Summary : Croxden Abbey was a medieval Cistercian monastery founded in 1176 at Colton, but moved here in 1179. The monastery remains include the cruciform plan church with nave, aisles, transepts, and choir of chevet type, sacristy, chapter house, parlour, slype, dormitory undercroft, reredorter, day stair, warming house, Abbot's lodging and infirmary. Remains of the precinct wall lie to the north and south of the Abbey, and would have enclosed an area of almost 30 hectares. The Cistercians were also renowned for their water management and this is evident in the monastic complex, the mill, and fishponds. Following the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, part of the abbey was used as a secular residence with gardens and parkland, which was later converted to farmland. A detailed earthwork survey of the site was carried out by English Heritage in 2008 and the building and earthwork remains are visible on air photographs, and have been mapped as part of the Staffordshire National Mapping Programme project. The majority of the features are extant on the latest 2010 vertical photography. Scheduled. |
More information : [SK 06553971] Abbey [NR] [Ruin] [NAT] (1)
Detailed description. (2)
Survey. (3)
Survey. (4)
Croxden Abbey. There has been further excavation, largely in the area of the Infirmary, but it is expected that work will be completed during the 1975 season. The site is open to the public. Published 25" survey revised. (5) Remains of [NAT] Abbey [NR] (Cistercian founded 1178) [NAT] (6) Part of the west alley of the infirmary cloister was excavated; the lower courses of the arcade wall and sandstone flags along the alley survived. (7)
Croxden Abbey remains. Imposing ruins - W. front, S. transept, cloisters and chapterhouse. (Guardianship. A.M.) (8)
Croxden Abbey remains Grade I. Cistercian Abbey remains. c1179-c1280 with addition of 1335-6. Sandstone ashlar. Remains of cruciform plan church with nave, aisles, transepts, and choir of chevet type, sacristy, chapter house, parlour, slype, dormitory undercroft, reredorter, day stair, warming house, Abbot's lodging and infirmary. Remains of possible precinct wall to South of the Abbey.
Croxden Abbey was founded by Bertram de Verdun in 1176, and was first colonised by Cistercian monks from Aunay in Normandy; the first settlement was at Colton; emigration to Croxden occured in 1179. A road divides the church and site into 2 parts. (9)
Scheduled. (10)
Additional references. (11-12)
Surveyed by AS&I in 2008. (13)
The site of Croxden Abbey. The Abbey, a foundation of the Cistercian order, was founded in 1176 with lands and money given by Bertram de Verdun, lord of Alton Castle, and was colonised by monks from Aunay in Normandy. The first settlement was established at Cotton, but in 1179 the White Monks moved south to Croxden. Here they built their monastery (one of four in Staffordshire) and dominated the area, not only in religious life, but also in the way they farmed the land from a network of granges. Construction work was started under the first abbot (Thomas of Woodstock) and the church was dedicated in 1181; it was later consecrated in circa 1254. During the 13th and 14th centuries the abbey flourished and may have supported as many as 70 monks. Later 14th century crop failures, cattle disease and plague blighted the abbey, although a new house for the abbot was built in 1335. The medieval remains include the cruciform plan church with nave, aisles, transepts, and choir of chevet type, sacristy, chapter house, parlour, slype, dormitory undercroft, reredorter, day stair, warming house, Abbot's lodging and infirmary. Remains of the precinct wall lie to the north and south of the Abbey, and would have enclosed an area of almost 30 hectares. The Cistercians were also renowned for their water management and this is evident in the monastic complex, the mill, and fishponds. Following the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 most of the conventual buildings were destroyed, and the surrounding area was transformed when the site was leased to Francis Bassett, a servant of Archbishop Cranmer in 1539. At this time part of the abbey was used as a secular residence with gardens and parkland, which later converted use to farmland. By the 18th century three farmsteads existed within the precinct, and in 1913 the estate was broken up and sold in lots. The site is now in the care of English Heritage. (14)
Additional references. (15-17)
The Croxden Abbey complex is visible as earthworks and ruined building remains on air photographs centred at SK 0650 3977. The monastery building foundations and surviving walls are located north and south of the road extending north-west south-east through the site. Fishponds and a large dam are located to the south-west of the building remains. Further earthworks of a rectilinear enclosure and pillow mounds, probable field boundaries, platforms, and another pond are located to the north and north-west. Elements of the earthworks are likely to be assocated with a later phase of site use of late medieval and/ or post medieval date. The earthworks and ruined building were mapped as part of the Staffordshire National Mapping Programme project and the majority of the features are extant on the latest 2010 vertical photography. (18-19) |