Friends of Alton Abbey

The ‘Friends of Alton Abbey’ was established in 1980 as a registered charity to raise funds to support the charitable work of Alton Abbey and, in particular, to contribute to the costs of projects which the Community is unable to finance but which are essential to their life of witness and service.

Alton Abbey has been in existence since 1895 as the home of a community of men following the Benedictine way of life within the Church of England. The Community itself was founded some ten years earlier on work among merchant seamen in foreign seaports undertaken by Father Charles Plomer Hopkins. Since the death of Father Hopkins in 1922, the Community’s work has gradually developed a greater emphasis on the monastic rather than the active apostolate, with the Liturgy of the Hours at the core of the communal life.

For over 100 years the Benedictine Abbey has been a prominent landmark just to the west of Alton.  The buildings were designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, using Tintern Abbey as a model; the first monks did much of the construction using local flint. There is now continual need for renovation of the buildings and for the maintenance of the facilities both for the monks and their many visitors at a cost which is often beyond the limited resources of the Community.

While much has been achieved by the Friends, there is always an ever increasing demand for help. The Friends raise money for the Community by arranging a number of events through the year, to which all Friends are invited to help run, contribute or attend. And we are constantly looking for ways to make the work of the Abbey better known and stimulate ever-widening interest among those who would like to be associated with an Anglican Benedictine Community. One of the highlights of the year is the Annual Abbey Lecture which usually takes place in the autumn.

All Friends are invited by the Abbot and the Community to attend the Conventual Mass on St Benedict’s Day [11th of July] and the lunch which follows it. And of course it is hoped that Friends will be able to join the Community’s worship at other times as well.

More information about the Abbey, the Community, their work and worship, and the Friends can be found on their website: www.altonabbey.org.uk