Quarr Abbey is just one of hundreds of buildings across the world that have been placed on a list of endangered monuments by the World Monuments Fund.
The abbey has been added to the watch list as the medieval ruins and monastic buildings and surrounding infrastructure are in need of repair.
The report reads, “The ancient, now-ruined Cistercian Abbey of St. Mary’s at Quarr was founded by Baldwin de Redvers in 1132 A.D. on the windswept cliffs and ancient woodland of the Isle of Wight. The monastery survived as both a religious institution and defensive structure, until its destruction in the sixteenth century during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
“The modern Quarr Abbey was constructed in the early twentieth century by architect Dom Paul Bellot after the arrival of an order of French Benedictine monks. The monastic buildings, considered some of the most important twentieth-century religious structures in the United Kingdom, were constructed from Belgian brick in a medieval style combining French and Moorish architectural elements. The complex is surrounded by a beautiful landscape of gardens, fields, farm buildings, medieval ruins, and the ocean.”
Being on list may help future of endangered treasures
It’s hoped that by adding buildings or structures to the watch list, attention is drawn to their need for support.
The listing for Quarr goes on to say, “Increased awareness about the significance of the monastic complex and the surviving spiritual life within its walls will hopefully help to garner support for the repair, maintenance, and management of the structures, as well as improve visitor facilities and public engagement.
“It may also shed new light on a problem faced by many historic religious institutions the world over, where thinning congregations and dwindling communities impact ways of life as well as the structures so integral to their practice.”
On a side note, we’re pleased to see that the 20th Century Society nominated parts of the ‘brutalist’ South Bank centre as endangered treasures.
