Buildwas Abbey, Shropshire

Founded by Roger de Clinton in 1135, the Cistercian Abbey of St Mary and St Chad was inhabited by a small community of monks from Furness Abbey. Buildwas Abbey was built from stone quarried in the nearby settlement of Broseley. Its remains are considered to be among some of the best preserved 12th century examples of a Cistercian church in Britain.

The abbey is located near the border of Wales and as a result had a turbulent history. In 1342 one of the Buildwas monks, Thomas Tong, murdered his abbot, evaded arrest and then petitioned for re-instatement into the Cistercian order. Welsh Princes and their followers regularly raided the Abbey, and in 1406 raiders even kidnapped the abbot.

The abbey was closed in 1536 by the order of Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, whereupon the estate was granted to Edward Grey, 3rd Baron Grey of Powis.

The abbot's house and infirmary were later incorporated into the building of a private house in the 17th century for the Acton Moseley family, although the remaining buildings are now open to the public, who can view the church which remains largely complete and unaltered since its original construction, although it is now without its roof.

Opening Times

April to September
10am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday.

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Ticket Prices

Adults: £3.40
Children: £2.00
Concessions: £3.10

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Disabled Facilities

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