Welcome.

The Belmont Association is an association of former pupils of Belmont Abbey School. The purpose of the Association is to keep members in contact with each other and inform them of the news and the many events which take place at the Abbey and also to give support to the Monastery.

As a past student, member of staff, Association member, or friend of Belmont Abbey School, you are invited to register with The Belmont Abbey School BB Forum. There you can get in touch with other members by email, join in the discussions, share reminiscences, gossip, whatever, in a secure password protected area. If you are an Association Member you will also have access to the lists of members, newsletters, in the Association Private Bar.

News of coming Social Events, The Association Golf Day, AGM, and Committee meetings are regularly posted.

You will also be able to visit the Memorabilia Site which is a vast archive assembled over the past four years: featuring photos, articles, history, personal accounts, drama reviews and playbills, sports teams, House and School pics, the Prep Schools, obituaries and much more.

 

 

                     

A Brief History

The school was established in 1926 by the Benedictine Order. For most of its life it was a boarding school for boys between the ages of 13 and 19. In later years it accepted day-boys from the Hereford area. Girls were also admitted in its latter years to its Sixth Form. The school closed in 1994.

  

 

Abbot Aelred Kindersley First Abbot of Belmont

Belmont Abbey is situated in the county of Herefordshire, three miles south-west of the old cathedral city of Hereford.

After the Restoration of the Catholic Heirarchy in 1850, Bishop Joseph Brown became Bishop of Newport and Menevia. On the instigation of Bishop Brown, the English Benedictine Congregation agreed to set up a monastery at Belmont where Francis Wegg-Prosser built a church and donated seven acres of woodland on a lease of 999 years at a peppercorn rent. This monastery of St.Michael was officially opened on 21st November 1859. The church became the Pro-Cathedral for the diocese.

The wish of Bishop Brown that Belmont should serve as a Seminary for the diocese came to fruition in 1860 when a small preparatory school opened. This school lasted for 14 years and rarely consisted of more than 12 boys.

At the General Chapter of 5th February 1901 Belmont was allowed to take novices for itself and in 1917 it was declared an independent House. It was declared an Abbey in 1920 and Prior Aelred Kindersley became its first Abbot.

A school for boys who seemed likely to have a monastic vocation was opened on 18th September 1917. It was decided to open a larger secular school in September 1926 under the Headmastership of Dom Anselm Lightbound and thus Belmont Abbey School was founded.