Parkminster.

Parkminster

In February 1873 Mr Boxall of Parknowle near Cowfold stood on his doorstep ready to receive the man who had bought his house, a Russian baron and general.
The buyer was indeed Baron de Nicolai but he was also a Carthusian Monk!
The order had thought it unwise to inform Mr.Boxall, who was known to be a strong protestant, of the true identity of the buyers. It was said that Mr.Boxall did see the funny side of it.

In the succeeding years the country house became an impressive Cathusian monastery and ten years later the monks settled down to regular life under their first prior Don Victor.Parkminster as it was now known, became the first Carthusian monastery in England since the sixteenth century and has remained until only very recently the only Carthusian monastery in the English speaking world.

Parkminster is dedicated to Saint Hugh who was prior of the first English Charterhouse in 1178, Hugh who later became Bishop of Lincoln is justly remembered for his bold defence of the poor and his stand against Kings and Barons
A stole, worn by him is kept at Parkminster.

The life of a Carthusian monk is strict; the monk lives almost entirely on his own in a “cell” which in fact is a small two-story house. He believes that he has been called to this life. There are some thirty-five cells at Parkminster; each has a workshop on the ground floor and a small garden. He studies, and prays, and sleeps on the first floor.
The monk may at times visit the library and the chapel; he may also on special occasions take exercise outside the monastery. Occasionally the white habited monks can be seen walking in pairs around Cowfold, Shermanbury, and West Grinstead

Rodney Gunner.