Background
Long Description
Illustrative map showing the Downside school estate, school buildings and sports pitches
- Abbey Church
- Art Schools
- Astro Hockey / Tennis
- Tennis / Netball
- CCF
- Domestic Services
- Green Lane
- Gymnasium
- Health Centre
- Humanities
- Junior Ganes
- Monastery Entrance (Abbey Road)
- Monastic Infirmary
- Monastic Library
- Music School
- Old Chapel
- Pastoral Centre
- Pavilion
- Petre Library
- Reception
- School Entrance
- School Shop
- Science
- Senior Games
- SPorts Hall
- Squash Courts
- Swimming Pool
- Theatre
- War Memorial
- Workshops
- Barlow House
- Caverel House
- Isabella House
- Plunkett House
- Powell House
- Roberts House
- Smythe House
Chronology of abbots, priors and headmasters
| Abbots of Downside Abbey | |
|---|---|
| Abbot Edmund Ford | 1900–1906 |
| Abbot Cuthbert Butler | 1906–1922 |
| Abbot Leander Ramsey | 1922–1929 |
| Abbot John Chapman | 1929–1933 |
| Abbot Bruno Hicks | 1933–1938 |
| Abbot Sigebert Trafford | 1938–1946 |
| Abbot Christopher Butler | 1946–1966 |
| Abbot Wilfrid Passmore | 1966–1974 |
| Abbot John Roberts | 1974–1990 |
| Abbot Charles Fitzgerald-Lombard | 1990–1998 |
| Abbot Richard Yeo | 1998–2006 |
| Richard Yeo appointed abbot president of EBC 1 August 2001–1 August 2017. During this period Abbot Thomas Frerking (of St Louis Abbey in the United States) acted as abbot president in respect of issues that arose at Downside. | |
| Abbot Aidan Bellenger | 2006–2014 |
| Dom Leo Maidlaw Davis[1] | 2014–present[2] |
| Christopher Jamieson, Abbot of Worth Abbey, appointed Abbot President of EBC 1 August 2017 | |
| Priors of Downside Abbey | |
|---|---|
| Dom John Roberts | 1966–1974 |
| Dom Ninian Fair | 1974–1985 |
| Dom Daniel Rees | 1985–1991 |
| Dom Philip Jebb | 1991–2001 |
| Dom Aidan Bellenger | 2001–2006 |
| Dom Anselm Brumwell | 2014–present |
| Headmasters of Downside School | |
|---|---|
| Dom Wilfred Passmore | 1946–1962 |
| Dom Aelred Watkin | 1962–1975 |
| Dom Raphael Appleby | 1975–1980 |
| Dom Philip Jebb | 1980–1991 |
| Headmasters of Downside School | |
|---|---|
| Dom Aidan Bellenger | 1991–1995 |
| Dom Antony Sutch | 1995–2003 |
| Dom Leo Maidlow Davis | 2003–2014 |
| Dr James Whitehead | 2014–December 2017 |
| Andrew Hobbs[3] | December 2017–present |
Background
1. Downside Abbey in Somerset is the senior Benedictine monastery of the English Benedictine Congregation. It was the first monastic community to revive the English Benedictine traditions following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1530, and was originally founded at St Gregory’s in Douai, France in 1606. Following the French Revolution, the community returned to England in 1814 and settled at Downside.[4] A chronological list of abbots, priors and headmasters at Downside appears at the front of this section.
2. There is at present no abbot of Downside. Dom Aidan Bellenger was abbot of Downside between 2006 and 2014. When he completed his eight-year term of office in 2014, because of the small number of monks in residence at Downside (fewer than 20) it was considered that there were no eligible candidates, so the decision was taken not to hold an abbatial election. Instead, Dom Leo Maidlow Davis was appointed as prior administrator, a position that carries the same responsibilities as abbot, and to whom the monks at Downside are expected to show the same ‘obedience and reverence’, in accordance with the EBC Constitutions. He was re-appointed in 2016, and currently carries out what would be the functions of the abbot. We understand he will be stepping down in 2018.
3. The community of St Gregory’s became involved in the education of young people as early as the 17th century. During the 19th century, the school at Downside was a small monastic school for boys. Downside School today provides a Catholic boarding school education for boys and girls aged between 11 and 18, having become co-educational in 2005.[5] The school is situated within the historic buildings of the monastery, and the proximity can be seen from the plans and photographs at the front of this section. We have heard that there is an intrinsic and a very physical connection between the two, and that ‘You can’t get away from either side of it geographically.’[6] Also that ‘in the early days’ it was easy to walk from one building to another, and to walk from the school into the abbey and it was common for students and monks to intermingle.[7] Following the investigations in 2010/2011, a system to separate the abbey and the school was introduced, as set out in the school’s bounds policy.
4. Several witnesses have referred to the abbey or the school or both as ‘Downside’. We will adopt that approach but will distinguish between them where necessary when dealing with the allegations below.