Chapter House, Margam Abbey & Orangery ruins in Autumn
Today Margam Abbey now consists of the intact nave and impressive surrounding ruins. Those ruins not belonging to the church are now owned by the County Council. These remains, including the unusually large twelve-sided chapter house, dating from the 13th century, stand within 840 acre ( km²) Margam Country Park, close to Margam Castle. The abbey was founded in 1147 as a daughter house of Clairvaux by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII of England in 1536 and sold to Sir Rice Mansel. At this time, only 12 monks were living in the monastery. From the Mansel family the abbey eventually passed into their descendants in the female line, the Talbot family. In the 19th century, C R M Talbot constructed a mansion at Margam Castle which overlooks the abbey ruins. The nave of the abbey continued in use as the parish church, as it does to this day. Two different types of monks lived there and were both equally important in the success of Margam Abbey. First, there was the Cistercian monks, these were the more educated ones - they proved this by writing a book. Secondly there were the lay monks which made the abbey rich by trading in the local area and abroad. They were native Welsh monks and farmers; they traded sheep and the things they farmed.
Size: 4334px × 2865px
Location: Margam, Port Talbot, Wales Uk Europe
Photo credit: © Ann Clark Landscapes / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: abbey, archdeaconry, autumn, castle, cistercian, leaves, margam, monks, ruins, talbot, tree, uk, wales
