Hastings Senior Men's Forum

THE speaker on Tuesday, February 3, was Mr Roger McKenna, his subject being 'Walsingham and the Dissolution of the Monasteries'.

Walsingham is a small village in the north of the county of Norfolk, but in this small spot a series of events have taken place over the centuries which paint a picture of the history of Christianity in England.

The story began with the picture of the monastery there, founded over the spot where the Lady Richeldis, in the Middle Ages, found a stream of water which turned out to have curative properties, and attracted not only monks, but many crowds of pilgrims, and where many miracles came to light.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But which was not to the liking of King Henry VIII, who dissolved the monastery, removed the monks and demolished many of the buildings.

Only a spectacular arch remains of this ancient building, but, over the centuries, pilgrims have continued to visit this tiny village, right up to the present day, and there are now three shrines, of the Roman Catholic, Church of England and Orthodox churches.

Altogether a concentrated glimpse of the history of the Christian church from the Middle Ages to the present day.