Cwmhir Abbey

Cwmhir Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Cwm Hir), near Llandrindod Wells in Powys, is a Welsh Cistercian monastery founded in 1143 by Meredudd ap Idwerth at Ty-faenor, and refounded at the present location near the village of Abbeycwmhir in 1176.

History

The original owner of the new site, a Welsh lord, Cadwallon ap Madog, was killed by the English Sir Roger Mortimer not long after the refoundation, and patronage of the abbey was transferred to him. The community subsequently suffered over many years for its conflicting loyalties. The princes of Gwynedd gave the monastery their patronage, and twice in the 13th century the abbey granges were burnt by English soldiers and in 1231 the abbot was also fined £200 for aiding the Welsh cause. The headless body of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, last native Prince of Wales by direct descent, was buried in the abbey after his death in battle nearby in January 1282.

In the early 13th century, the construction of what would have been a spectacular and spacious abbey church were embarked upon, equal in scale to many a cathedral. But this project was abandoned shortly after the completion of the 14 bay nave. The ongoing political and social troubles were undoubtedly the cause and the abbey fortunes diminished even further during the significant damage inflicted during the uprising of Owain Glyndŵr from 1401. The monastery intended to support 60 monks at the outset, only had three in residence by the time of the dissolution.

The dissolution and beyond

The abbey was closed in 1536 and became the possession of the Fowler family who built a house on the site. In 1644, during the English Civil War, the house and any surviving monastic structures were wrecked and probably destroyed in the fighting. What little remains was excavated in the 19th century and is open to the public. Only fragmentary stretches of the nave of the church remain visible and a modern grave slab within such commemorates Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who was killed in 1282 and was buried in the church.

In the nearby village church of Llanidloes, there are a series of 13th century arches, and other features, believed to have been taken from the abbey church and re-erected there in 1542.

References

• Anthony New. 'A Guide to the Abbeys of England And Wales', p132-33. Constable ISBN-10: 009463520X Amazon.

External links

• A page with images and additional information regarding the abbey.

See also

• Abbeys and priories in Wales
• Abbey Cwmhir Hall
• Abbeycwmhir

52.32983°N 3.38755°W / 52.32983; -3.38755