Cleeve Abbey facts for kids
The Dormitory at Cleeve Abbey — viewed from the North-East
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | The Abbey Church of St Mary, Cleeve, Vallis Florida (Latin: 'Flowering Valley') |
| Order | Cistercian |
| Established | 1198 |
| Disestablished | 1537 |
| Mother house | Revesby Abbey |
| Dedicated to | Virgin Mary |
| Diocese | Diocese of Bath and Wells |
| Controlled churches | Cleeve, Queen Camel, Woolavington and the chapel of Our Lady at Blue Anchor |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | William de Roumare, Earl of Lincoln |
| Important associated figures | John Hooper |
| Site | |
| Location | Washford, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°9′20″N 3°21′51″W / 51.15556°N 3.36417°W |
| Visible remains | complete cloister buildings in habitable state, church and infirmary are missing |
| Public access | yes (English Heritage) |
Cleeve Abbey is a historic monastery from the Middle Ages. It is located near Washford in Somerset, England. This important site is a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very special historic place. It is also an ancient monument, protected by law.
The abbey was started in the late 1100s. It was home to Cistercian monks, who followed a very strict way of life. For 350 years, Cleeve Abbey was not very famous among other abbeys. It often had problems with its leaders and money. One monk from Cleeve, John Hooper, became a bishop during the English Reformation.
In 1536, Henry VIII closed Cleeve Abbey. This was part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when many monasteries were shut down. Cleeve Abbey then became a large country house. Later, it was used as farm buildings. In the late 1800s, people started working to save the ruins. In the 1900s, the government took over its care.
Today, English Heritage looks after Cleeve Abbey. It is open for visitors to explore. It is one of the best-preserved Cistercian sites in Britain. The church is gone, but the main buildings where the monks lived are still standing. They even have roofs! You can see amazing features like the 'angel' roof in the refectory and old wall paintings.
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How Was Cleeve Abbey Started?
William de Roumare, Earl of Lincoln founded Cleeve Abbey. On June 25, 1198, twelve monks arrived from Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire. Their leader was Abbot Ralph. The abbey's official name was Vallis Florida, which means 'Flowering Valley' in Latin. But everyone usually called it Cleeve, after the nearby village.
Wealthy families like the de Mohuns and Beckerolles helped fund the abbey. They gave land and money. The monks also had the "Right of Wreck." This meant they could claim shipwrecks that washed up on their land. This brought them extra income.
What Did the Abbey Buildings Look Like?
Building the abbey church began right away. This work took many decades to finish. The church design was traditional, like early Cistercian churches in Burgundy. It was shaped like a cross, with a long main hall called a nave. It also had a short east end and two side chapels. The eastern parts were likely finished by 1232. The rest of the church was probably done by the mid-1200s.
South of the church was the cloister. This was a covered walkway surrounded by the monks' living areas. The east side was built first, around 1250. It held the chapter house (meeting room), sacristy (where sacred items were kept), the monks' dormitory (sleeping area), and a long latrine (toilet).
The south side was built next. It had the kitchens, a warming room, and the refectory (dining hall). The refectory stuck out from the main building, which was common for Cistercian abbeys. The floor of the refectory had special encaustic tiles. These tiles were 23 cm square and showed the coats of arms of important families. They were likely made to celebrate a royal wedding in 1272.
The last part to be finished was the small west side. This area was used for storage and for the lay brothers, who did much of the abbey's manual labor. East of the main buildings was a second cloister. This area held the monastic infirmary, where sick monks were cared for.
The monastery was next to the Washford River. It would have had gardens, fishponds, orchards, barns, and guesthouses. There were also stables and farm buildings. A moat filled with water and a gatehouse protected the abbey grounds.
Even though Cleeve was not a rich abbey, the monks improved their home. They wanted to match the better living standards of the later Middle Ages. In the 1300s, colorful tiled floors were added. These were very expensive and showed high status. In the mid-1400s, big changes were made.
Abbot David Juyner (who was in charge from 1435 to 1487) completely redesigned the south side. He tore down the old refectory. He built a new, grand dining hall on the first floor. This new hall had a wooden vaulted ceiling carved with angels. It was as grand as any lord's hall at the time. Beneath it, he built several small apartments. These were probably for "corrodians," people who paid the abbey to live there in their old age.
