The Women in the Walls - Anchorites and Anchoresses

St James’ Church in Shere is just one site in which a women bricked herself into the walls. Known as Anchorites or anchoresses, they would sacrifice everything in the ultimate act of piety. The believed that by removing themselves from the secular world, they could live a life fully devoted to prayer, asceticism and devotion to God.

By removing themselves from the secular world, they could live a life completely devoted to prayer and asceticism.