| Summary : Savigniac Abbey founded in 1133, converted to the Cistercian order in 1147, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Michael. After the dissolution the remains were incorporated in a mansion built in 1563. The little left of the monastic fabric is concealed by the house, formerly the abbey buildings, probably the abbot's lodgings above the West cloister range. An engraving by Buck of 1727 shows the present entrance front to have a ground floor of stone set with blocked pointed arches, presumably of the cloister arcade and with a decorated timber-framed first floor. An early 18th century oil painting of the rear of the house shows a similar ground floor with projecting timber-framed wings on either side and a timber-framed first floor. On an island in the adjacent lake there was formerly a chapel, the site of which is occupied by a summer-house. |
More information : [SJ 58754412] COMBERMERE ABBEY [GT] (Cistercian Founded AD 1133) (1)
Founded in 1133 (3) and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Michael. After the dissolution the remains were incorporated in a mansion built in 1563. The early fabric is concealed by recent alterations in imitation pointed Gothic. On an island in the adjacent lake there was formerly a chapel the site of which is occupied by a summer-house. (2). (2-3)
Major Callander was convinced that the fabric of the present house contained substantial remains of the Abbey, though there was insufficient architectural detail to date them. (a). There is no external trace of the abbey in the present building. See GP AO/64/228/5. The summer house was at SJ8684460. There is no trace of the chapel.
(4)
The principal room of the house, now the library, is supposed to be part of the monastic refectory, but it is on the first floor. The refectory was surely on the ground floor, and there, three Gothic arches have recently been found. The library contains 16th/17th century fabric, but the E plan house, dated 1563, was much altered externally in the early 19th century. The right wing was added in the 1870's. (5)
Lady Garnock, wife of the present owner, confirmed that during alterations to the house, remains of the abbey were found to be incorporated into the fabric of the later building. The wing added in the 19th century has recently been demolished. (6)
Combermere Abbey,Grade I. (7) |