Arbroath Abbey Sightseeing National

Arbroath Abbey

 
Description: King William the Lion founded the Arbroath Abbey in 1178 in honour of the murdered St. Thomas, Archbishop of ... more
Arbroath Abbey ... Canterbury. It was placed in the hands of the Tironensian order based in Kelso. King William granted his new Abbey independence from the mother house. He also showered it with endowments. These included the income from 24 parishes, a toft of land in every royal burgh, lands, fisheries, salt pans, ferries and of course Arbroath itself. The monks were permitted to set up a burgh, hold a market and to build a harbour. Even King John of England granted the Abbey the privilege of buying and selling goods anywhere in England, except the City of London, toll free. The function of Arbroath and every other Abbey was to provide an ordered way of life based on the Gospel’s teachings under which the monks could serve God and sanctify their souls. The monks did not work outside the Abbey. Their chief function was to perform the Divine Office. Arbroath Abbey hosted the most significant event in Scottish history. On 6 April 1320 the Scottish Declaration of Independence was signed by the assembled Scottish nobility in Arbroath Abbey. The Declaration was addressed to the Pope who had given his support to Edward II and excommunicated Robert the Bruce. The nobles had to intervene in the dispute between the Bruce and the Pope. The Declaration explained how the Bruce had rescued the country from a dreadful situation and for this they would support him in all things. A reconstruction of this event was staged by the Arbroath Abbey Pageant Society during the 1940’s to the mid 1980’s. The Abbey fell into decline and after the Reformation it fell into ruin also. Many of the monks remained in the declining monastery. For a number of years the Lady Chapel was used as a parish church. In 1590 Arbroath Town Council granted the stones and timbers from the old dormitory to be used to build a proper church. The Abbey became a quarry for cash conscious burgesses. Many houses still have interesting carved details which started life in the Abbey. It was not until 1815 that any steps were taken to preserve the ruins. Arbroath Abbey has one more important date in its history. On Christmas Day 1950 the Stone of Destiny was stolen from Westminster Abbey. On the morning of 11 April 1951 it was deposited on the site of the high alter where it was discovered by the Abbey custodian. Many believe it was not the original stone that was returned or that now sits in Edinburgh Castle.

Newest Review: ... strong in the Scottish hearts today though as we still fight for devolution. For many years the Arbroath Abbey Pageant Society re-enacted this historical scene and I remember being very awe struck by this somewhat magical site when I attended with my primary school in the early 80s. This exciting rememberence of history had been stopped because of lack of funding but a successful Pageant ... more

 ... took place earlier this year and this must only be good for the history of the town of Arbroath itself as well as all the local children who can see for themselves the importance of this event. I remember being extremely proud that this had taken pla...more

Read Reviews for Arbroath Abbey

belfin
Premium Review Arbroath Abbey: Declaration of Independence (1120 words)
by - written on 07/12/05 (Very useful, 190 readings)
Rating:

Before I start with this review I will say that I am not against the English - in fact my bloke is from Yorkshire and my closest friend is from Yorkshire too so any English battering has to be taken in the spirit of history - after all they did treat us Scots extremely badly in those days. Being from Arbroath myself it is nice to comment on a local place with significant relevance to Scottish History. For this is the spot where the Declaration of Independence from that nasty lot down south took place. Arbroath is a fishing town on the east coast of Scotland 17 miles up the coast from Dundee and about 50 miles down from Aberdeen. We are known to ...  Read the complete review

 

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Arbroath Abbey