Buildwas Abbey

A Bit of History…

Buildwas Abbey was originally founded by a local Bishop in 1135 as a Savignac monastery, and King Stephen confirmed the abbey’s foundation in 1138. However, along with all other Savignac monasteries, it was merged with and absorbed into the much larger Cistercian order 12 years later in 1147.

The earliest buildings date to about 1155, which include the abbey church, chapter house, and cloisters. The infirmary and abbot’s lodging were added in the 1220s, and a parlour wing and chapel in the following century.

Buildwas started life as a small and poor monastery, but it would eventually prosper and continue to prosper into the 14th and 15th centuries despite many setbacks. These setbacks included pillaging by Welsh raiders, debts, murder, and the Black Death.

In 1536, like most other monasteries, Buildwas Abbey fell victim to Henry VIII‘s Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the property was granted to Lord Grey of Powys, where the abbot’s lodging and the infirmary were converted into a house.

Although the abbey is now without its roof, the remains are among some of the best preserved 12th-century examples of a Cistercian church and are largely complete and unaltered since its original construction almost 900 years ago. The most impressive of the remains include a fine collection of medieval wall tiles inside the chapter house, the crypt chapel and the huge 14ft diameter pillars in the nave.