Balmerino Abbey facts for kids
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Cistercian |
| Established | 1229 |
| Disestablished | 1603 |
| Mother house | Melrose Abbey |
| Diocese | Diocese of St Andrews |
| Controlled churches | Balmerino; Barry; Cultrain; Logie-Murdoch |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Ermengarde de Beaumont |
Balmerino Abbey, also known as St Edward's Abbey, is a very old building in Balmerino, Fife, Scotland. It was once a home for Cistercian monks, a type of Christian religious group. The abbey has been a ruin since the 1500s.
Contents
History of Balmerino Abbey
Balmerino Abbey was started between 1227 and 1229. Monks from Melrose Abbey came to live here. They had help from Ermengarde de Beaumont and King Alexander II of Scotland. Balmerino Abbey was like a "daughter house" to Melrose Abbey.
In the early 1500s, about 20 monks lived at the abbey. But its importance slowly faded. In December 1547, English forces burned parts of it. It was also damaged in 1559 by Scottish Protestants. This happened during a time called the Reformation. They sometimes destroyed religious buildings they saw as wrong.
Over many centuries, people took stones from the abbey to build other things. Because of this, the main abbey building is now completely gone. Only smaller parts to the north remain. The most famous part left is the fan-vaulted cloisters. These are covered walkways with special arched ceilings.
In 1606 or 1607, the abbey's name was used again. It became a title for a nobleman, James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Balmerino.
Visiting Balmerino Abbey Today
The abbey is now looked after by the National Trust for Scotland. This group helps protect important places. You can visit the ruins, and there is a small fee. You pay into an honesty box, as there is no ticket office.
What you can see today is a large part of the main church's east wall. There are also more ruins of other buildings nearby. However, visitors cannot go into these parts right now. They are not safe because they are in poor condition.
A sign at the site says that the money from visitors will help fix these ruins. This way, people can safely explore them again in the future. The ruins are a protected historical site called a scheduled monument.
Important Burials
- Ermengarde de Beaumont, who was a Queen of Scotland
Images for kids
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Details of a window and door at the abbey.
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Balmerino Abbey ruins in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Abadía de Balmerino para niños
