| The abbey was dissolved in
the 1530s, though it may not have been in use at the time. Sometime
in the 1630s the abbey and its lands came into the possession of Sir
Richard Blake. The closing of the monasteries came as a great blow
to the ordinary people. For many, the monasteries were more than
places of worship: they provided hospitality and served as centres
of culture and education as well. With their destruction the people
lost important community centres and this loss may have strengthened
many in their resolve to abide by the faith of their fathers and
reject the doctrines of the alien reformed church. |
