More information : Abbey Church of St Mary, Dore Abbey (GT) (Remains of). (1)
"The Cistercian Abbey of Dore was founded in about 1147, by a grandson of the Conqueror, Robert of Ewyas. It was settled from Morimond. Of the church of St. Mary the east end and transepts survive, restored for use as a parish church in 1633, by a friend of Archbp Laud, Viscount Scudamore....The original church is perhaps represented by a roundheaded door and window in the unbuttressed N transept, which suggested an anaisled building with one chapel in each transept. The crossing and transepts date from a reconstruction begun in c.1180 and show good Transitional work. Of the Fan-bay aisled nave which followed, parts of the E bay remain, and the foundations were excavated by R.W. Paul who restored the church 1895-1905. The demand for more chapels brought an almost immediate extension of the presbytery after 1200 from two to three bays surrounded by a lean-to aisle, to form one of the best examples of its date in the county." Dedicated 1275-8 by Bp Cantelupe, reconsecrated in 1634.
"There are slight remains of the twelve-sided Chapter House of c.1280, and fragments of wall show the position of the Refectory running N. from the Cloister and of the lay-brothers' wing on the W." Dissolved 1536. (2)
The remains of the chapter house are 1.0m by 1.0m by 4.0m high (SO 38723041). No other remains of the Abbey, apart from the church, could be identified. (3)
[Plans and drawings resulting from excavation and restoration work undertaken by R.W.Paul published in 'The Builder' between 1893 and 1904, followed in 1931 with a criticism of the RCHME ground plan interpretation of the position of the nave and claustral buildings (see reference 2)]. (4)
Detailed archaeological survey of surviving pier and arch of southern nave arcade of Abbey church undertaken in 1980 by the City of HerefordArchaeology Committee, in advance of major repair works. (5)
Remains of Dore Abbey, now the Parish church of St Mary, listed grade I. (6) |