Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map] was a Benedictine Nunnery founded around 979 by Aelfthryth Queen Consort England (age 34).

Letters. After 1279. Letter XXI. Eleanora Queen-Dowager of England (age 56) to her son Edward I (age 39).

To the most noble prince and her very dear son, Edward, by God's grace king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine, Eleanora, humble nun of the order of Fontevraud [Map], of the convent of Amesbury, wishes health and her blessing.

Sweetest son, we know well how great is the desire that a mother has to see her child when she has been long away from him, and that dame Margaret de Nevile (age 24), companion of Master John Painter Giffard (age 47), has not seen for a long time past her child, who is in the keeping of dame Margaret de Weyland, and has a great desire to see him. We pray you, sweetest son, that you will command and pray the aforesaid Margaret de Weyland, that she will suffer that the mother may have the solace of her child for some time, after her desire. Dearest son, we commend you to God. Given at Amesbury [Map], the 4th day of March.

On 15 Aug 1285 Mary Plantagenet (age 6) became a Nun at Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map].

Letters. 1316. Letter XXII. Mary Daughter of Edward I (age 36), a Nun at Amesbury [Map] to her Brother Edward II (age 31).

To the very high and noble prince, her very dear lord and brother, my lord Edward, by the grace of God king of England, his sister Mary sends health and all manner of honour and reverence.

Very dear sire as a long time has passed since God did his will upon our prioress Dambert, we immediately after her death sent to our very dear cousin, the lady-abbess of Fontevraud, both on my part and on that of the convent, asking for a lady from this our convent, to wit, for the Lady Isabella, whom we understand to be well able and sufficient for the office, that she might be granted to us for our prioress. And we thought, dear sire, that she (the abbess) would have willingly granted us our request, for she is bound to do so since she was brought up and veiled amongst us, and so she should neither wish nor permit that the church should be so long without prelates; but as yet we have had no answer, only we understand from certain people that she intends to send us a prioress from beyond the sea there, and a prior by her counsel out there. And know, certainly, my very dear brother, that should she send any other than one belonging to our own convent, it would prove matter of discord in the convent, and of the destruction of the goods of the church, which I know well, sire, that you would not suffer willingly and wittingly; wherefore I pray you, dearest lord and brother, and require you, both for the love of me and' of our convent, which after God trust surely in you, that you would please to send word to my said lady-abbess, that she do not undertake to burden our church with any prioress out of the convent, nor with prior other than the one we have now, but that she would.

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In 1539 Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map] was dissolved. Its lands were granted to Edward Seymour 1st Duke Somerset (age 39).

Around 1900. Léo Malempré (age 40). Portrait of Edmund Antrobus (age 13), as a Boy in the Grounds of Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map].

Edmund Antrobus: On 23 Dec 1886 he was born to Edmund Antrobus 4th Baronet and Florence Caroline Mathilde Sartoris Lady Antrobus. On 24 Oct 1914 Edmund Antrobus was killed in action. The Germans made a determined effort to break through on the left of the Grenadiers near Kruiseik, and the Company made a counterattack. He was killed fighting with his platoon. He was buried at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, CWGC Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

The Times. 13 Feb 1915. Death of Sir Edward Antrobus (deceased)

Owner and Guardian of Stonehenge.

Colonel Sir Edward Antrobus (deceased), Bt., died at Amesbury Abbey [Map], on Thursday afternoon at the age of 67. He is succeeded by his only remaining brother, Mr. Cosmo Gordon Antrobus (age 56). His only son [Edmund Antrobus], who was a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards, was killed in action on October 24 last.

Sir Edmund Antrobus will be remembered as the owner of the famous Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, which was included in the Amesbury Abbey estate of about 8000 acres. After consulting with the Society of Antiquaries, the Society of Ancient Monuments, and the Wilts Archaeological Society, Sir Edmund determined to enclose the monument by wire fencing, and the action led to litigation in the High Court. In April, 1905, the Solicitor-General claimed an order against the owner to remove the fencing, and an injunction to restrain him from erecting such fencing. The claim was based on two grounds - (1) That Stonehenge was a national monument of great interest, and was subject to trust for its freer use by the public: and (2) that there were public roads running up to and through Stonehenge, and that those roads had been blocked by the defendant's fencing. Sir Edmund produced title deeds showing the purchase in fee by this great-great-uncle from the trustees of the Duke of Queensbury, some seventy years before, and an absolute fee simple title in himself. Mr. Justice Farwell, in giving judgement for Sir Edmund, observed that it was only fair to the defendant to say that he was not acting capriciously, but on expert advice, the preservation of the stones.

The Wiltshire River Avon is formed from the confluence of the River Avon West, Wiltshire and River Avon East, Wiltshire one kilometre before Upavon, Wiltshire [Map] after which it flows broadly south past East Chisenbury, Wiltshire [Map], Enford, Wiltshire [Map], Fifield, Wiltshire [Map], Fittleton, Wiltshire [Map], Netheravon, Wiltshire [Map], Figheldean, Wiltshire [Map], Durrington Walls, around Amesbury, Wiltshire [Map] and past Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map], Wilsford, Wiltshire [Map], Great Durnford, Wiltshire [Map], Middle Woodford, Wiltshire [Map], Little Durnford, Wiltshire [Map], Old Sarum [Map], Stratford sub Castle, Wiltshire [Map], through Salisbury where it is joined by the River Nadder

After Salisbury the Wiltshire River Avon flows south in multiple channels past Longford Castle, Wiltshire [Map], after which it is joined by the River Eble, then Charlton-All-Saints, Wiltshire [Map], Downton, Wiltshire [Map], Breamore, Hampshire [Map], Burgate, Hampshire [Map], Fordingbridge, Hampshire [Map], Bickton, Hampshire [Map], Ibsley, Hampshire [Map], Ringwood, Hampshire [Map], Bistern, Hampshire [Map], Sopley, Hampshire [Map], Avon, Dorset [Map] and Christchurch, Dorset [Map] before reaching Christchurch Harbour where it joins the English Channel.