Germanus came to Ramsey(in 969?)with Oswald and twelve monks from a Monastery in Westbury, which Oswald had founded. Originally Germanus came from Fleury where he had been educated. Germanus at this time was made Prior. They used a wooden Chapel, while the stone church was being built. This stone had to be transported from the nearest quarry at Barnack.

It has been suggested that a deep ditch seven miles long was cut across the fens, from the river Nene near Peterborough to the vicinity of Ramsey (Cnuts Dyke) to enable the masonry to be delivered.

In about 968-9 Germanus was sent to Winchcombe Abbey in the Cotswolds and was made Abbot. He was given the difficult task of reforming the Abbey, which had become lax in monastic discipline, but he failed! There was a strong local hostility to the Benedictine ideals, but this opposition was held in check while King Edgar ruled. After Edgar’s death in 975, Germanus and his monks were driven out. They all returned to Ramsey, where they were accommodated into the new larger Monastic buildings.

Eadnoth (Senior) by then had been made Prior of Ramsey and with the extra monks from Winchcombe the number at Ramsey grew to around 40. Unfortunately no place was found for Germanus so he was sent back to Fleury, where he stayed for 3years, before being recalled to Ramsey. (Ref 6)

Germanus arrived back at Ramsey in 978-9 and became very influential in developing a distinctive liturgy.