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QUARR ABBEY – THE ISLE OF WIGHT’S NEWEST VISITOR ATTRACTION

Quarr Abbey, near Ryde on the Isle of Wight, is on course to become the Island's newest visitor attraction following the introduction of “sign-up tours” at the monastery, resulting in a double-page feature in last Saturday’s (13 February) Daily Telegraph:  Quarr Abbey: A private view of a holy place.  

Organised by the IW Council’s Communications department, travel writer Sophie Campbell visited the Island in December to take part in a specially-arranged Christmas tour at Quarr, designed to give visitors the opportunity to learn more about the history of the community, the architecture of the church as well as an insight into the life of a Benedictine monk.

The original abbey founded in 1132, was the centre of life on the Island until its dissolution by Henry VIII.  The stone was used for building castles including the one in Yarmouth.  The monks returned in 1907 and a new abbey of glowing Flemish brick rose in its place.  

Although Quarr has always welcomed pre-arranged visits from interested groups, this was the first time that individuals had been invited to form a group to tour the abbey, which included parts of the building not usually seen.

In her write-up about the abbey, Sophie Campbell says: “That combination of other-worldliness and normality fascinates those of us who don't attend seven services a day followed by further hours lost in spiritual reading and thought. We can only wonder what it must be like to live in a semi-closed order, only occasionally touching the frenetic world outside”.

Following the feature in The Telegraph, Father Luke has received numerous e-mails from people around the country wishing to sign-up for the published tour dates: Saturday February 13, Saturday March 13 and Saturday April 10 and is even considering running more if this level of interest continues.  

Father Luke said: "I am delighted with the work that the Council’s tourism department has done for us. The perceptive and sympathetic article by Sophie Campbell in the Telegraph that has resulted is a huge help to raising our - and the island's - profile for visitors. I am also very grateful for the promotion of our bookshop and my book A Deep and Subtle Joy: Life at Quarr Abbey."

Cllr George Brown, Isle of Wight Council Cabinet Member for the economy, tourism, leisure and planning said: “Visitors are becoming increasingly interested in the culture and heritage of a place and I am therefore delighted that Quarr Abbey is developing in this way and encouraging new, out of season visitors to the Island.”

Quarr Abbey also features in this year’s Isle of Wight Walking Festival programme, organised by the IW Council.  The walking festival tour around the grounds of the abbey starts at 10.30am on Wednesday 19 May.  For more information, visit www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk

All other tours will commence at 11am from the Quarr Abbey bookshop and last around 50 minutes. Those interested should e-mail quarrabbeyvisits@gmail.com indicating which tour they would like to do (www.quarrabbey.co.uk). There is no charge for the tour but donations are invited and visitors should be decently dressed for visiting the church.  The abbey tea shop and bookshop are open most days – visit the website for further details, www.quarrabbey.co.uk

You can view the Telegraph feature on-line at www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/columnists/sophie-campbell/7084165/Quarr-Abbey-A-private-view-of-a-holy-place.html