Hulton Abbey

Between the late 6th century and the reign of Henry VIII, over 700 monastic communities were founded in England; of these, at least 75 were founded by members of the Cistercian order. The size of these communities varied from several hundred members to only a handful. During medieval times, monasteries were important contributors to the surrounding community. They were centres of education, charity and worship, with the largest and wealthiest establishments wielding a degree of political influence. The Cistercians emphasised a life of manual labour, prayer and self-sufficiency. Many of their abbeys traditionally supported themselves through agriculture. It was the last of three Cistercian…

Archaeological evidence suggests that the site included a number of principal buildings, including the abbey church, chapter house, dormitories and refectory. These main structures were arranged around a square cloister, with the church positioned on the northern side. The church was of a standard, cruciform design. It measured 42.5m long and 32m wide, was built in stone and had a relatively short nave. Each end of the transept featured two adjoining chapels. There is further evidence of the tracery bars being replaced several times throughout the 14th century.