Abbot Penny's Wall is a

monastic Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

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 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 Beaumont, 2nd E ...

. 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 area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

, 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. Career His education is uncertain, though he may have ...

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

English

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by ...

. Restored in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, the wall is now in the care of

Leicester City Council Leicester City Council is the local authority for the city of Leicester, in the ceremonial county of Leicestershire, England. Leicester has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1997 the 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, visu ...

History

was an abbey of the

Augustinian order Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13th ...

established in 1143. Founded by

Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1104 – 5 April 1168) was Justiciar of England 1155–1168. The surname "de Beaumont" was given to him by genealogists. The only known contemporary surname applied to him is "Robert son of Count Robe ...

, 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 head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

, while also holding office as

Bishop of Bangor The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Diocese of Bangor of the Church in Wales. The Episcopal see, see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Bangor Cathedral, Cathedral Church of Sa ...

, and subsequently

Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary (officer), 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 Episcop ...

. 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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

English diapered

. 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 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 (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, 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 coo ...

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

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

, various “abstract designs” and the

monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), 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 symbo ...

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

. 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 , 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 Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...

, isbn=9780300096187 , oclc=49298894 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