Scheduled MonumentsScotlandSweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls
Medieval · Abbey, precinct and walls

Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls

Scotland
HES SM90293
Period
Medieval
Site type
Abbey, precinct and walls
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Sweetheart Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1273 by Dervorguilla of Galloway in the parish of New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire, in south-western Scotland. The abbey was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and became one of the largest and most prosperous Cistercian houses in Scotland before its dissolution in the sixteenth century. The surviving architectural remains include the substantial precinct walls and the impressive red sandstone Abbey Church, with its distinctive twin towers and notable early English Gothic styling characteristic of the Cistercian order. The site preserves evidence of monastic planning typical of the period, with the church at its centre and the ancillary domestic ranges arranged around the cloister, though many structures survive only as earthwork or foundation level.

Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90293. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls?

Sweetheart Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1273 by Dervorguilla of Galloway in the parish of New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire, in south-western Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90293.

What period does Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls date from?

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

Who is responsible for protecting Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls?

Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90293.

What other scheduled monuments are near Sweetheart Abbey, abbey, precinct and walls?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ingleston Mote,motte (2 km), Ward Law, prehistoric enclosure and roundhouse 360m WSW of (5.6 km), Slewcairn, hut circle on W bank of Mid Burn (5.8 km).

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