizabeth, wife of Robert the Bruce and her daughter spent part of her captivity at Shaftesbury Abbey. In 1491 Henry VII stayed at the Abbey - the last crowned guest and in 1501 Catherine of Aragon stayed at the Abbey on her way to marry Prince Arthur (the older brother of Henry VIII).
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But it was on the orders of Henry VIII in 1539 that the Abbey was dissolved. Most of the Abbey precinct was destroyed and it was all but forgotten. Today, the massive ramparts on Gold Hill are all that remain of the original wall that surrounded the Abbey.
1526 sees the earliest reference to the 'Byzant Ceremony', the town's water-gathering ceremony that still takes place today.
Shaftesbury was a well-established staging point on the main thoroughfare from London to the West Country, so as trade and travel increased, so did the town's prospects. Rebuilding work followed, the streets were paved and a new water supply was installed. A Grammar School was started, and Shaftesbury's first Post Office was built on the same site as the present Post Office. |
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In 1774 the most blatantly corrupt 'Mr. Punch' election took place. An anonymous figure disguised as Mr. Punch handed out large bribes to the electorate. The losing candidate complained and was awarded his seat - and massive damages, which he used to buy properties in the town in order to intimidate the tenants at the next election.
The first Dorset buttons were made in Shaftesbury. In 1851 a button making machine brought an end to the industry and almost overnight the Dorset industry was ruined. The Dorset button makers suffered acute distress and even starvation. 350 families were shipped to the colonies from the Shaftesbury district alone.
In 1820, Earl Grosvenor bought the 'Property of Shaftesbury' to control elections in the borough, and owned most of the town. The family benevolently sponsored innovative building projects including the Town Hall, the first efficient water supply, a covered market, and a new primary school was built in St. James to provide free schooling. To improve the image of Shaftesbury as an airy and healthy place to visit, main drainage was installed. The town continued to prosper. |
After the Great War the Grosvenor Family needed to release some of their property, so in 1919 Shaftesbury was put up for sale. A syndicate of three local men bought the town for £80,000 and then sold it, mostly to the sitting tenants.
In 1931 a lead casket containing bones, thought to be the remains of Edward, King and Martyr, were found in the grounds of the Abbey ruins. This led to renewed interest in the Abbey.
Though the 20th century has seen a lot of changes, Shaftesbury has remained largely unspoilt. In 1973, Ridley Scott made the famous Hovis 'Boy with a Bike' advertisement on Gold Hill and Rank Hovis contributed £10,000 to the restoration of the famous cobbles. It has made Gold Hill, with its medieval wall, one of the most recognised views in Britain. |
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Click here to download the Timeline PDF |
Gold Hill Museum
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