Abbot Penny's Wall is a monastic boundary wall which once partially enclosed the grounds of

Leicester Abbey The Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis, more commonly known as Leicester Abbey, was an Augustinians, Augustinian religious house in the city of Leicester, in the East Midlands of England. The abbey was founded in the 12th century by the Robert de Be ...

. It stands in Abbey Park to the west of the City of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, England. The wall was built around 1500 by

John Penny John Penny (died 1520) was an English priest, successively Bishop of Bangor, 1504–1508, and Bishop of Carlisle, 1508–1520. He was also Prior to Bradley Priory 1503–1508. His education is uncertain, though he may have been edu ...

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

of Leicester from 1496 to 1509. It is a rare example of

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

English brickwork. Restored in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, the wall is now in the care of Leicester City Council and is a Grade I listed structure and a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

History

was an abbey of the Augustinian order established in 1143. Founded by Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, it became one of the wealthiest and most powerful monastic houses of the Order. In 1496

became

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

, while also holding office as Bishop of Bangor, and subsequently

Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York. The diocese covers the county of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District. The see is in the city of Car ...

. In around 1500, Penny ordered construction of a long boundary wall to the north and west of the abbey, which subsequently became known as Abbot Penny's Wall. The attribution to Penny arises from the initials ''J.P.'', which appear in blue brick in the wall, and to John Leland, who published a record of his visit in about 1540, noting that; "This Peny made the new bricke worke in Leicester Abbay, and much of the bricke waulles". Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the abbey was demolished in around 1538. The wall was restored in the 19th and 20th centuries. By the 21st century it was again in disrepair, and sections were threatened with collapse due to undermining from the roots of nearby trees. A survey in 2018 was followed by extensive renovations in 2020–2021. The restoration cost £540,000.

Architecture and description

Abbot Penny's Wall is one of the best remaining examples of

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

English diapered brickwork. Alan McWhirr, in his study of Leicestershire brick buildings, considers the wall has “some of the most elaborate diaper patterned brickwork to be found in Britain”. The use of brick in Britain dates from the time of the Roman Imperium. Following the Roman evacuation in the 4th century, brick building declined. The Medieval period saw a resurgence in its use as a prestige construction material. Notable examples in Leicestershire include the south towers of

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle Ashby de la Zouch Castle is a ruined fortification in the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. The castle was built by William, Lord Hastings, a favourite of Edward IV, after 1473, accompanied by the creation of a park. Construc ...

and

Kirby Muxloe Castle Kirby Muxloe Castle, also known historically as Kirby Castle, is a ruined, fortified manor house in Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire, England. William, Lord Hastings, began work on the castle in 1480, founding it on the site of a pre-existing manor ...

. Abbot Penny's Wall is built of red and blue brick with Charnwood

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

. In addition to John Penny’s initials, ''J.P.'', the wall contains a number of patterns picked out in blue brick. These include

crosses Crosses may refer to: * Cross, the symbol Geography * Crosses, Cher, a French municipality * Crosses, Arkansas, a small community located in the Ozarks of north west Arkansas Language * Crosses, a truce term used in East Anglia and Lincolnshire ...

, a chalice, various “abstract designs” and the

monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...

IHC IHC may refer to: Medicine * Immunohistochemistry * Intrahepatic cholestasis Science and technology * Indirectly Heated Cathode, a type of hot cathode used in vacuum electronics tubes * Intelligent Home Control, home automation and control s ...

. It is a Grade I listed structure and a

Notes

References

Sources

* * {{cite book , last1=Pevsner, first1=Nikolaus , last2=Williamson, first2=Elizabeth , authorlink1=Nikolaus Pevsner , title=Leicestershire and Rutland , url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/leicestershire-and-rutland/oclc/49298894?referer=br&ht=edition , series=Buildings of England , year=2003 , location=New Haven, US and London , publisher=

Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous. , Yale Universi ...

, isbn=9780300096187 Leicester Archaeological sites in Leicestershire History of Leicester Buildings and structures in Leicester Walls in England Grade I listed walls Grade I listed buildings in Leicestershire Scheduled monuments in Leicester