Aberconwy Abbey

Aberconwy Abbey was a Cistercian monastery first built near Caernarfon before moving to Conwy in the late 12th century. Llywelyn the Great granted the monks land in Conwy in 1199, making it the largest landholder among Welsh abbeys. The abbey held over 160 square kilometres and became the burial site for Llywelyn and his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, who died in London, was later reburied here after his body was returned. The abbot played a key role in negotiations between Welsh princes and the English crown in the 13th century. In 1283, King Edward I forced the monks to relocate to Maenan so he could build Conwy Castle. The move was completed by 1284, and Edward funded a new abbey at Maenan. By the 15th century, Abbot John ap Rhys led a raid on Strata Florida Abbey during a dispute. The abbey was valued at £162 in 1535 before being dissolved in 1537. Little remains of Maenan Abbey, but parts of the original church in Conwy survive as the parish church of St Mary & All Saints. The surviving structure includes the west wall with three lancet windows and parts of the east wall. The west doorway may have been moved from another part of the abbey, possibly the chapter house. The abbey’s other buildings likely stood north and east of the church, where Conwy Castle now stands. The church has been rebuilt many times, yet some original elements remain visible. Visitors can still see traces of the abbey’s past in the town’s oldest building. The site offers a quiet reminder of the abbey’s former importance.