| Summary : The buried and visible remains of the Savigniac, later Cistercian, monastery of St Mary and St John at Coggeshall. The abbey was founded by King Stephen around 1140, favouring the Savigniac Order. This order collapsed in 1147 and a Papal Bill of 1148 placed it under the control of Citeaux. By 1167, the time of the abbey church's completion, it was fully part of the Cistercian Order. The abbey was dissolved in 1538. The abbey church and the majority of conventual buildings survive only as foundations and buried remains, although portions of the eastern arm of the claustral range still stand, retained within and alongside Abbey Farm. Excavations have revealed the location of the abbey church. To the south of the church the excavations revealed the location of the cloisters, refectory and dormitory. Limited excavation in the 1950s revealed the well preserved foundations of the chapter house. The present house contains the remains of part of the infirmary and is Listed Grade I. Traces of the cloister walk were also uncovered in the 1950s, leading south towards the monks' dorter. Only two walls now stand to mark the position of the dorter. Further standing remains include the abbot's lodging and a narrow corridor-like chamber which are both Listed Grade I. A detached building stands a few metres south of the abbot's lodging and is considered to be the abbey guest house. The standing monastic buildings and most of the excavated foundations are composed primarily of flint and chalk rubble with brick dressings. St Nicholas' Church, facing the town on the western edge of the abbey precinct, was built in the early 13th century as a gatehouse chapel. After 300 years spent as a barn following the Dissolution, the chapel was restored to ecclesiastical use in 1863. The building remains is use as a place of worship and is Listed Grade I. Additional earthwork remains include a flight of fishponds to the north east of the standing remains. Scheduled. |
More information : (TL 855222)Remains of (NAT) Abbey (NR) (Cistercian founded AD 1140 ) (NAT).
(TL 85502228)St. Mary's Church (NR) (Site of) (NAT)
(TL 85372228)St. Nicholas' Church (NAT)
(TL 85532222)Monk House (NR) (1)
Abbey of St. Mary, founded 1140 under the order of Savigny, became Cistercian circa 1147, surrendered 1538. The buildings (see plan) were mainly of rubble with quoins, buttresses, doorways and window-openings of brick, including shaped and moulded bricks. (See TL 82 SW 20 for the kiln site). The church was dedicated in 1167; it is now destroyed but the plan is known from parch-marks. The infirmary is represented by two brick columns and remains of others, it was probably contemporary with the church. A detached building south of the dorter range was probably a guest house, having round doorways and transitional windows indicating a date about 1190. The south wall has been removed to adapt it to farm usage. The Abbot's lodging Monk House) is of two storeys, the upper being a chapel, the doorways again suggesting the date 1190. The dorter probably belongs to the 1168 group of buildings but has additions of circa 1220; only two walls now survive. Adjacent to the dorter is a two storeyed corridor, joining the infirmary to the Abbot's lodging. It is clearly later than the lodging, roll-moulded bricks suggesting it is about 1220. The gatehouse chapel of St. Nicholas, of similar construction to the corridor and probably the same date, was restored in 1890 and is used for occasional services. (2-6)
Grade 1. Scheduled.
The extant remains of St. Mary's Abbey are visible within the grounds of Abbey Farm. The 16th century post-dissolution farmhouse contains much re-used stone and brick but is not outstanding.
The Abbot's lodging, now called the 'Monk House' at TL 85522222, is built of flint rubble with brick dressings and is at present used as a stable. It measures 16.0m. by 8.0m. and has three buttresses on the south wall. See photograph.
The Guest House at TL 85532220, is of similar construction and measures 10.0m. by 6.0m. and is now a barn. See photograph.
The corridor on the east side of the former dorter range measures 13.0m. long and has a vaulted first floor. The remains of the infirmary to the north have been destroyed.
St. Nicholas' church, the former gatehouse chapel at TL 85372228, measures 16.0m. by 9.0m. and is also built of flint and brick. See photograph.
The plan of the abbey church can be seen in part as patch marks on the lawn centred TL 85512228. The corssing of the nave and transepts together with the aisle are visible.
A waterfilled pond at TL 85452193 named Pondwick, which measures about 100.0m. long by 15.0m. wide was probably a fish stew associated with the abbey.
Published 1:2500 survey correct. (7)
Church of St Nicholas, Coggeshall Abbey. Gatehouse chapel of Coggeshall Abbey, now a church. Circa 1225, restored in 1863, and by Bodley and Garner in 1897. Repaired in C20. Grade I (see list for details).
Coggeshall Abbey (residence). House. Early to mid C16, altered in C16 and early C17, incorporating part of the C12 infirmary of Coggeshall Abbey (cistercian). Grade I (see list for details).
The Abbot's lodging and corridor of Coggeshall Abbey (formerly listed as the Abbot's Lodging and remains of Dorter Wall and Ambulatory, Coggeshall Abbey). Abbot's lodging and corridor of Cistercian Abbey. Circa 1190, altered C.1220 and in late C16. Grade I (see list for details).
Guest-house of Coggeshall Abbey (formerly listed as the chapel of St. Catherine, Coggeshall Abbey). Guest-house of Cisterian abbey, now boiler-house. Circa 1190, altered in late C16. Grade I (see list for details). (8)
Tl 855 223 Coggeshall Abbey. Scheduled no 95. (9)
Additional bibliography. (10) |