Abbot Juyner might also have added wall paintings to the abbey. Some of these paintings still exist. One shows the Crucifixion. Another shows St Catherine and St Margaret next to a man on a bridge. The bridge is over water with fish. The man has angels near his head and is being attacked by a lion and a dragon.
Work continued until the Dissolution. The gatehouse was remodeled after 1510. As late as 1534, the monks were updating the cloister walkways. But this work was never finished because the abbey was closed down.
Life at the Abbey
Not much is known about the daily life inside Cleeve Abbey. In its early years, the abbey received land and money from local lords and the King. In the prosperous 1200s, the abbey grew steadily. By 1297, there were 26 monks living there. The abbey also owned several local churches, including those in Cleeve, Queen Camel, and Woolavington. They also owned the church in Lundy. The abbey was also in charge of a chapel for pilgrims near Blue Anchor.
A major way the abbey earned money was by selling wool. However, the 1300s brought hard times. The Black Death (a terrible plague), a struggling economy, and poor management caused problems. The number of monks dropped sharply, and the abbey fell into debt. The monks' behavior also got worse. In 1400–01, it was even reported that the abbot and three monks were leading a group of 200 bandits!
Things improved in the 1400s. Even with the huge costs of the new buildings, better management helped. The abbey also gained new ways to earn money, like holding markets. So, just before it closed, Cleeve Abbey was doing quite well.
Why Did the Abbey Close?
In 1535, a survey of church finances showed Cleeve Abbey's income was only £155. This meant it was one of the smaller monasteries. The next year, it fell under the first law to close religious houses. This was Henry VIII's first step in the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Abbot William Dovell and his 16 monks were forced to give up the abbey on September 6, 1536. Some local nobles and even the King's officials wanted Cleeve to stay open. But it was not to be. The monks finally left in the spring of 1537. Abbot William received a good pension of 40 marks per year. Most of the other monks also got pensions.
One former monk of Cleeve, John Hooper, became famous. He became a bishop but was killed in 1555 for his Protestant beliefs by Mary I.
What Happened After the Abbey Closed?
After Cleeve became the King's property, it was rented out. In 1538, the land was given to Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex. The church was torn down, except for one wall next to the cloister. The rest of the abbey was turned into a large house for a gentleman.
By the early 1600s, Cleeve had become a farm. The dormitory was a big barn. The cloister was the farmyard. The other buildings were used for farming and as a farmhouse. A new red sandstone barn was built next to the abbey.
George Luttrell bought the site in 1870. He stopped using the abbey as a farm. Large archaeological digs began. The farmhouse was turned into rental cottages. The site became a tourist attraction, partly to bring visitors to the West Somerset Railway. A local farmer's daughter, Cleeva Clapp, who was named after the abbey, became a guide. She even claimed to talk to the ghosts of the monks!
Cleeve Abbey was given back to the Crown in 1950–51 to pay taxes. The Department for the Environment managed it. Major restoration and archaeological work followed. In 1984, English Heritage took over. They continue to care for Cleeve Abbey today.
Cleeve Abbey Today
The church and infirmary are mostly gone. But Cleeve Abbey has some of the best-preserved monks' living quarters in southern England. The buildings around the cloister still have roofs and many rooms keep their original vaulted ceilings.
Important rooms you can still see include the chapter house, the refectory with its amazing wooden ceiling, and the painted chamber. Much of the abbey's medieval tiled flooring is still there. Other important parts that remain are the abbey gatehouse, which visitors still use to enter, the moat, and the fishponds. Cleeve Abbey is open to the public.
The abbey's remains are a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled monument. This means they are very important and protected.
Images for kids
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The Dormitory at Cleeve Abbey — viewed from the North-East
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View of Cleeve Abbey from the North-West
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Expensive heraldic tiles demonstrate rising living standards at Cleeve in the latter part of the Middle Ages.
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The abbey gatehouse.
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The refectory range was rebuilt in the 15th century to provide accommodation equal to that possessed by any contemporary secular lord.
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View of the cloister from the site of the monks' choir in the church.
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The chapterhouse seen from the site of its now vanished east wall. The monks met here daily to conduct the business of the abbey.
