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The Great Britain Guide

Abbeys & priories · South Wales

Margam Abbey

Also known as: Abaty Margam

Norman & medieval♿ Wheelchair: limited

Margam Abbey — Abbey in South Wales, UK.

Margam Abbey, abbeys & priories in South Wales

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Plan your visit

Typical visit
45 min–1.5 h
Nearest railway station
Pyle · 4.7 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Margam 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: "Abbey in South Wales, UK". Coordinates: 51.5624°, -3.7299°.

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From the Wikipedia article

Margam Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Margam) was a Cistercian monastery, located in the village of Margam, a suburb of modern Port Talbot in Wales. The nave of the abbey church is still in use as the church of St Mary in the Church in Wales.

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

Background

History

The abbey was founded in 1147 as a daughter house of Clairvaux by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Early Christian crosses found in the close vicinity and conserved in the nearby Margam Stones Museum suggest the existence of an earlier Celtic monastic community. The founding abbot was William of Clairvaux. The third abbot, Conan, enjoyed the praise of Giraldus Cambrensis, whom he appears to have entertained prior to his official visit with Baldwin of Forde, Archbishop of Canterbury, to preach the Crusade in 1188. Conan (or Cunan) contributed to Patristic literature, as he is credited with the capitula or chapter-headings prefixing each section of St.…

Visiting

Margam Abbey now consists of the intact nave and surrounding ruins. Those ruins not belonging to the church are now owned by the County Council. These remains, including the twelve-sided chapter house, dating from the 13th century, stand within 840 acre (3.4 km<sup>2</sup>) Margam Country Park, close to Margam Castle. The Abbey church of St Mary, the ruined Chapter House and the Abbey undercroft are all Grade I listed buildings. The church is in the Margam Ministry Area and three services are held weekly. On a hill overlooking the abbey stand the ruins of an outlying monastery building, Capel Mair ar y Bryn ("the chapel of St Mary on the hill"). The purpose of this building is thought to…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.5624, -3.7299
Parish
Margam
Postcode
SA13 2TA
Parliamentary constituency
Aberafan Maesteg
Established
1101
Nearest railway station
Pyle4.7 km

Sources

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Nearby

Other abbeys from this era

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Margam Abbey?
Margam Abbey is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode SA13 2TA), in the parish of Margam.
When was Margam Abbey built?
Built or established in 1101.
Is Margam Abbey a listed building?
Margam Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
How do I get to Margam Abbey?
The nearest railway station is Pyle, about 4.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SA13 2TA.