Remaining Ruins Following Dissolution of the Monasteries

Did you know that the Dissolution of the Monasteries, which began in 1536 and concluded in 1541, led to the dismantling/destruction of hundreds of monasteries and nunneries throughout Cymru and England? Many ruins remain as evidence!

The Dissolution of the Monasteries Saw Many Churches Stripped of their Materials & History

One such example of the dissolution is Abaty Glyn Y Groes (Valle Crucis Abbey in English). It was founded in 1201 by then-Prince of Powys Fadog, Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor (unknown-1236: an ancestor of Owain Glyndŵr) and thrived for centuries as the last Cistercian monastery to be built in Cymru. With the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII in the 16th century, however, it fell into ruin.

The ruins of Abaty Glyn Y Groes are still there, though, and you should definitely visit them. It’s a @cadwcymruwales site that remains freely accessible! And yes, that’s me pointing at it.

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