[100981] Peterborough Cathedral : Abbot Alexander Holderness

Peterborough Cathedral, Cambridgeshire.

The Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul & St Andrew.

Alexander Holderness, Abbot of Peterborough, 1222-26.

 

The Abbots' Monuments.

The five stone monuments of medieval Abbots are the finest of their type in Britain and date from the early 13th century. The Abbot was the head of the Abbey (the title means father). They were powerful men who often served as advisors to the King.

 

The monuments are made from local Alwalton marble and follow a standard design. They show the abbot holding a book (either the Bible or Rule of Benedict) and pastoral staff with which he trampled down a dragon, symbolising the power of evil.

 

The memorials are not in their original positions. The first abbots were buried in the Chapter House, where they had exercised authority over their community. Later abbots were buried near the high altar, where their monument reminded the monks to pray for their souls.

Done