Hexham Abbey

Overview and Introduction 

Project

REVEALING THE PAST - ENRICHING THE FUTURE
the Hexham Abbey Project

In 1537 Henry VIII ordered Edward Jay, the last Abbot of Hexham, to be hanged from the gateway of his own abbey.

The unfortunate abbot had opposed the king’s plans to dissolve England’s monasteries and, with his execution, ten centuries of monastic tradition in Tynedale came to an end.

For almost a thousand years Hexham’s ancient Abbey had provided the people of Tynedale with a place of worship, a hospital, a school, a meeting place, a hostel for pilgrims and a refuge in time of war.

Now, for the first time since Henry VIII’s Reformation of the English Church, there is a unique opportunity to recreate the Abbey’s original combination of spiritual and secular roles - by developing the former Priory buildings.

The Hexham Abbey Project
Though the Abbey’s church was retained as Hexham’s parish church, Henry VIII gave Hexham Abbey’s monastic buildings to a Tudor nobleman named Richard Carnaby and these buildings have remained outside the Abbey’s use for nearly 500 years.

This lack of space has meant Hexham Abbey has long been unable to develop many of its essential roles to their full potential. As a matter of urgency Hexham Abbey is in desperate need of:

• Permanent meeting spaces - both for religious groups and secular community activities.

• Exhibition spaces - to display the Abbey’s wealth of historical treasures in their proper context and provide space for modern displays.

• Interpretation spaces - to present the Abbey’s long and fascinating history more clearly, to both local people and visitors.

• Educational areas - where people of all ages can study both the historical and cultural significance of the Abbey in more detail and explore contemporary social issues.

• Essential amenities - such as toilets, kitchen and refreshment facilities.

The Hexham Abbey Project will satisfy these needs by restoring the principle monastic buildings to the Abbey.

The Proposals
The proposed Hexham Abbey Project will create new and exciting spaces suitable for 21st Century needs but not at the expense of the existing medieval architecture. The new spaces will be designed to blend seamlessly with the old and will open more of the original Abbey site to the public than is currently accessible.

The immediate plans involve the acquisition and restoration of the adjoining Carnaby Building, a major part of the former monastic complex, to provide a suite of rooms for meetings, exhibitions, interpretation and education as well as much needed toilet and refreshment facilities for use by members of the public, the congregation and the Abbey staff.

If sufficient funding could be raised in due course, the project would also like to re-unite the remainder of the former monastic buildings and create a cloister, based on the footprint of the original medieval structure, thereby improving the circulation around the site as a whole, re-creating the atmosphere of the original enclosed cloister and providing additional spaces suitable for education, interpretation, exhibition and performance.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to prepare Hexham’s ancient Abbey for a modern and meaningful future.

“THIS IS A RARE CHANCE TO EXPAND AND BROADEN THE WORK OF HEXHAM ABBEY. THE DEVELOPMENT WILL PROVIDE AN EXHIBITION AREA AND CONCERT SPACE AS WELL AS A REFECTORY, EDUCATION AND MEETING ROOMS. THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE VITAL TO PROVIDE A MUCH BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR OUR VISITORS, WIDER COMMUNITY AND CONGREGATION.”

The Revd Canon Graham Usher, Rector of Hexham