Llanthony Priory (Priordy Llanddewi Nant Hodni) is a ruined former Augustinian priory in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep-sided once-glaciated vall
It lies seven miles north of Abergavenny on an old road to Hay-on-Wye at Llanthony. The priory ruins lie to the west of the prominent Hatterrall Ridge, a limb of the Black mountains. The main ruins are under the care of Cadw and entrance is free. The priory is a Grade I listed building as of 1 September 1956. Within the precincts of the Priory are three other buildings with Grade I listed status: the Abbey Hotel, St David's Church, and Court Farm Barn. The priory dates back to around the year 1100, when Norman nobleman Walter de Lacy reputedly came upon a ruined chapel of St. David in this location, and was inspired to devote himself to solitary prayer and study. By 1118, a group of around 40 monks from England founded there a priory of Canons Regular, the first in Wales. The Priory became one of the great medieval buildings in Wales, in a mixture of Norman and Gothic architectural styles. Following Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion in the early 15th century, the Priory seems to have been barely functioning. In 1481 it was formally merged with its daughter cell in Gloucester, and after 1538 both houses were suppressed by Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1799 the estate was bought by Colonel Sir Mark Wood, the owner of Piercefield House near Chepstow, who converted some of the buildings into a domestic house and shooting box. In 1869, Joseph Leycester Lyne (known as Father Ignatius) founded an Anglican monastic institution in nearby Capel-y-ffin which he named Llanthony Abbey. It survived until 1908, and its buildings were later the home of artist Eric Gill. The ruins have attracted artists over the years, including J. M. W. Turner who painted them from the opposite hillside. The priory was acquired by the Knight family in the 20th century. Wood’s house later became the Abbey Hotel. The remaining ruins are protected by Cadw and entrance to the ruins is free. The Offa's Dyke Path runs close by on the Hatterrall Ridge above the Llanthony Valley, and marks the
Size: 4912px × 7360px
Location: Llanthony, Powys, Wales
Photo credit: © Philip Chapman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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