Basingwerk Abbey

Basingwerk Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Dinas Basing) is the ruin of an abbey near Holywell, Flintshire, Wales, in the care of Cadw (Welsh Heritage).

Basingwerk Abbey ruins

Medieval history

The abbey was founded in 1132 by Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester, who brought Benedictine monks from Savigny Abbey in southern Normandy. In 1147, the abbey became part of the Cistercian Order and therefore a daughter house of Buildwas Abbey in Shropshire. Earlier on, they had received the manor of West Kirby from the Earls of Chester. In 1157, the abbey was given the manor of West Kirby in Derbyshire by King Henry II. The hilltop Monks' Road and the Abbot's Chair in Glossop is a reminder of the monks' efforts to administer their possession. They gained a market charter for Glossop in 1290,^[1] and one for Charlesworth in 1328. 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 1433, the monks leased all of Glossopdale, Derbyshire, to the Talbot family, later Earls of Shrewsbury.

Modern history

In 1536, abbey life came to an end with the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. Its dissolution was made lawful by the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act and the lands of the abbey were granted to lay owners.

Two centuries earlier a Welsh seer, Robin Ddu ("Robin the Dark") said the roof on the refectory would do very nicely on a little church under Moel Famau. It did: when the abbey was sold, the part of the roof went to Cilcain church. The other section of roof was reportedly given to the Collegiate and Parochial Church at Ruthin, where it covers the North Nave and can be seen today. The amazing Jesse window went to the church at Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch.

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

See also

• List of monastic houses in Wales
• List of Cadw properties
• The Form of Preaching, a 14th-century style book or manual about a preaching style

Footnotes

Further reading

• Edward Hubbard (1994) Buildings of Wales: Clwyd; 2nd ed. London: Penguin Books ISBN 0-14-071052-3 (1st ed. 1986)
• Gordon Emery (1994) Curious Clwyd. ISBN 1-872265-99-5

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Basingwerk Abbey.

• Basingwerk Abbey in old books
• geograph.co.uk: photos of Basingwerk Abbey and surrounding area today

Coordinates: 53°17′12″N 3°13′00″W / 53.2867°N 3.2167°W / 53.2867; -3.2167

v t e Flintshire Principal settlements Afon-wen Bagillt Buckley Caerwys Connah's Quay Ewloe Flint Halkyn Holywell Mold Queensferry Saltney Shotton Towns and villages Abermorddu Alltami Aston Park Bretton Broughton Bryn-y-Baal Brynford Cadole Caergwrle Calcoed Carmel Cefn-y-Bedd Cilcain Coed Talon Cymau Deeside Drury Ffrith Flint Mountain Ffynnongroew Greenfield Gronant Glyncorrwg Gwernaffield Gwernymynydd Hawarden Holway Higher Kinnerton Hope Leeswood Llanfynydd Llanasa Leadmill Mancot Mostyn Mynydd Isa Nannerch Nercwys Northop Northop Hall Oakenholt Pantasaph Pantymwyn Pentre Halkyn Penyffordd (Buckley) Pen-y-Ffordd (Holywell) Penymynydd Pontblyddyn Rhosesmor Rhes-y-Cae Rhydymwyn Sealand Soughton/Sychdyn Saltney Ferry Talacre Trelogan Treuddyn Whitford Ysceifiog Geography Alyn Gorge Basingwerk Abbey Bretton Bridge Caerwys Rectory Clwydian Range Caergwrle Castle Dee Estuary Ewloe Castle Flint Castle Flintshire Bridge The Gop Greenfield Valley Heritage Park Hawarden Castle Holy Trinity Church Moel Famau Moel y Gaer Moel y Parc Mold Castle Mostyn Colliery Nant-y-Ffrith Ogof Nadolig Point of Ayr Point of Ayr Gas Terminal River Alyn River Cegidog River Dee River Terrig St Bartholomew's Church St Mary's Church (Cilcain) St Mary's Church (Halkyn) St Mary's Church (Mold) St Winefride's Well Talacre Beach Wepre Park Parliamentary Representation List of Parliamentary constituencies in Clwyd Flintshire East Flintshire West Flintshire Community councils Argoed Bagillt Broughton and Bretton Brynford Buckley Caerwys Cilcain Connah's Quay Flint Gwernaffield Gwernymynydd Halkyn Hawarden Higher Kinnerton Holywell Hope Leeswood Llanasa Llanfynydd Mold Mostyn Nannerch Nercwys Northop Northop Hall Penyffordd Queensferry Saltney Sealand Shotton Trelawnyd and Gwaenysgor Treuddyn Whitford Ysceifiog Topics The historic county Alyn and Deeside Broughton Shopping Park Delyn Flintshire County Council Holywell Rural District Maelor Saesneg Maelor Rural District Mold cape Point of Ayr Colliery Company Prestatyn Coal Company RAF Sealand Borough of Rhuddlan Western Mostyn Colliery Company SSSIs Country houses Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Museums Schools History Notable people Sport Visitor attractions The five largest urban areas are marked in bold text.