Monastic Margam

The abbey ruins (1) Margam stones museum (4)

The abbey church (3) Yr Hen Eglwys (6)

The bathhouse (7)

Monastic

Margam

Produced by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust with grant aid from Cadw ggat.org.uk

Most of the places visited on this walk are medieval. Margam Abbey was founded in1147 by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, for Cistercian monks, on a site that probably already had a long Christian history. It became the centre of large estates farmed by the laybrothers who formed part of the monastic community. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the abbey complex was bought by the Mansel family who built a house on the site. The abbey church became the parish church. Parts of the abbey ruins were retained as picturesque features in the pleasure park that was designed in the 18th century – and contemporary taste thought them even more picturesque when parts fell down! The church, however, had a makeover in the Regency period to keep it in good repair.

This route can be undertaken as a circular walk lasting about 2½ hours when the side door between the abbey church and Margam Park is open (from Easter to September). If the side door is shut, your best plan is to start at the church (3) by the west door, and visit the abbey ruins at the end – you will then have to retrace your steps, making the walk considerably longer.

(1) The tour starts with the ruins of the abbey. The most striking building is the octagonal Chapter House, so-called because here the monks listened every day to the reading of a chapter from the Rule of St Benedict, the founder of western monasticism, and also held their daily business meeting. A pier in the middle once supported a vaulted roof, which collapsed in 1799. The chapter house, which was built in the first half of the 13th century, is a splendid example of Early English architecture. The Porch in front opened into the Cloister, to the west of the chapter house. The only other surviving building from what would originally have been three ranges surrounding it, to the east, south and west, is the vaulted ground floor or Undercroft, over which the monks’ dormitory was originally situated. This was in the south-east corner of the cloister. The north side was occupied by the Abbey Church. Most of the nave of the church still survives, in use since the Reformation as the parish church for Margam, but the east end is ruinous. The remains of the eastern bay of the nave, the South Transept and the Chancel can be reached through the Decorated Processional Door at right angles to the chapter house.

(2) Retrace your steps through the processional door and enter the rest of the church through the neighbouring door, which takes you into the South Aisle, separated from the Nave by an arcade of round-headed arches supported on square piers. On the other side is another arcade and the North Aisle. The nave and its piers are the oldest surviving parts of the abbey, and were built in the 12th century in the Norman style. However, the aisles were rebuilt in 1810, as part of the makeover; their windows are in a fanciful style with details more at home in 12th century Italy than Wales, a testament to the contemporary taste for the Middle Ages that also inspired the fashion for gothic novels and led Sir Walter Scott to write Ivanhoe. The east end of the south aisle was turned into a family chapel where the Mansels were buried from the 16th century. The alabaster sculptures that adorn their tombs are some of the finest in Wales.

(3) After leaving the church by the west door, turn round and admire the façade. The lower part of the central section, with the door and row of three windows over it, are Norman but the gable and the two little towers are part of the Regency makeover, like the windows to the aisles on either side.

(4) Leaving the churchyard, you will find yourself in the church car park. At the end of it to your right is Margam Stones Museum, which contains one of the finest collections of pre-Norman stone sculpture in South Wales, mainly cross slabs and grave-markers. It is only open part-time Wednesday-Sunday during the summer months, but some of the stones are visible through the glass front if it is shut. Most of these stones came from within a few miles of the abbey, and scholars think that the pre-Norman church already owned a lot of the land in this area.

Produced by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust with grant aid from Cadw ggat.org.uk

(5) Make your way along the village street for about 200 yards, and take the first turn right, which doubles back into a lane. Follow this for approximately 300 yards. On the left-hand side, just opposite the parking area by the lake, there is a flight of steps up through the wood that clothes the steep hillside. Follow these steps and their path up to the top of the hill, – every time you come to a flight of steps, go up them. It is steep, but the view when you get up there is worth the trouble.

(6) The ruined chapel at the top is variously known as yr Hen Eglwys (the Old Church), Capel Mair (Mary’s Chapel) and Cryke Chapel. The east and west walls survive up to the gables, with a late medieval window in each. If you look carefully, you can see that one was put into a pre- existing opening. Go round to the north-east corner of the chapel and pick up the path northwards. This brings you out into the lane. Turn left and then immediately right down the track to Cwm Maelog Farm. Follow the track for some 100yards.

(7) Follow this down for 100 yards. Before you get to the farm gate, you will see a fence on your right. Go through the gap in the fence and down the little path which leads you to the entrance of the Medieval Bathhouse. This was built over was a spring called Ffynnon Gyffyr which is a rag well, where people bathed their ailments with pieces of cloth dipped in the water, which they then tied somewhere near the well. The tradition of leaving strips of cloth here has survived into the 21st century.

(8) Retrace your steps back up to the lane, and follow it downhill back to the lake. Then double back along the track which follows the shore. At the edge of the lake are the ruins of a mill which probably goes back to monastic times. However, the medieval window was inserted later, to convert the ruin into a picturesque park feature.

(9) Continue round the lake to the side gate of the park. Once through the gate, turn left and follow the path by the stream.

(10) There was another holy well, the Lady’s Well, in the low-lying ground, but this is usually so overgrown with vegetation that nothing is visible. The stream itself was dammed in the 19th century to make a pool with cascades at the Lady’s Seat, but now only the site of the sluices can be seen.

(11) The path takes you round the bottom of Mynydd y Castell and brings you out near the stable courtyard. From there, you can either go round the front of Margam Castle, down the drive and through the Orangery car park to reach the abbey ruins, or through the gardens and down the steps.

You can get more information about these sites by logging into the regional Historic Environment Record at archwilio.org.uk. Download the app and take it with you!

Produced by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust with grant aid from Cadw ggat.org.uk