Fairfield House Rastafari Sacred Garden Project
Donation protected
The Rastafari community, led by EWF Inc Local #3 Negusa Negast London are creating a sacred garden on the site of Sidetegnaw Medhane Alem Chapel at Fairfield House in Bath, Somerset, UK
The vision :
A rough sketch of our design, a professional gravel path leading to a Star of David central feature in black stone surrounded by a seating area all inside the former Chapel area, with flowerbeds on either side.
On sunday 30th August, a team of volunteers first met at Fairfield house to tackle phase 1 of the project
Progress so far :
The sacred chapel garden area, covered in brambles
Entering the Chapel area and removing the concrete fence posts
Clearing the brambles
Progress with the path
Marking out the area for the central feature
Ready for Phase 2
Phase 2 will involve moving 4 tonnes of material that will be delivered to Fairfield and making the path and central feature. More tidying up, Readying and planting the flowerbeds.
Our next action day is Sunday 13th September
Things we need for this project and costs :
MOT 1 sub base material 3 x £58.66 + delivery PAID
Self binding path gravel 1 x £160 inc delivery PAID
Wooden path border - Donated
Use of machinery - Donated
Black decorative stone for central feature - Donated
Seating
We would like to purchase 3 of these restored Lions head benches from 1930 to give this sacred space the finish it deserves
They range from £150 - £ 250. There are two restored ones available in Waltham Forest, east London for approx £175 each. There are others that match available online. We would also need to get them to Fairfield house in Bath. See :
https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/Xx3uHTDMTFYAcyFR/restored-lion-head-antique-garden-bench
https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/Xw4Qe7azFln4Bf6u/lion-head-iron-garden-bench-refurbished
Benches X 3 = £ 500 /£600 aproximately. * Now paid through private donation!
Garden Bordering - £100 approximately
Plants - we have some already kindly donated but more Ornamental plants could be purchased to make the space bloom approx £ 150 required
We would also like to extend the path in future to make the area completely wheelchair accessible. This will require more path material.
Any extra funds will be used for other renovation projects at Fairfield house, Home of His Imperial Majesty 1936 - 1941.
Background:
When their Imperial Majesties, their children and grandchildren moved into Fairfield House, both
the Emperor and Empress were deeply grieved at being forced into exile, and wished that there was
an Ethiopian Orthodox Church where they could seek traditional consolation in this period of
distress, and where they could ensure the spiritual guidance for their children and
grandchildren. Therefore in 1937, Emperor Haile Selassie wrote to the exiled Echege (the Abbot of
the Debre Libanos Monastery who would one day become Ethiopia's first native born Archbishop,
and later still, it's first Patriarch) who was residing at the Ethiopian monastery at the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. He asked that the Echege send to him a "Tabot" (replica of the Ark of the Covenant) from Jerusalem to set up a church in Bath. The space chosen to host this Tabot and
conduct religious services was the greenhouse, already having been repurposed for prayer and
contemplation. Following the restoration in 1941, the Tabot of The Savior of the World was brought
to Addis Ababa, and the Emperor built a church in remembrance of His time at Fairfield. It became a
monastery church and was built opposite the gates of the Genete Leul Palace where the Emperor
lived (donated in 1960 to be the main campus of the University). The church was granted the title
"Miskea Hazunan" or "Consoler of the Bereaved". However it is popularly known as "Sidetegnaw
Medhane Alem" or "The Exiled Savior of the World" to mark it's status as having been an exiled
church. The church continued to be among the Emperor's favoured houses of worship, especially
during the 1940's through the 1960's when the Emperor and his family usually attended Sunday
services here or at the Church of Saint Mark located on the grounds of the Guenete Leul (after 1961,
when the Emperor moved to the Jubilee Palace, he more often attended services at the near by St.
Stephen's Church). The palaces of the Crown Prince, the Duke of Harer and Princess Tenagnework
were also close by and they also regularly attended services here. This church was the scene of the
annual Thanksgiving service to mark the Liberation of Ethiopia from the Italians. The church was
also where the students of the Ras Tafari Makonnen School for Boys (founded by the Emperor when
he was Crown Prince and Regent) and the Empress Menen School for Girls (founded by the Empress)
attended church every Sunday. It remains one of Addis Ababa's more important houses of worship.
