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CLEEVE ABBEY

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Cleeve Abbey was founded in 1198 by Cistercian monks. The abbey was at its peak in the 13th and 14th centuries, with up to 28 monks and numerous lay brothers, the latter living both here and on outside estates (or granges). In 1536, the abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Although little remains of the church above ground except low walls and foundations, the east and south ranges of the claustral ranges are remarkably complete. The buildings are mainly of two dates. The east range belongs principally to the 13th century and is notable for the survival of its dorter on the first floor. The south range was remodelled after the middle of the 15th century and contains a first floor refectory with a magnificent timber roof. The west alley of the cloister and the upper storey of the gatehouse, both rebuilt by the last abbot, are among the latest monastic buildings in the country. Please see the separate child records for the individual components of the abbey. The Abbey is in the care of English Heritage.

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(ST 04744067) St Mary's Abbey (NR) Cistercian (remains of) (NAT)
(ST 04754071) Church (NR) (remains of) (NAT)
(ST 04684171) Gatehouse (NR)
(ST 04774084) Moat (NR)
(ST 04884057) Moat (NR) (1)

Cleeve Abbey - full description. (2)
Founded 1198. Dissolved 1537. Cistercian. (3)
St Joseph AP (4) (See illustration). (4)

Moat and fish pond resurveyed at 1/2500. (5)

Cleeve Abbey was founded in 1198 for Cistercian monks from Revesby, Lincolnshire (TF 26 SE 1) and dissolved in 1537. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and named Vallis Florida, although throughout its history it has been generally known as Cleeve Abbey. The east and south ranges of the claustral buildings are remarkably complete, and are mainly of two dates, the east range principally 13th century and the south range remodelled after the mid-15th century. The west alley of the cloister and the upper storey of the gatehouse, both rebuilt by the last abbot (1507-37) are amongst the latest monastic buildings in the country. Little remains of the church except low walls and foundations. The abbey precinct was bounded on the west by the Washford river and on the north and east by a moat known as the Black Ditch. It is possible the moat was the original course of the river (b). The buildings as they remain give an impressive example of a small Cistercian house just before the Reformation. They are in the care of HBMC and open to the public.

Excavation on the site took place in 1875-6, on the farmery and chapel by St John Hope before World War 1 and in the church between the wars. In 1980-2 excavation by C Guy for DOE revealed the reredorter which was shown to have been demolished soon after the dissolution. There were traces of post-dissolution activity but nothing substantial was constructed in the area. (6-15)

ST 047406. Cleeve Abbey. Scheduled. (16)

ST04SW OLD CLEEVE CP ABBEY ROAD WASHFORD

1/56

Cleeve Abbey, remains of Cistercian Abbey of St Mary covering about 28 acres.

22.5.69

GV I

Remains of Cistercian abbey. Founded 1198, remodelled C15 and early C16, dissolved 1537 when church demolished, apart from South transept and South aisle wall, incorporated into farmhouse, altered early C17, farmbuildings to South West remodelled C18, excavated and restored 1875-6, placed in Department of the Environment guardianship 1951. Red sandstone coursed rubble, slate roofs. Plan: gatehouse, remains of walls to inner and outer courts, cloister - foundations of church and South aisle wall with collaction seat North side, east range dorter over chapterhouse, sacristy and library, common room in angle with south range, frater over individual cells with heraldic tiled pavement of earlier trater projecting from South West corner, latter farmbuildings now ticket office and administration projecting South East, West remains of cloister alley. Gatehouse: gabled, 2 storeys, one bay; C13, altered C14, upper storey rebuilt and buttresses added early C16. Chamfered pointed arch opening, stepped buttresses, large C20 raking buttress North front, 4-light mullioned window opening first floor. North face half relief Virgin and child, South crucifiction flanked by empty cusped headed niches; early C16 arch braced roof with 3 tiers of curved wind braces and moulded wall plate. Cloister: Dorter range, C13, altered C15; 2 storeys, 10 bays; lancets first floor, groundfloor openings include centre right entrance to chapter house, quadripartite vault in 2 bays, ribs springing from moulded corbels with short shafts; here and in the barrel vaulted sacristy to North, remains of C13 painted decoration are visible. Day stairs right to common room right and dorter left. Frater: C13, altered C15; 2 storeys, first floor left five 3-light mullioned and transomed windows with flattened cusped ogee heads, groundfloor right opening to stone stair, and other to individual study chamber. Interior: splendid 5 bay arch-braced roof, divided by subsidiary arch bracing, richly moulded with half and three-quarter length crowned angels forming sole-pieces to the overhanging arch braces, carried on moulded brackets and stone corbels, originally intended to be completed on a wagon roof but left unfinished. To right of stairs chamber with extensive remains of C15 painted decoration and gallery with moulded rail. Cloister alley; later C13, altered C16; 6 bays remains unroofed. A small abbey by medieval standards, notable for the extensive survival of monastic buildings including the splendidly roofed frater, the rare survival of a monastic dormitory, dorter, C13 and C15 painted decorative and C13 heraldic tiled floor. Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset County No 31). (Photograph in NMR); Gilyard-Beer, Cleeve Abbey, 1960; VCH Somerset, vol 5 forthcoming; Country life January 6 and 13, 1923).

