The Abbey of St Michael in Farnborough is truly a hidden gem on the Hampshire-Surrey border. Commissioned by the French Imperial Empress Eugenie to house the bodies of her husband, Napoleon III, and their son, Prince Louis, the Abbey is also the home of a small community of Benedictine monks who live a traditional life of prayer, work and study in accordance with the 1500 year old Rule of St Benedict.
Surrounded by woodland and green fields, the is a wonderful place to visit with its beautiful French Neo-Gothic architecture and the powerful atmosphere of peace and beauty. The also houses the National Catholic Shrine to in a stunning altar, together with a leg of the first English Martyr, St Alban, killed in 256 for being Catholic.
As if that wasn't enough the beautiful Cavaillé-Coll organ is internationally renowned as one of the finest in the world and is regularly played as part of the cultural and historical treasury on offer at the Abbey. More can be learned of the Abbey and its community by visiting their website at www.farnboroughabbey.org
With the recent rise in heating costs, the small community of monks are struggling to heat this magnificent cultural treasure and therefore wish to transist to a more economically and ecologically viable alternative of bio-mass boilers. The small Abbey community is therefore appealing for funds to help them maintain and present this hidden gem to all who value English heritage.
