Abbeys and Priories of Medieval Wales

Karen Stöber, Janet Burton

Description

Abbeys and Priories of Medieval Wales is the first comprehensive, illustrated guide to the religious houses of Wales from the twelfth to sixteenth centuries. It offers a thorough introduction to the history of the monastic orders in Wales (the Benedictines, Cluniacs, Augustinians, Premonstratensians, Cistercians, the military orders and the friars), and to life inside medieval Welsh monasteries and nunneries, in addition to providing the histories of almost sixty communities of religious men and women, with descriptions of the standing remains of their buildings. As well as a being a scholarly book, a number of maps, ground plans and practical information make this an indispensable guide for visitors to Wales’s monastic heritage.

Sujets

• buildings
• Wales
• Architecture

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 février 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783161812
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 15 Mo

Extrait

ABBEYS AND PRIORIES
OF MEDIEVAL WALESABBEYS AND PRIORIES
OF MEDIEVAL WALES

JANET BURTON AND KAREN STÖBER
UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS
2015© Janet Burton and Karen Stöber, 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form (including
photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or
incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright
owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication
should be addressed to The University of Wales Press, 10 Columbus Walk, Brigantine Place,
Cardif CF10 4UP.
www.uwp.co.uk
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-78316-179-9 (hardback)
978-1-78316-180-5 (paperback)
eISBN 978-1-78316-181-2
The right of Janet Burton and Karen Stöber to be identifed as authors of this work has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77, 78 and 79 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Designed and typeset by Chris Bell, cbdesign
Printed by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham, WiltshireCONTENTS
Acknowledgements vii
List of maps ix
List of images xi
Abbreviations xvii
Introduction 1
Foreword to Gazetteer 31
Gazetteer of Abbeys and Priories 32
Glossary 223
Bibliography 229
Index 243ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HE ABBEYS AND PRIORIES of medieval Wales have always had their Tadmirers. Ever since the monastic period came to an abrupt end here in the
sixteenth century, local people and travellers alike have marvelled at the ruins
left behind by what had once been such a prominent presence in the Welsh
landscape. This book has grown out of the authors’ wish to make the monastic
heritage of Wales more visible, and more accessible to a wider audience.
In a larger context Abbeys and Priories of Medieval Wales is a part of the
Monastic Wales project (www.monasticwales.org) and our first thanks go to
those who were formative in the planning and on-going work in its
development, that is Nigel Callaghan of Technoleg Taliesin, Martin Crampin of the Centre
for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, University of Wales, and especially to
Julie Kerr. During the making of this book we have had much help, advice, and
encouragement from many people, whom we would like to thank here. We owe
a special thank you to Martin Crampin for supplying many photographs and
making the maps for Abbeys and Priories, and for all his tireless help and
support throughout. Stuart Harrison has been most generous in allowing us access
to his library of images. We are also grateful to Jane Cartwright for the
photograph of the stained glass in Llanllugan, and to postgraduate students in the
School of Archaeology, History and Anthropology at University of Wales Trinity
Saint David (Lampeter Campus), who have engaged with the Monastic Wales
project over the years, and who have supplied images for us, especially Paul
Watkins, Therron Welstead, and Ian Bass. Thanks also to the commissioning staff
at the University of Wales Press, Angharad Watkins and Llion Wigley, the press’s
Production Manager Siân Chapman and the press’s Editor Dafydd Jones, for all
their help in the editorial process.
To Dani Leiva a big and special thank you for the lovely drawings he did
for us. We are also grateful to David Robinson for letting us use his monastic
ground plans, and to Cadw, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical
Monuments of Wales, and the National Library of Wales for permission to
reproduce their images. viii ABBEYS AND PRIORIES OF MEDIEVAL WALES
Finally, we are very grateful to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David for
generous financial support in the publication of this book, and to the Spanish
Ministry of Economy and Competivity who fund the research project ‘Auctoritas.
Església, Cultura i Poder, s.XII–XV’ (HAR2012-31484).
We would like to dedicate this book to four special people, and hope that
they will enjoy visiting some of the sites we describe.
To Megan & Isabelle
and
Lara & Sofa
Janet Burton (Lampeter)
Karen Stöber (Lleida)
January 2015LIST OF MAPS
Map 1: The Benedictines and Cluniacs in Wales 8
Map 2: The Cistercians, Savigniacs and Premonstratensians in Wales 11
Map 3: The Regular Canons and Knights Hospitaller in Wales 14
Map 4: The Friars in Wales 16LIST OF IMAGES
BLACK AND WHITE
1. Aberconwy Abbey: Rood Screen, Church of St Mary and All Saints, Conwy