1/57 Shelter shed abutting South West corner of remains of Cleeve Abbey

GV II

Shelter shed. C18, perhaps earlier. Red sandstone random rubble, corrugated iron roof, circular piers partially rendered. Single storey, 5 bays. Interior not accessible at time of survey. Primarily listed for group value as it abuts the South West corner of the remains of Cleeve Abbey (qv). (17)

(Centred ST 047406) Remains of (NAT)
Cleeve Abbey (NR)
(Cistercian founded 1198) (NAT) (18)

Please see the additional bibliography which includes excavation reports. (17-64)

The ruins of the Cistercian abbey of Cleeve has the most complete and unaltered remains of monastic buildings in England. The remains include the gatehouse, 15th century refectory, a painted chamber, great dormitory, warming room, sacristy and an earlier 13th century refectory floor with heraldic tiles. (65)

English Heritage Guide to Cleeve Abbey, updated 2000. (66)

Article published in 2001 concerning a survey of medieval floor-tiles from the abbey, showing a much larger range of designs and fabric types than had been previously thought. (67)

Synthesis of investigations at the site carried out between 1995-2003, published 2007. The main areas of investigation were the south transept, the south range, the farmhouse; elements of the east and west ranges, in and around the cloister and the gatehouse. Among the results of the work was the indentification of a large foundation below the existing south transept, which has been interpreted as possibly representing part of an earlier church of about 1200AD. Excavations in the area of the cloisters revealed medieval burials and surfaces, and also evidence of Post-Medieval secular use. A study of the gatehouse indicated that more of its main 13th century fabric survived than had been previously thought. The report includes numerous plans, elevation drawings and photographs of architectural details. (68)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) General reference

Gilyard Beer R. 1962. Cleeve Abbey: Guide, Ministry of Works

( 3) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)106

( 4) Aerial photograph

Air photograph (CUC CG.077)

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

First OS archaeology field investigator 27-MAY-65

( 6) edited by William Page 1911 The Victoria history Somerset, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England T Scott Holmes Page(s)115-8

(7) General reference

Dugdale W. Monasticon, 5, 732

(8) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

(9) edited by R.W. Dunning 1985 A history of the county of Somerset: volume V

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)41

(10) General reference

Gilyard Beer R. 1973. Cleeve Abbey: Guide, DoE

(11) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)112, 117

(12) by Nikolaus Pevsner 1958 South and west Somerset

The Buildings of England Page(s)126-8

(13) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

C Guy 125, 1981 Page(s)99-101

(14) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

C Guy 127, 1983 Page(s)25

(15) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

Eds S Youngs, J Clark & T B Barry 27, 1983 Page(s)203

(16) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands

2 Page(s)121

(17) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

West Somerset, 01-DEC-1984 Page(s)33

(18) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10000, 1976

(19) General reference

Grose F. 1775. Antiquities of England and Wales, 3, 117-8

(20) General reference

Grose F. 1775. Antiquities of England and Wales, 5, 23

(21) General reference

Reynolds J. 1878. Some Notes on English Monasticism with Special Reference to Cleeve Abbey

