St Aldhelm

Back in Saxon times there were miracles aplenty. Even before he was born, a miracle showed that Aldhelm was touched by God. When he was a small boy, birds flew to him and sang their praises to God from his shoulders. He became a monk, going first to Canterbury, then Malmesbury, where he became abbot. What he liked best was to go out and teach people about God, preaching outdoors to the crowds that gathered. If people got bored he’d juggle and sing – and once, when he was working with a hard audience, he thrust his staff in the ground to get out his juggling balls. The staff instantly transformed into a huge ash tree. The place where it grew is still known as Bishopstrow – ‘bishop’s tree’.