The story of the Abbey and surroundings is just fascinating. It was built beginning in the 1000s by Benedictine monks, and was one of the most prestigious religious centers in the country. Here is a painting of what it supposedly looked like:
Now here is the amazing thing about this painting: remember how big the cathedral was in my pictures from yesterday, how high the ceiling was? That cathedral is the seemingly tiny building along the wall just left of center. Just look at how HUGE the abbey was!!! It completely dwarfs the cathedral! It must have been as big as a castle, just imagine that central tower... geez.
So after you see this incredible size comparison, you walk out the back door of the cathedral, and you see... ruins. Maybe I am weird, but all of a sudden I felt really sad. The majesty of what was once there, reduced to barely recognizable rubble. The story about the fall of the abbey is what makes it even sadder. (I hope I get this story right.) It is part of the infamous story of King Henry the Eighth wanting to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. When the pope would not consent, Henry took control of the Church of England and the abbeys were dissolved in 1536. When the abbey closed, there was so much hatred towards it that the townspeople ransacked the structure and carried away the very stones that made up the walls. It's hard to imagine something so beautiful being destroyed piece by piece.
I was so glad I decided to go back today, because I discovered signs scattered around the ruins that described what part of the abbey they used to make up. I also found some public footpaths behind the Gardens, which ended up being a giant circle around a nature preserve that I loved exploring. Then I spent almost an hour in the St Mary's churchyard looking at the ancient grave markers and memorials. Some of you may think this is morbid, but I just think it is amazing to read the names and dates and imagine what those people might have been like, what their lives were like soooo long ago.
Oh, I almost forgot the other cool story I promised in my picture captions yesterday, about the Angel Hotel, the one with all the vines covering the front. After the too-short tour from base, I knew I wanted to go back and see more, so I went by the Lakenheath Hotel to ask Paul for suggestions, since he lives in Bury. It turns out that he actually used to work at the Angel Hotel, and it is so much more interesting than it first appears. It actually dates back to the same time as the abbey, and when the monks were being persecuted, they built tunnels underground from the abbey to the hotel, which is across the street from the ruins. The tunnels are now closed, but the hotel still has a basement restaurant where you can see the old entrances. I really wanted to see them, but the hotel is very upscale and did not appear open to tourists. Paul says that celebrities stay there a lot; he met Reese Witherspoon, Angelina Jolie, and that blond guy who plays Hugh Grant's annoying flat-mate in "Notting Hill".
So here is the link to pictures from my solo outing to Bury today (Saturday): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=295872&id=701905001&l=7abc35a6cf
I noticed that my blog entry from yesterday just showed up in my email, so I guess those of you following by email will be a day behind... but that's okay. I am not expecting tomorrow to be as interesting, hehe. Trying an off-base church in the morning with a girl from OCF, then laundry will be necessary in the afternoon. Fun...
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