St Edmund van Abingdon Chapel - nog 'n sukses vir Destination Dover

The historic St Edmund of Abingdon Chapel in Priory Road Dover has entered into another phase of its long life. A grant from the Coastal Communities Fund has funded restoration of the walls, hout dak balke en verbeterde verwarming en verligting.

Die klein kapel dateer uit 1253 en is oorspronklik gebou as 'n lykshuis kapel vir die baie pelgrims wat gesterf het wat deur Dover op pad na die groot tempel van St Thomas Becket by Canterbury katedraal. Dit is ingewy en toegewyde deur Biskop Richard van Chichester om sy onderwyser St Edmund van Abingdon. Biskop Richard gesterf 'n paar dae later in die Maison Dieu - nou Dover stadsaal.

After the destruction of the monasteries by King Henry VIII the chapel was lost behind shops and houses. At one stage it was a blacksmith’s forge. Following the bombing during the second world war it was “found” again and identified and escaped destruction by the Dover Borough Council in the 1960s by the skin of its teeth. Eventually it was saved and funds raised to restore it. Die St Edmund van Abingdon Trust bestuur die kapel vandag en gereelde godsdienstige dienste daar gehou.

The work just completed will enable the Chapel to be much more widely used by the whole community and a series of concerts and other events are planned. Mr Paul Smye-Rumsby, Voorsitter van die Trust, verwelkom 'n voltal van plaaslike mense en ondersteuners van die kapel by die openingsgeleentheid op Donderdag 19ste September.

The successful bid to the Coastal Communities Fund and all the work at the Chapel has been spearheaded and managed by Destination Dover – the Town Council’s Tourism Partnership with Dover Big Local and other organisations.

Raadslid Sue Jones, Voorsitter van die Komitee Gemeenskap en Dienste gesê

The opening has shown just what a fabulous venue the Chapel is for events for everyone to enjoy. The refurbishment will underpin and support the economic development and regeneration taking place in this part of our historic Town Centre.

Die Trust is aktief besig om die program van aktiwiteite verder te ontwikkel by die kapel - en as jy belangstel in die gebruik van die kapel vir gemeenskap gebeure is kontak die bestemmings Dover Bestuurder, Diederik Smet at diederiksmet@destinationdover.org.uk of 'n beroep op 01304 242625.

Ons foto toon mnr Paul Smye-Rumsby, Voorsitter van die St Edmund van Abingdon Trust verwelkom die gehoor om die heropening van die kapel.