Valle Crucis Abbey

Valle Crucis Abbey stands in a quiet valley near Llantysilio in Denbighshire, north Wales. Built in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, it was the last Cistercian monastery founded in Wales. The abbey takes its name from a nearby ancient pillar raised four centuries earlier. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537 the buildings fell into ruin, though large sections still stand today. Now cared for by Cadw, the site is surrounded by a caravan park on three sides. The abbey played a central role in the region’s spiritual and political life. Up to sixty brethren once lived here, including choir monks and lay members who worked the land. Welsh poets such as Gutun Owain, Tudur Aled and Guto’r Glyn stayed at the abbey in the 15th century. Guto’r Glyn spent his final years here and was buried on site in 1493. The abbey suffered damage during the Welsh Wars of Edward I and later during Owain Glyndŵr’s uprising. Visitors walk among the remains of the church, cloisters and outbuildings arranged around a square courtyard. The west front wall with its rose window and much of the east end survive. The east range, chapter house and sacristy remain largely intact, and the first floor of the dormitory and abbot’s lodgings can still be reached. A single monastic fishpond, later altered, lies within the grounds. The ruins sit close to the River Dee, adding to the peaceful setting.