Farnborough Abbey 

Saturday 11th October

Saint Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough was founded in 1881.  The abbey, with its Church designed in an eclectic flamboyant gothic style by the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur shown above, was founded in 1881 by Empress Eugénie as a mausoleum for her late husband, Napoleon III the exiled deposed emperor of France, and their son the Prince Imperial; Eugénie was later laid to rest alongside them, and all three rest in granite sarcophagi that were provided by Queen Victoria.  Today the abbey is home to a Benedictine order of monks, sometimes called the Black Monks, who continue to follow a lifestyle that has been practiced at the abbey since 1895.

Members taking part were Jeff Kelsey, Ana Peiró Muñoz, Mike Carrington, John Strawson, John Campbell, Hugh Pitfield, Andrew Collins, Keith Newton and Mark Rendall.

Big shout out to Mike for arranging our visit.