Margam Abbey
|
|
Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Port Talbot. It was founded in 1147 as a daughter house of Clairvaux by Robert, Earl of Gloucester and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII of England in 1536 and sold to Sir Rice Mansel. Subsequently restored, the abbey church is today is in use as a parish church. The ruins of the other monastic buildings are owned by the County Council. These remains, including the twelve-sided chapter house, dating from the 13th century, stand within 840 acre (3.4 km²) Margam Country Park, close to Margam Castle.
On a hill overlooking the abbey stand the ruins of an outlying monastery building, Capel Mair ar y Bryn ("the chapel of St Mary on the hill"). At one point in Margam's history there were only 12 monks living in the monastery.