St. Dunstan - The Memorial

The St. Dunstan '88 Festival Committee was set up to co-ordinate the Somerset Millennial celebrations of the death of St. Dunstan on the 19th May, 988 AD, and it was felt that some permanent memorial should mark the traditional birthplace of this prominent national figure.

Accordingly, the Committee commissioned the present Dunstan Stone. It was carved by the local sculptress Ms. Jenny Cox on a roof boss of Doulting limestone which had formerly been part of the fabric of Glastonbury Abbey - from which much stone was plundered following the Dissolution of the Monasteries - and given by the anonymous donor.

The traditional birthplace of the old *Beehive cottage facing onto Ham Street, which burned down in 1949. By 1988 the site was owned by Twyford Plant Laboratories, Ham Street, who generously contributed towards the cost of carving the inscription and undertook the placing and concreting in of the stone on the verge directly fronting the office building known as Twyford House. A further donation towards the cost of a permanent memorial stone at the birthplace was made by The Goldsmiths' Company - St. Dunstan being the patron saint of metal workers.

The stone was blessed by the then Bishop of Worcester, who was leading a walking pilgrimage to Canterbury as part of the celebrations and by George Carey, Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells - subsequently Archbishop of Canterbury.