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A full history of the Ladywell Shrine

The message of Christianity first reached Britain, not with Augustine in the 6th century; but much earlier, from Roman garrisons stationed here and seaborne by travellers and merchants from Brittany and France making their way to Ireland, the end, of the then known world.

It is to Augustine however that we look for the great missionary endeavour that converted England. In the latter part of the 6th century, 597 a.d. he landed on the Isle of Thanet off the coast of Kent armed with the Gospel and the 'Pastoralis', the 'Shepherd's Book' in which Pope Gregory the Great laid down the pattern for the conversion and pastoral care of the English.

It is not possible to ascertain the exact date of the foundation of the Minster at Tuesley but the drawing together of various threads of history helps us to place it early in the

7th century or, as we shall see, at a perhaps earlier date.

Augustine as we know, came to Kent probably early in the year of 597. A letter of encouragement to his companions from Pope Gregory is dated the 23rd July 596. (Bede Eccl. His.) Augustine and his missionaries had heard tales of the ferocity of the English and Augustine had returned to Rome at the wish of his companions to request Gregory to revoke the endeavour. Gregory wrote urging them to pay no heed to these tales and telling them: 'not to be deterred by the troubles of the journey or by what men say but to be constant and zealous in carrying out the enterprise.'

King Ethelbert whose wife, Queen Bertha, daughter of the King of Paris, was already a Christian, was among the first Anglo Saxons that Augustine won for Christ.

Under his patronage Augustine and his missionaries spread across the south of England and north into East Anglia. Wessex was Christian by 635 a.d. and Chertsey Abbey   was founded in 666 a.d.

The Anglo Saxon settlement at Godalming may be dated between 568-650 a.d. The small raised area at the foot of Holloway Hill provided a perfect place for the settlement surrounded as it was, and still is, by the River Wey and the small stream the River Ock, which enters the Wey near the Old Rectory. (The Anglo Saxons held that no enemy or evil spirit could reach them across water.) Their pasture land stretched from what is now the High Street down to the river itself. Behind the settlement Holloway Hill gave protection against attack, and on its plateau-like summit lay the arable land where they grew grain and root vegetables. It was in the woodland that skirted this land that the Anglo Saxons built the shrine to the War God Tew or Tiw and from this comes the name by which we now know the area, that of Tuesley.

Augustine and his missionaries, acting on the advice and direction given them by Pope Gregory, would have founded the Christian Church in this area on the site of the pagan temple for: 'after mature deliberation on the affairs of the English, we have come to the conclusion that the temples of the idols among the people should on no account be destroyed. The idols are to be destroyed but the temples themselves are to be purified with Holy water, altars set up in them, and relics deposited there.

For if these temples are well built, they must be purified from the worship of demons and dedicated to the service of the true God.

In this way, we hope that the people, seeing their temples are not destroyed, may abandon their error and flocking more readily to their accustomed resorts, may come to adore and know the true God' (Bede Ecc. His)

The original parish of Godalming, established in the 9th century, stretched as far as Chiddingfold, with Haslemere, Compton and Shackleford within its boundaries. The earliest reference we have tothe Minster is in the Domesday Book where Raduff Flambard, Canon of Salisbury who later became Bishop of Durham, (1099a.d.), 'Had holding of the manor church at Godelminge.' This same Raduff 'holds another church in the same place'. This 'other church', held in 1086 by Raduff may be recognised as the Minster at Tuesley.

The present church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Godalming, which is within the area where the Anglo Saxon settlement was, has 11th century Saxon work and would have, in all    probability, replaced a still earlier church on the same site. However, we have in the archives of Salisbury Cathedral, a record of a visitation carried out by Dean Wanda in 1220 in which he made an inventory of properties belonging tothe Cathedral Church of Salisbury. The Register of St. Osmund reads thus: There is also a chapel in the common field of Godalming towards Tiwerlei which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin where was         established the first church at Godalming.

