The ruins of Croxden Abbey, in Croxden, Staffordshire, England
Croxden Abbey was a Cistercian house, originally founded at Cotton in 1176 by monks from Aunay-sur-Odon in France, under the patronage of Bertram de Verdun, but moved to Croxden in 1178. Initially the abbey prospered, but it ran into financial difficulties in the 14th c. and only partly recovered thereafter. It was, therefore, counted as one of the 'lesser' houses to be suppressed in 1536, but was allowed to continue on payment of a £100 fine. It was, of course, to prove to be no more than a temporary reprieve - the house was surrendered by Abbot Chalner (or Chawner) and twelve other monks 17th September 1538, and just a month later the roof of the church was sold for £6. The ruins were placed in the care of the Office of Works (today English Heritage) in 1936, although they are in two parts, for a lane now runs through the site, separating the meagre remains of the once magnificent east end of the church from the rest of the ruins. The Cistercians typically chose remote locations, "far from the concourse of men", for their monasteries, and this was true of Croxden, which remains off the beaten track even today.
Size: 5050px × 3354px
Location: Croxden Lane, Croxden, Staffordshire, England
Photo credit: © David Knighton / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: abbey, britain, british, cistercian, croxden, england, english, heritage, kingdom, monks, ruin, ruined, ruins, scene, spring, staffordshire, topographical, uk, united, white