(c.1497–1501). Photograph: Martin Crampin.
2. Aberconwy Abbey (Maenan): Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw
and reproduced with permission of the author from David Robinson, The
Cistercians in Wales. Architecture and Archaeology 1130–1540 (London: Society
of Antiquaries, 2006) © Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright).
3. Abergavenny Priory: The ffteenth-century Jesse Tree. Photograph: Therron
Welstead.
4. Abergavenny Priory: The tomb of Sir William Hastings (d.1348). Photograph:
Karen Stöber.
5. Bardsey Abbey: Remains of the abbey. View from the south. Photograph:
RCAHMW digital photographic survey of St Marys Abbey, Bardsey, taken by
Iain Wright, 06/09/2009. © Crown copyright: Royal Commission on the Ancient
and Historical Monuments of Wales. © Hawlfraint y Goron: Comisiwn Brenhinol
Henebion Cymru.
6. Basingwerk Abbey: Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw and
reproduced with permission of the author from David Robinson, The Cistercians in
Wales. Architecture and Archaeology 1130–1540 (London: Society of Antiquaries,
2006) © Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright).
7. Basingwerk Abbey (Holywell): Crutches left at Holywell by modern-day pilgrims.
Photograph: Karen Stöber.
8. Basingwerk Abbey: Part of the drainage system. Photograph: Karen Stöber.
9. : Arcading in the west wall of the refectory. Photograph:
Martin Crampin.
10. Beddgelert Priory: Exterior of the church. Photograph: Dani Leiva.
11. Brecon Benedictine Priory: Twelfth-century Romanesque font with heads and
animal ornamentation. Photograph: Martin Crampin.
12. Brecon Dominican Friary: Carved wooden fgure from the fourteenth-century
choir stalls. Photograph: Paul Watkins.xii ABBEYS AND PRIORIES OF MEDIEVAL WALES
13. Brecon Dominican Friary: Exterior of the former Dominican church. Photograph:
Paul Watkins.
14. Caldey Priory: Exterior of the church. Photograph: Martin Crampin.
15. Artist’s impression of a chapter meeting in a Benedictine monastery. Drawing:
Dani Leiva.
16. Chepstow Priory: Exterior of the church from the west. Photograph: Paul
Watkins.
17. Cwmhir Abbey: Remains of the nave. Drawing: Dani Leiva.
18. Denbigh Friary: Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw © Cadw, Welsh
Government (Crown Copyright).
19. Denbigh Friary: General exterior view of the Carmelite Friary in c.1946.
Photograph: E. Le Grice. © Crown copyright: Royal Commission on the Ancient
and Historical Monuments of Wales © Hawlfraint y Goron: Comisiwn Brenhinol
Henebion Cymru.
20. Ewenny Priory: Gr, Welsh
Government (Crown Copyright).
21. Ewenny Priory: Carved animal head (c.1120). Photograph: Martin Crampin.
22. Ewenny Priory: Interior of the church. Photograph: Martin Crampin.
23. Aerial view of Goldclif Point. Photograph: RCAHMW aerial photograph of
Goldclif Priory, taken by C. R. Musson, 18 July 1994. © Crown copyright:
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
© Hawlfraint y Goron: Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru.
24. Haverfordwest Augustinian Priory: Ground plan, illustration supplied by
Cadw © Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright).
25. Kidwelly Priory: Exterior of the church. Photograph: Therron Welstead.
26. Llanfaes Friary: Siwan’s tomb, now in the parish church at Beaumaris.
Photograph: Martin Crampin.
27. Llangenydd Priory: Exterior of the church. Photograph: Martin Crampin.
28. Llangua Priory: Exterior of the church. Photograph: Therron Welstead.
29. Llanllugan Abbey: ch. Photograph: Martin Crampin.
30. Llanthony Priory: Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw © Cadw,
Welsh Government (Crown Copyright).
31. Llanthony Priory: The west front of the church. Photograph: Dani Leiva.
32. Malpas Church, Monmouthshire. Worthington G. Smith, 1879, engraving after
J. O. Westwood, c.1850.
33. Margam Abbey: Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw and reproduced
with permission of the author from David Robinson, The Cistercians in Wales.
Architecture and Archaeology 1130–1540 (London: Society of Antiquaries, 2006)
© Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright).
34. Artist’s impression of Cistercian monks in a refectory. Drawing: Dani Leiva.
35. Margam Abbey: The west front of the church. Photograph: Janet Burton.LIST OF IMAGES xiii
36. Neath Abbey: Carved stone head. Drawing: Dani Leiva.
37. Neath Abbey: Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw and reproduced
with permission of the author from David Robinson, The Cistercians in Wales.
Architecture and Archaeology 1130–1540 (London: Society of Antiquaries, 2006)
© Cadw, Welsh Government (Crown Copyright).
38. Artist’s impression of the night stairs in a Cistercian monastery. Drawing:
Dani Leiva.
39. Neath Abbey: The lay brothers’ lane in the west cloister alley. Photograph: Paul
Watkins.
40. Neath Abbey: View from the north aisle with the Tudor house in the background.
Photograph: Martin Crampin.
41. Pembroke (Monkton) Priory: Exterior of the church. Photograph: Paul
Watkins.
42. Pembroke (Monkton) Priory: The undercroft, Monkton Old Hall. Photograph:
Nigel Callaghan.
43. Penmon Priory: Ground plan, illustration supplied by Cadw © Cadw, Welsh
Government (Crown Copyright).
44. Penmon Priory: Interior of the south cloister range. Photograph: Karen Stöber.
45. Penmon Priory: Mid-twelfth-century tympanum. Photograph: Martin
Crampin.
46. Penmon Priory: Detail of the tower arch. Phot