Page 25 - Illustrated Reditch History

The Monks Grow Rich

The abbey had been up and running for 200 years
before the name ‘Redditch’ appears in old
manuscripts. Quite often, as you walk along the river
Arrow, you will notice that the water is a curious
reddish-brown colour, probably from the red clay in
the river banks. The French couldn’t decide whether
Redditch was male or female so sometimes they
called it la Redditch, which is female, and sometimes
le Rededych, which is male.

As you pass through Worcestershire today you see
many fields of sheep. In the days of the abbey, these
were thought to be the best sheep in the world. The
lush green grass made their wool soft and silky.
Clothing manufacturers at home and abroad were
willing to pay a high price for wool from the abbey.
The monks owned more than 3,000 sheep on land
across England and into Wales. Bordesley Abbey
became the fifth richest abbey in England.
Their income came from wool from the sheep, and
The Red Ditch. the produce from twenty surrounding granges
(farms).
The abbey was founded for men who wanted to get away from the noise and stresses
of the world but instead it became a big business empire!
Bordesley Abbey was so prosperous that it was able to send monks out to found
other abbeys. Two were founded in Warwickshire in Merevale and Stoneleigh, and
one in Gloucestershire at Flaxley.

Another Cistercian abbey was founded in France. By 1157 the fighting was over and
the Empress’s son had been King of England for three years. The Empress was getting
old, she was 55 years of age. She had been imprisoned during the war and had
promised God that if she could escape she would found an abbey.
Do you remember Hugh Waleran, Earl of Worcester, who founded
Bordesley Abbey? He went on a Crusade to the Holy Land and was caught in
a terrible storm. He also promised God that if he were saved, he would
found an abbey. The Empress and Earl Waleran forgot their
differences and together they founded an abbey at Gruchet le Valasse
in Normandy in Northern France. If you go to this part of France, do
try and visit the abbey. Unlike
the one at Redditch, a
great deal has been
rebuilt and kept in
good order, and you
can get some idea of
how Bordesley Abbey
once appeared. To
show its links with
Redditch, a red The Abbey at Gruchet le Valasse in France was
telephone box has built by monks from Bordesley Abbey.
been placed in the
town square.
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