Celebrations are now held only three times during the year, that is to say on the Eve of the Assumption the Purification and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and this is done by reason of the great devotion for that place. And there has been a cemetery there from ancient times.'

This establishes the existence of the chapel at Tuesley, called the Minster, as the first of the missionary foundations in the area, possibly Saxon or even a yet earlier date, for there was a Christian community in Britain long before the Saxons came, Bede tells of Lucius, a British King, who sent toEleutherus in Rome (156 a.d.) asking tobe made a Christian under his direction. Again Bede speaks of St. Alban and his companions who were martyred for the faith in 301 as were many other Christian people. Churches were destroyed and the peoples outlawed in a persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian which lasted for ten years. Particularly the name 'Minster' which has persisted down the centuries and is mentioned in many documents points to the existence of something much more important than a small chapel taken over from pagan worship of early Saxon settlers. In the foundations of the chapel there is a considerable quantity of 'worked' stone. Chapels of the early Saxon period were of wattle, timber and thatched roof. The possibility is not remote that an ancient British Christian Minster, standing as it did in a wooded area, could have escaped the Roman persecution, been taken over by the invading Saxons for their pagan worship only tohave reverted again to Christian worship at the coming of Augustine.

This would explain the founding of the church in the Saxon settlement at the foot of Holloway Hill before the year 1000 for the Minster would have been too distant and too small for the community at Godalming.

The word Minster itself refers to the Mother Church, the centre for the administration of the Sacraments in districts before they were divided into parishes, each with its own village church. Even when such churches existed Christian communities returned to the Mother Church three times a year and made offerings to it.

The Register of St. Osmund sites the Eve of the feasts of the Assumption, Purification and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in relation to the Minster at Tuesley.

The name Minster Field, 'Oldmynstrefelde', is given on a map dated 1441 (Losley MS) and an annual fair was held there on Lady Day up to 1540. The custom of holding a fair on the patronal feast of a church deteriorated after the Reformation in this country but is still the occasion of celebration in many continental countries.

In 1860 the foundations of the Minster were partly excavated by Mr. J .C. Ramsden to whom the estate at Busbridge belonged at that time. They were stone built and showed a nave of 21' x 14' with an eastern extension 12' x 11' providing a chancel in the eastern part which was divided into two parts each about 21' x 5'. In the farthest compartment were found nine skeletons lying east to west. The site was again covered and the place marked by a cross made from the original stones.

The Minster at Tuesley

When the Minster Field came into the possession of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, the area of the field where the chapel had stood was cleared and the present shrine erected over the spot. At each corner of the shrine are stones from the original church and over the last twenty years the Minster field has seen the return of pilgrims to pray at this sacred place. At the foot of the hill on which the Minster stands is a small spring which may well be the origin of the name 'Ladywell' by which, the hill has been known by many generations.
In the parish church of St. John the Baptist at Busbridge, there is a stained glass window of King Alfred and his Queen. Inset in the lower part of the window is a scene depicting Augustine baptising King Ethelbert and another of a pilgrim drinking from the spring, whilst on the hill above him stands the little Minster Church.

The first Mass since the Minster fell into disuse was celebrated on the site of the Minster on the Eve of the Nativity of our Blessed Lady, September 7th 1979. During the last four years the Minster field has seen a great gathering of Christian people of many denominations early on the morning of Easter Day, united in praise of the Risen Lord.

The Minster, the Mother Church, was dedicated to Mary who is the Mother of the Church.

Long after the establishing of the churches in Godalming and its surrounding villages, Christian people came to the Minster on her feastdays to celebrate the Eucharist.

Love of Mary has always been a vital part of the faith of these islands. It is through her motherhood that we received Jesus and she continues to be the Mother of his Body, the Church, leading us to him. It was within the little church on the summit of Holloway Hill, for the first time in this part of our land, Jesus was acclaimed as Lord, to the glory of God, the Father. May we who now visit the Minister continue that prayer of praise.