Scheduled MonumentsWalesMargam Abbey
Medieval · Abbey

Margam Abbey

Wales
Cadw SAM GM005
Period
Medieval
Site type
Abbey
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Margam Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1147 by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, situated in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The abbey was established as a daughter house of Tewkesbury Abbey and became one of Wales's most significant religious communities, accumulating substantial landholdings and influence throughout the medieval period. The surviving remains include the substantial stone-built chapter house, now roofless, and fragmentary elements of the church and claustral ranges, which testify to the abbey's former architectural grandeur and economic prosperity. The site remained in use until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, after which its buildings fell into gradual decay, though the landscape around it preserves evidence of its medieval planned layout and associated settlements.

Margam Abbey is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM005. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Margam Abbey?

Margam Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1147 by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, situated in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM005.

What period does Margam Abbey date from?

Margam Abbey dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a abbey. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Margam Abbey?

Margam Abbey is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM005.

What other scheduled monuments are near Margam Abbey?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kenfig Castle & Medieval Town (3.6 km), Sculptured Cross Llanmihangel Farm (3.7 km), Leat & Dam at Llanmihangel Mill (4.3 km).

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