Llanllugan Abbey facts for kids
Llanllugan Abbey was a special place where Cistercian nuns lived and prayed. It was a type of monastery for women. You could find it in Llanllugan, a village in Powys, Wales. This abbey was one of only two Cistercian nunneries ever built in Wales.
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The Start of Llanllugan Abbey
Llanllugan Abbey began in the early 1200s. A powerful local lord named Maredudd ap Rhobert, who ruled Cedewain, gave the nuns a special document called a charter. This charter was like an official permission slip.
Land and Income
The charter gave the nuns their main land. This land was in the Llanllugan area, located between two streams of the Rhiw. The abbey also owned other farms and lands. These included Hydan grange near Castle Caereinion and Cowney in Llangadfan.
The abbey also got money from churches. They received income from the church in Llanfair Caereinion starting in 1239. This was given by Bishop Hugh of St Asaph. Later, in 1263, Bishop Anian of St Asaph gave them income from the church in Llanllwchairan.
Connected to Welsh Princes
Llanllugan Abbey was founded as a smaller part of a larger Cistercian monastery. This larger monastery was for monks at Strata Marcella Abbey.
During that time, the Welsh Princes started many Cistercian monasteries. These Welsh monasteries were independent from those built in Norman England. This meant they were usually friends with the Welsh rulers.
Famous in Welsh Stories
Llanllugan Abbey is well-known in Welsh literature. A famous poet named Dafydd ap Gwilym wrote a poem about it. The poem is called Cyrchu Lleian, which means "Wooing a nun".
The Poet's Tale
In his poem, Dafydd asks a messenger to go to "proud Llanllugan". He wants the messenger to convince one of the nuns to meet him in a forest. It's a fun, imaginative poem.
How Many Nuns?
The poem by Dafydd ap Gwilym was written before the Black Death. It suggests there might have been about 60 nuns at the abbey then. However, this number was likely just for the poem. It's thought that the two Cistercian nunneries in Wales usually had fewer than 12 members. For example, in 1377, records show only four nuns and an abbess at Llanllugan.
What Remains Today?
The old monastery church of Llanllugan Abbey is still standing. It is now the local parish church of Llanllugan.
However, no one is quite sure where the other abbey buildings were. They might have been in a field about 200 metres south of the church.
