Abbeys & priories · North West England
Calder Abbey
Calder Abbey — Savigniac monastery in Cumbria, England, UK.

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Sellafield · 4.3 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Calder Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1101. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Affiliated with Catholicism. Wikidata describes it as: "Savigniac monastery in Cumbria, England, UK". Coordinates: 54.4441°, -3.4647°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Calder Abbey in Cumbria was a Savigniac monastery founded in 1134 by Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester, and moved to this site following a refoundation in 1142. It became Cistercian in 1148. It is near the village of Calderbridge.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Calder Abbey in Cumbria was a Savigniac monastery founded in 1134 by Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester, and moved to this site following a refoundation in 1142. It became Cistercian in 1148. It is near the village of Calderbridge.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Ranulf de Gernon (also known as Ranulph le Meschines) founded the abbey on 10 January 1134, and gave a site and a mill to the monks. It was a wooden building and occupied by twelve Savigniac monks from Furness Abbey under the abbot Gerold. Only four years later, in the midst of the political instability following the death of Henry I, David King of Scots sent Scottish raiders under William Fitz Duncan to raid the northern English counties. Calder Abbey was one of the victims, and the Scots raided they despoiled the Abbey and drove out the monks. This, and the poor endowment, led the monks to abandon the site, and they sought sanctuary at Furness Abbey. However, as Abbot Gerold would not…
Description
The Monk's Bridge, on Cold Fell, built by the monks of Calder, is the oldest packhorse bridge in Cumbria. It spans the River Calder, just upstream of the confluence with Friar Gill. Also known as "Matty Benn's bridge", it is still in use today and is open to the public.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.4441, -3.4647
- District
- Cumberland
- Parish
- Ponsonby
- Postcode
- CA20 1DZ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Whitehaven and Workington
- Established
- 1101
- Nearest railway station
- Sellafield — 4.3 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q1018590 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Calder Abbey (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: CalderAbbey.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Calder Abbey?
- Calder Abbey is in North-West England, United Kingdom (postcode CA20 1DZ), in the parish of Ponsonby.
- When was Calder Abbey built?
- Built or established in 1101.
- Is Calder Abbey a listed building?
- Calder Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- How do I get to Calder Abbey?
- The nearest railway station is Sellafield, about 4.3 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CA20 1DZ.