Henry's Medieval Pilgrimage Trivia Quiz

Answer: It contains the bishop's chair.

Frideswide founded the priory and took a vow of celibacy, however, she was pursued by a prince who was determined to marry her. Through miraculous intervention she was able to remain unmarried and maintain her chastity. When she died in 735, Frideswide was buried at Oxford.

Actually, Christ Church Cathedral is the smallest cathedral in England. By the time Henry made his pilgrimage, the original building had been replaced. Pilgrims from all over England, even Catherine of Aragon, the wife of Henry VIII, have visited the church to pray before the relics of Frideswide. Today it contains a stained glass window, dating back to 1320, showing Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The "cathedra" was the official chair that was located at the bishop's church. Christ Church is the seat of the Bishop of Oxford.

Answer: Temple Church

The Temple Church, constructed by the Knights Templar, dates back to 1185. It was part of a large area that contained residences, military training facilities, and recreational grounds. "The Round" was used for worship services and secret initiation rites, and is the oldest part of Temple Church. It also served as a depository bank. Nobles could leave their money there, confident that it would not be seized by the king.

A study that was completed after World War II showed the ten knightly effigies are not tombs, but memorials.

Answer: Canterbury Cathedral

Of course, the most famous incident at Canterbury Cathedral was the murder of St. Thomas Becket on Tuesday, December 29, 1170. Did the king really order his execution? No one is sure, but one thing that is for sure is that Henry II visited the Cathedral to perform penance for Becket's death.

The Shrine of St. Thomas was said to be a place of miraculous healing, and pilgrims came in droves to visit his tomb. From 1220-1538, his remains were enshrined in Trinity Chapel at Canterbury, but all of his relics were removed and burned on orders of Henry VIII when he issued the "Dissolution of the Monasteries," and made the Anglican Church the supreme church in England with himself as its head.

Answer: Battle Abbey

Battle Abbey was colonized by Benedictine monks from France. The gatehouse was rebuilt during the Hundred Years War, and today is considered to be one of the finest examples in England. Unfortunately, very little of the abbey church, the first Norman church built in England, still exists today.

It was another victim of the "Dissolution of the Monasteries" under Henry VIII. At that time, part of Battle Abbey became a private home; it was sold to the Government in 1976. Visitors can tour the battlefield, and see the two hills, Seniac and Telham, which are the sites of the pre-battle Norman camps.

Answer: Bath

Settlement at Bath dates to at least 8,000 b.c., however, the city itself dates to 863 b.c. According to legend, Prince Bladud was cured of leprosy after bathing in the waters. The Romans used the area for rest, relaxation, and healing. The abbey dates to 675, when King Osric granted the land for a convent.

The site had undergone numerous changes by the time of Henry's visit. John of Tours, the royal physician, began construction of a new cathedral, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, and became the first bishop in 1090.

In the 1500s the church was renovated in the Gothic style. Today it is an active parish church.

Answer: Salisbury Cathedral

Osmund was the nephew of William the Conqueror, and was one of the Chief Commissioners for organizing the Doomsday Book. He is also given credit for the institution of much of the Norman religious organization that took place after the conquest. By the time Henry visited the church, construction might have begun on the central spire, which is the tallest in England.

He also would have seen brand new choir stalls, whose oak was donated by King Henry III. They are the largest and oldest existing set of choir stalls in England.

The oldest working clock in Europe, dating to 1386, is displayed in the north nave aisle. It was originally located in the bell tower. Today a tourist would not want to leave Salisbury Cathedral without viewing what is considered to be the best-preserved of the four original copies of the Magna Carta!

Answer: Joseph of Arimathea

Henry was excited by the legend, but truth be told, the site was probably first settled by early Christian missionaries sent from Rome. The church that was built was very simple - probably wattle and daub - but was rebuilt in stone in the 700s. According to the Doomsday Book, Glastonbury Abbey was the wealthiest abbey in England.

After a fire destroyed most of the abbey in 1184, the monks claimed to find the grave of King Arthur while clearing away the rubble. They found a Celtic cross with the Latin inscription "Here lies interred the famous King Arthur on the Isle of Avalon." Even though the marker does not exist today, Henry might have been lucky enough to see and maybe even touch it - if his Earl knew the right person and paid him well.

Answer: St. Michael's Mount

This church was an important medieval pilgrimage site due to the 495 vision of St. Michael the Archangel that took place there. Pilgrims would walk about 500 yards offshore over a causeway at low tide. After the Norman conquest, the site was given to Benedictine monks of Mont St. Michel in France. Between 1262-63 four miracles were reported to have occurred there, increasing the number of pilgrims who visited. During the 1580s the first beacon to warn of the approach of the Spanish Armada was lit there. Today the island is the home of the St. Aubyn family (their ancestor purchased the place in 1659), who have a 999 year lease to live in the castle.

Answer: Westminster Abbey

A shrine was first founded on the site in 616, when a fisherman saw a vision of St. Peter. The abbey was built by Edward the Confessor, who failed to keep a vow to make a pilgrimage. The Pope suggested that he build this Abbey to receive redemption. Modern visitors would want to visit the tombs of British royals, as well as notables such as Charles Darwin, Sr. Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, and, the writer of pilgrim tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, who, as Master of the King's Works, lived in apartments in the Abbey.

Answer: Dorchester Abbey

Dorchester Abbey was founded by St. Birinus in 635. It later began an Augustinian abbey. It is likely that Henry found holy water in the baptismal font there; today it is the only monastic font in England that survived the Reformation. Every year on the first Sunday in July, pilgrims participate in the St. Birinus Pilgrimage.

They meet at Churn Knob, a hill from which St. Birinus preached, to walk seven miles to Dorchester Abbey.