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The Great Britain Guide

Abbeys & priories · North Wales

Cymer Abbey

Also known as: Abaty Cymer

Norman & medievalCadwPaid admission♿ Wheelchair: limited

Cymer Abbey — Grade I listed ruins in the United Kingdom.

Cymer Abbey, abbeys & priories in North Wales

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
45 min–1.5 h
  • Paid entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access
Visit on cadw.gov.wales

About

Cymer Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1101. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by Cadw. Managed by Cadw. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed ruins in the United Kingdom". Coordinates: 52.7582°, -3.8962°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

Cymer Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Cymer) is a ruined Cistercian abbey near the village of Llanelltyd, just north of Dolgellau, Gwynedd, in north-west Wales, United Kingdom.

From Cadw under OGL v3.

From Cadw

An example of Cistercian influence in medieval WalesCistercian monks were more than religious men. Worldly Cistercians were also pioneering sheep farmers and some of the first rural entrepreneurs. Their network of abbeys included Cymer, idyllically set at the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary.Founded in 1198, it was one of their lesser settlements, suffering greatly during the conflicts between Wales and England in the 13th century. Nonetheless, substantial remains survive from this simple abbey church.

Read more on the official property page.

From the Wikipedia article

Cymer Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Cymer) is a ruined Cistercian abbey near the village of Llanelltyd, just north of Dolgellau, Gwynedd, in north-west Wales, United Kingdom.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

It was founded in 1189 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the patronage of Maredudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd (d. 1212), Lord of Merioneth (grandson of Owain Gwynedd), and of his brother, Gruffudd ap Cynan, prince of North Wales (d. 1200). It was a daughter house of Abbeycwmhir in Powys. The remains of the church and west tower are very plain, but substantial with walls surviving about nave archway height. It is a simple nave with aisles, lacking northern and southern transepts, and the choir and presbytery are incorporated into the nave. The abbey has buff sandstone dressings and some red sandstone carvings, but is primarily of local rubble construction. The foundations of the cloister…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.7582, -3.8962
District
Gwynedd
Parish
Llanelltyd
Postcode
LL40 2HE
Parliamentary constituency
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Established
1101
Official site
cadw.gov.wales

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Cymer Abbey?
Cymer Abbey is in North Wales, United Kingdom (postcode LL40 2HE), in the parish of Llanelltyd.
When was Cymer Abbey built?
Built or established in 1101.
Who runs Cymer Abbey?
Cymer Abbey is operated by Cadw.
Is Cymer Abbey a listed building?
Cymer Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
How do I get to Cymer Abbey?
Drivers can navigate to postcode LL40 2HE. It sits within the Dwyfor Meirionnydd parliamentary constituency.