Thankyou for taking interest in our project. Please donate so we will be able to give this special area the glorious renovation it deserves.
The vision :
A rough sketch of our design, a professional gravel path leading to a Star of David central feature in black stone surrounded by a seating area all inside the former Chapel area, with flowerbeds on either side.On sunday 30th August, a team of volunteers first met at Fairfield house to tackle phase 1 of the project
Progress so far :
The sacred chapel garden area, covered in brambles
Entering the Chapel area and removing the concrete fence posts
Clearing the brambles
Progress with the path
Marking out the area for the central feature
Ready for Phase 2
Phase 2 will involve moving 4 tonnes of material that will be delivered to Fairfield and making the path and central feature. More tidying up, Readying and planting the flowerbeds.
Our next action day is Sunday 13th September
Things we need for this project and costs :
MOT 1 sub base material 3 x £58.66 + delivery PAID
Self binding path gravel 1 x £160 inc delivery PAID
Wooden path border - Donated
Use of machinery - Donated
Black decorative stone for central feature - Donated
Seating
We would like to purchase 3 of these restored Lions head benches from 1930 to give this sacred space the finish it deserves
They range from £150 - £ 250. There are two restored ones available in Waltham Forest, east London for approx £175 each. There are others that match available online. We would also need to get them to Fairfield house in Bath. See :
https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/Xx3uHTDMTFYAcyFR/restored-lion-head-antique-garden-bench
https://www.shpock.com/en-gb/i/Xw4Qe7azFln4Bf6u/lion-head-iron-garden-bench-refurbished
Benches X 3 = £ 500 /£600 aproximately. * Now paid through private donation!
Garden Bordering - £100 approximately
Plants - we have some already kindly donated but more Ornamental plants could be purchased to make the space bloom approx £ 150 required
We would also like to extend the path in future to make the area completely wheelchair accessible. This will require more path material.
Any extra funds will be used for other renovation projects at Fairfield house, Home of His Imperial Majesty 1936 - 1941.
Background:
When their Imperial Majesties, their children and grandchildren moved into Fairfield House, both
the Emperor and Empress were deeply grieved at being forced into exile, and wished that there was
an Ethiopian Orthodox Church where they could seek traditional consolation in this period of
distress, and where they could ensure the spiritual guidance for their children and
grandchildren. Therefore in 1937, Emperor Haile Selassie wrote to the exiled Echege (the Abbot of
the Debre Libanos Monastery who would one day become Ethiopia's first native born Archbishop,
and later still, it's first Patriarch) who was residing at the Ethiopian monastery at the Church of the
Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. He asked that the Echege send to him a "Tabot" (replica of the Ark of the Covenant) from Jerusalem to set up a church in Bath. The space chosen to host this Tabot and
conduct religious services was the greenhouse, already having been repurposed for prayer and
contemplation. Following the restoration in 1941, the Tabot of The Savior of the World was brought
to Addis Ababa, and the Emperor built a church in remembrance of His time at Fairfield. It became a
monastery church and was built opposite the gates of the Genete Leul Palace where the Emperor
lived (donated in 1960 to be the main campus of the University). The church was granted the title
"Miskea Hazunan" or "Consoler of the Bereaved". However it is popularly known as "Sidetegnaw
Medhane Alem" or "The Exiled Savior of the World" to mark it's status as having been an exiled
church. The church continued to be among the Emperor's favoured houses of worship, especially
during the 1940's through the 1960's when the Emperor and his family usually attended Sunday
services here or at the Church of Saint Mark located on the grounds of the Guenete Leul (after 1961,
when the Emperor moved to the Jubilee Palace, he more often attended services at the near by St.
Stephen's Church). The palaces of the Crown Prince, the Duke of Harer and Princess Tenagnework
were also close by and they also regularly attended services here. This church was the scene of the
annual Thanksgiving service to mark the Liberation of Ethiopia from the Italians. The church was
also where the students of the Ras Tafari Makonnen School for Boys (founded by the Emperor when
he was Crown Prince and Regent) and the Empress Menen School for Girls (founded by the Empress)
attended church every Sunday. It remains one of Addis Ababa's more important houses of worship.
Thankyou for taking interest in our project. Please donate so we will be able to give this special area the glorious renovation it deserves.
Organizer and beneficiary
Ras Benji
Organizer
England
NNL3 EWFInc
Beneficiary