Aventures in Oxenford and Elleswher: Summer Program Week 2: Downside Abbey, Bath

I was first introduced to the English countryside by my bus ride from Heathrow Airport to the historic city of Bath. At the Bath bus station, my four Thomas More compatriots and I met Leonie Caldecott (one of the founders of the Centre for Faith and Culture in Oxford) and made our way to Downside Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the small town of Stratton-on-the-Fosse. During our week at Downside, we lived in the boarding school dormitories a few strides away from the Abbey.

Tessa Caldecott, Victoria, Elena, Tyler, Lady Asquith, Jonathan, Laurie, Leonie Caldecott

Day One consisted of settling in, exploring the Abbey, and touring the incredibly stocked Downside library with Dr. Simon Johnson. Along with the impressive collection of breviaries, histories, philosophical treatises, and more, Dr. Johnson treated us to special viewings of a 13th-century seal collection, a 14th-century illustrated hymn book, and a personal Bible of Bl. John Henry Newman, amongst other library treasures.

Interior of Downside Abbey

My favorite statue in the Abbey - 15th century wooden Madonna.

East Window - by Ninian Comper, 1936

Close-up. Artist: Nicolaus van Leyden

View of the Special Collections Room in the Library

13th-century Seal Collection

14th-century Hymn Book

For the next five days, we enjoyed lectures by a variety of historians, scholars, and authors.
Dom Aidan Bellenger, Abbot of Downside and medieval historian, provided a background of the medieval period leading into the Reformation. He focused first on the development, function, and ideals of monasticism, with reference to the three primary monastic orders of the Middle Ages (Benedictine, Cistercian, and Carthusian). The monastic life embodied the ideal of the Christian life, namely, seeking God and eternal life. The flourishing of culture and order in the monasteries in England came to a sudden end with the dissolution of the monasteries during the Reformation. Dom Bellenger proposed the thesis that the monasteries were primarily dissolved not because they were corrupt or lacking in popularity or influence, but because King Henry VIII wanted/had a need for their wealth. The holiness and lifestyle of the monastics was appreciated, but in the eyes of the king and his court, their wealth needed to be redistributed.

The next three sections of lectures investigated the impact of the Reformation on English literature. A TMC summer program alumnus guided us in an overview seminar to provide some context for the next two days of lectures. We had a broad discussion encompassing such subjects as miracle, mystery, and morality plays, Elizabethan drama, Protestant propaganda, the Tudor myth, and the relationship between drama and politics.

On Thursday and Friday, Lady Clare Asquith, Countess of Oxford, kindly joined us to give lectures and share her academic work summarized in her book, Shadowplay: The Hidden Beliefs and Coded Politics of William Shakespeare. Over two days, Lady Asquith explored the Elizabethan and Jacobite periods through Shakespeare's eyes, using specific plays to illustrate the ways in which Shakespeare responded to the political and religious events and issues of the day in his works. Lady Asquith opened the lecture series with an introduction to medieval allegory and Renaissance religious symbolism. She next described what happened to Catholicism in England through the lens of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and various works of Elizabethan contemporary authors and poets. To address the Jacobite period, Lady Asquith referenced King Lear and specifically addressed the theme of oath-taking.

Gerard Kilroy, prominent biographer of Edmund Campion, gave two lectures on Saturday. In the first, he presented an in-depth discussion of the pilgrim kiss and orchard scenes in Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Kilroy drew out the religious elements in both scenes and examined Romeo's identity as "a pilgrim of love who fails to hope." In his second lecture, Mr. Kilroy presented us with a riveting account of the captive priests at Lyford Grange, drawing on a first-hand account and a second-hand account of the last days of St. Edmund Campion's life. During the reign of Elizabeth, Edmund Campion was a well-known scholar and orator. During the religious persecutions under Elizabeth, Campion was a hunted priest, finally captured at Lyford Grange, the Catholic network outside Oxford, after a servant betrayed Campion's whereabouts.

For our last lecture at the Downside, A.P. Gushurst-Moore, professor of English at the Abbey's boarding school, gave a talk entitled "Thomas More and the Politics of Christian Humanism." It was a detailed examination of the legacy of Thomas More in politics, specifically in the relationships between church and state and between natural law and divine law. Dr. Moore concluded the talk with a summary of the basic principles of Christian humanism, such as the importance of literature and the dignity of humanity.

In addition to attending lectures and daily prayers in the Abbey, there were many opportunities for social activities. During my week at Downside, I had many firsts: first pint in an English pub, first legitimate game of croquet, first taste of local cider, first cream tea, first walking excursion on a public footpath, first English chocolate bar. As a group, we went to The King's Arms, the only pub in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, a few times - it was conveniently located just down the road from the Abbey. We had our "spot" in the back room, where we had lively discussions of theology, politics, Dr. Who, movie philosophy, and more.

Exploring the public footpaths of the English countryside.

NO preservatives or artificial flavors, made IN England. Best Kit Kat bar ever.

At our spot in The King's Arms, first night in an English pub.

Additionally, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the city of Bath twice. The first time, I spent a pleasant afternoon in Bath with a fellow student, Laurie. We visited Bath Abbey, saw the Roman baths, and had cream tea with Mrs. Caldecott in the famous Pump Room. Today, the Pump Room is a tea parlor and restaurant; in the 18th and 19th century, it was the central venue for social gatherings in Bath. During her time in Bath, Jane Austen certainly attended dances and other functions at the Pump Room. While Laurie, Mrs. Caldecott and I shared tea, scones, and Bath buns, the string trio transported us back to the Regency days.

In front of Bath Abbey

Close-up of the Jacob's ladder detail of the facade.

Window depicts 57 scenes of the life of Christ.

View down the aisle of Bath Abbey.

Close-up of the fan vaulting on the ceiling.

Entrance to the Roman bath springs.

Three different types of natural spring water to taste.

After our cream tea in the Pump Room.

During my second visit to Bath, I saw more of the historical sites in Bath, such as the Assembly Rooms, the Circus, and the Royal Crescent. With fellow students Jonathan and Tyler, I went to the Jane Austen Centre and learned even more about her life, family, novels, and the time period in which she lived.