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Elstow
Abbey , Bedfordshire History and visitor guide to medieval Elstow Abbey, beloved church of John Bunyan. |
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Elstow AbbeyThe name "Elstow" derives from "Helen Stow" or St. Helena's stockade. The St. Helena in question was the mother of the Emperor Constantine and patron saint of a nunnery founded here in 1075 by Judith, niece of William the Conqueror. William gave the holding of Elstow to Judith, who founded the nunnery and endowed it with the revenue from the village. The convent church was begun sometime in the 12th century and an elaborate facade was added in the 13th century. Henry II granted the nuns of Elstow the right to hold a fair, which became so popular in the region that respectable Bedford merchants assaulted Bedfordites on their way to Elstow! In the early 17th century the abbey buildings were lying in ruins, and the lord of Elstow, Thomas Hillersdon, used the stone to build a manor house near the church. That house itself is now in ruins. The parish church was once part of the nunnery church. It is unusual in maintaining a campanile, or detatched bell tower, which was erected after the nunnery tower was demolished. John Bunyan is said to have delighted in listening to the 5 bells which still ring out from the tower, and the seat that he used while attending services is still proudly displayed to visitors. In the nave the early Norman tympanum and chevron carvings survive from Judith's time. The abbey at one time owned Elstow Moot Hall, which was used as a storage place for the annual May Fair and a court for disputes arising from the fair.
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