Saint Augustine and Saint Augustine’s Abbey in Ramsgate an update and tales of two Augustines.

First and foremost it is as well to remember that there was more than one Saint Augustine and the one that relates to Ramsgate is generally known as Saint Augustine of Canterbury. This is the one who was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597.

Augustine landed on the Isle of Thanet in the late 500s and from here went to Canterbury the main town of the pagan king of Kent; King Æthelberht.

The abbey dates from around 150 years ago here is the English Heritage listing http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1281732 and up until recently has been the home of a community of Benedictine monks.

Recently the monks moved out and the selling of the Abbey and its contents has been the subject of various news stories, some of which were a bit on the worrying side see http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2012/02/13/the-monks-of-ramsgate-have-shockingly-put-on-the-secular-market-sacred-vessels-given-by-generations-of-the-faithful/

I first blogged about this back in 2009 anyway now the Abbey has changed use to a different part of The Roman Catholic Church and will be back in use again next month as a centre for retreats.

The inauguration will be on 16^th March, see http://www.divineuk.org/Divine_Retreat_Centres_Kent.htm

Here in Ramsgate we now have the shrine of St Augustine this is now linked to a major retreat centre, I see this as another positive venture for the town which like the tunnels opening soon will bring more visitors to the town.  

It is important to understand that the Abbey Church is different from the abbey and forms part of the Catholic parish of Ramsgate and Minster, see http://www.ramsgateandminster.com/

Anyway on to a final historical conundrum, which is this picture

I have heard that the catholic war memorial was desecrated frequently during a period of anti catholic feeling that the monks had it quietly demolished, this seems a bit unlikely to me, any information about this would be useful. 

There is also this on the 1872 os map, was it at some time an observatory, perhaps Pugin’s once again any information would be helpful.       

Pictures of Inside Pugin’s House and Inside Pugin’s Church in Ramsgate

Apologies first the whole contents of my camera card, I don’t use a flash when I visit historic buildings, so these are all hand held pictures, in many cases it was too dark for the camera’s sensors so many are also manually focused, hence several blurry ones.

I haven’t put more than 100 pictures on a page so they should load reasonably quickly, we started at the café by Westcliff boating pool, less then £20 for food and drink for me my wife and two of my children, there is also a free playground.

This the playground that is, enabled me to sketch the view from where I sat to eat my lunch and even get a little bit of it painted.

A bit of a walk along the cliff while my children cycled about, here are the pictures relating to that http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/index.htm and on to Pugin’s Grange, the pictures of the inside start about half way down this page http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/id3.htm more here http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/id4.htm and here http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/id5.htm and here http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/id6.htm

Then on to Pugin’s church now to be a shrine, always inclined to give a church a bit of a boost, pictures here http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/id7.htm

I was in the professional god bothering business once so I only really understand the rules for Anglican contemplative religiouss’, there is a sense in which they don’t really have an individual identity, if you look at this last lot some were taken in St Augustine’s graveyard, the ones for the monks start DOM, when they have filled up one grave with DOM and one stone with what their bodies were once called, they start on another one. 
http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/laptop412b/id8.htm

Some questions for the observant next.    

 What date and country of origin to you reckon this stained glass is.

 The house is gothic revival, what are the marble pillars and mantle doing there.

Pugin’s Abbey Church St Augustine’s Ramsgate

This church is open to the public every Sunday from 2pm until 4pm and I recommend taking the opportunity to visit this iconic Ramsgate Building.

At the moment the future of the church is uncertain as the monks are leaving Ramsgate, services there are conducted by the incumbent of St Ethelbert’s Church, he is also leaving and it is uncertain if his replacement will be prepared to take on both churches.

Because of this there is a possibility that at some time in the future there may be no, or very limited public access, which is another reason to take advantage.


Click here for the pictures

I have taken the liberty of adding the Pugin Society’s leaflet about the Abbey at the bottom of the page of pictures.