Hi, and welcome to our look at the Friars at Aylesford or more specifically the Priory
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So where are we then? We're in the southeast corner of the UK
in the county of Kent, roughly 35 miles or 50 km from the center of London
This little bit of tranquillity is sandwiched between two of kent's major motorways, the M2 and the M20
its closest railway station is Aylesford, and it's roughly a 25-minute walk of around about a mile or so
So let's take a look then
and we'll start with the duck pond
this beautiful little spot is the first place you'll come across after leaving the car park
and as you can see this is a place of peace and tranquility that's open to people of all faiths
and it's also home to our local farmers market
I'll drop a link below to give you details of when that's on
but the main reason for us to be here is just to enjoy the serenity of the place
Now let's start with a little bit of history
The Priory is home to an order of Carmelite monks
who first set up home here in 1242
and this was the first chapter of the order outside of the Holyland
and it stayed that way for a further 300 years
until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538
when the Friars were forced to leave
and they didn't return until 1949, some 400 years later
now you're free to wander around and enjoy this place
and talking of free, it's free to visit
there's just a request for a small donation at the car park
most of the medieval structure was damaged by a devastating fire in the 1930s
but since the Friars returned, they have restored it to its former glory
You may notice in the Great Courtyard an archway in the corner
this leads to the Watergate
and onto a small area overlooking the river Medway
Also in the Great Courtyard is the Pilgrims Hall
for those making their way to the shrine of Thomas a Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral, some 30 miles away
We're now going to head through the priory towards the main shrine
as I guess is obvious. this is an active religious order
and they hold many events at this site
I'll pop a link into the Friar's website below so you can find out more
the first thing to say is the marquee is temporary and generally they're over winter
consciousness is a place of worship I want to be as respectful as I possibly can here
The shrine features a statue to the Virgin Mary
carved in the 1960s
and within the shrines earth
from the well of the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel
another feature you'll notice is the medieval gatehouse
that was once entranced to the priory
but it now leads to the Peace Garden
It's here you'll find tiles with the words peace
in many many different languages from around the world
It's from the gatehouse,
following the path to the left of the main shrine
you find yourself on The Rosary Way
and it's here, in spring, that you'll find the magnificent 300-year-old magnolia tree in full bloom
and it leads to another peaceful garden
that considering how close you are to a busy motorway is incredibly tranquil
Now I'm looping back to the very entrance
where you'll find the Friars Tea Room and Gift Shop
Where you can find some substance for yourself
or perhaps pick up a bag of bird food for the duck pond
So that wraps up this video
I hope you like what we put together. Something a little different from us this time
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