Basingwerk Abbey (Wales)

Introduction

The substantial remains of Cistercian abbey, originally founded as a house of the order of Savigny in 1131, and remodelled in the thirteenth century and later.

History to the present day

The Abbey was founded in 1132 by Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester, and monks from Savigny Abbey settled there. In 1147, the Abbey became part of the Cistercian Order and therefore a daughter house of Buildwas Abbey in Shropshire. In 1157, the abbey was given the manor of Glossop by King Henry II. The hilltop Monks' Road in Glossop is a reminder of the monks' efforts to administer their possession. 

In the 13th century, the abbey was under the patronage of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd, and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn gave St Winefride's Well to the abbey. The monks harnessed the power of the Holywell stream to run a corn mill and to treat the wool from their sheep. In 1536, abbey life came to an end with the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Today, the abbey ruin is part of Greenfield Valley Heritage Park.

Arrival information and how to find us

The Abbey is open daily.

The Abbey is just south of the A458, near Greenfield approximately 1 mile north-east of Holywell.