(22) General reference

Walcot MEC. 1876. Abbey of St Mary in the Vale of Flowers, Cleeve

(23) General reference

Thompson A. 1923. English Monasteries, pp 37, 84, 86, 101, 109

(24) General reference

Taylor J. 1895. Cleeve Abbey: Antiqs Essays

(25) by Edward Foord 1925 Wells, Glastonbury and Cleeve

Cathedrals, abbeys and famous churches [series]

(26) General reference

Turner TH. 1889. Some Account of Domestic Architecture in England, 3, Part 2, 338

(27) Country Life

53 Page(s)14-21, 46-53

(28) Devon Archaeological Society proceedings

48, 1974 Page(s)2

(29) Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club

30, 1909 Page(s)59

(30) Devonshire Association reports and transactions

60, 1928 Page(s)32-4

(31) General reference

Transactions RIBA 1875-6 103

(32) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

33, 1876 Page(s)95

(33) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

36, 1879 Page(s)393-5

(34) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

107, 1950 Page(s)118

(35) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

Mackenzie and Walcott 31, 1875 Page(s)402-19

(36) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

1876 Page(s)135-6

(37) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

1877 Page(s)456, 465

(38) General reference

Weaver FW. 1906 Cleeve Abbey

(39) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

1934-8 Page(s)165

(40) General reference

Collinson J. 1791. History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset, 3, 512

(41) Bristol Archaeological Research Group (B.A.R.G.) bulletin

4, Spr, 1981 Page(s)3

(42) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

Ed S Youngs and J Clark 25, 1981 Page(s)192

(43) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

Ed S Youngs and J Clark 26, 1982 Page(s)206-7

(44) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

T Hugo 6, part 2, 1855 Page(s)17-97

(45) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

Plan and illustration 7, part 1, 1856-7 Page(s)28

(46) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

15, part 1, 1869 Page(s)7

(47) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

CH Samson 21, part 2, 1875 Page(s)36-40

(48) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

35, part 2, 1890 Page(s)83

(49) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

FW Weaver 52, part 1,/part 2, 1906 Page(s)46-51/1-41

(50) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

FC Eeles 77, 1931 Page(s)LIX/37-47

(51) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

Pages lxviii - lxxi 79, 1933

(52) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

JB Ward Perkins 87, 1941 Page(s)39-55

(53) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

96, 1951 Page(s)20

(54) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

98, 1953 Page(s)9

(55) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

M Aston 120, 1976 Page(s)73

(56) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

C Guy 126, 1982 Page(s)77

(57) by R Gilyard-Beer 1959 Cleeve Abbey, Somerset

(58) by R Gilyard-Beer 1960 Cleeve Abbey, Somerset

(59) by R Gilyard-Beer 1990 Cleeve Abbey, Somerset

(60) English Heritage 1994 Cleeve Abbey [guide]

(61) by Christopher J Guy 1988 Excavations at Cleeve Abbey, 1979

Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Societyvol 1 (1849) - 132 Page(s)89-93

(62) by N Linford, P Linford 1995 Report on geophysical survey, 1995, Cleeve Abbey, Washford, Somerset

Ancient Monuments Laboratory reportsG5/77; 16/78; 94/91; 13 (July-December 1992)- 1/95

(63) Scheduled Monument Notification

13-NOV-1996

(64) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

142, 2000 Page(s)1-41

(65) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

Page(s)97-98

(66) Harrison, Stuart 2000 Cleeve Abbey, Somerset [Guide]

(67) Journal of the British Archaeological Association

Article by Jane Harcourt: : The medieval floor-tiles of Cleeve Abbey, Somerset 153, 2001 Page(s)30-70

(68) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

Report by Richard W Parker, Tony Ives, John Allan: 'Excavation and building Study at Cleeve Abbey, 1995-2003' 150, 2007 Page(s)73-167

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