Grey Abbey - Discover Northern Ireland

Grey Abbey
A short guide to the abbey
Aerial photograph of Grey Abbey
Grey Abbey
Grey Abbey is a Cistercian monastery, originally known
as Iugem Dei or the Yoke of God, and was founded in
1193 by Affreca, wife of the Anglo-Norman invader John
de Courcy. It is the only Cistercian monastery in Ireland
known to have been founded by a woman, traditionally in
thanksgiving for her safe landing after a storm at sea.
The first Cistercian House in Ireland
had been founded at Mellifont in
County Louth around 50 years earlier.
Over 20 more monasteries linked to
this mother house were established
under the patronage of local Irish
rulers. In contrast, Grey Abbey is one
of 10 sites founded by the AngloNorman invaders. Half of these were
in Ulster, with the three sites of Inch,
Comber and Grey clustered close to
the shores of Strangford Lough.
Grey Abbey is probably the first church
in Ireland to be built in the Gothic
style, most clearly visible in the pointed
arches at the east end of the church.
The buildings were built to a standard
plan, with the church, administrative
and communal buildings in set
locations around a central cloister.
The monks who came to establish
the abbey were from Holm Cultram in
Cumbria, another area where the new
style was being introduced in the late
12th century. The earliest buildings at
Grey Abbey suggest that a large and
impressive monastery was planned,
reflecting the power and wealth
of the de Courcys.
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These plans must have been altered
in 1205, when John De Courcy was
expelled from Ulster by King John and
the abbey never regained a wealthy
patron. It seems to have retained close
links with its mother house, as two
abbots from Grey succeeded to the
abbacy of Holm Cultram in 1222
and 1237.
The monastery and its economy may
have been damaged in the Wars
of 1315-18 when Robert the Bruce’s
brother Edward attempted to establish
himself as king of Ireland. Later, it came
under the patronage of the O’Neills of
Clandeboye. The community seems to
have continued to decline, however,
until it was eventually dissolved under
the last abbot, John Cassells, in 1541.
The buildings were burnt by Sir Brian
O’Neill in 1572 to prevent them being
garrisoned by the Crown. Eventually
they were granted to the Scottish
adventurer Sir Hugh Montgomery in
1607 when the O’Neill lands were seized.
The Montgomery family has lived here
ever since. They re-roofed the nave and
used it as a parish church until 1778
when a new church was built nearby.
Reconstruction of Grey Abbey
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A Guide to the Abbey
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1. West Door
2. Nave
3. Tower
4. Chancel
5. North Transept
6. South Transept
7. Sacristy or Vestry
8. Chapter House
9. Day Room (choir monk’s dormitory above)
10. Latrine Block Rere Dorter
11. Warming Room or Calefactory
12. Frater or Refectory
13.Kitchen
14. West Range
15.Cloister
Grey Abbey
West Door
Today, the main entrance to the abbey church is through the elaborate west door,
designed to be impressive and imposing but originally only used for important
ceremonies. The monks themselves would usually have entered the building
through doorways in the south wall of the church, directly from the cloister.
The west door
Decorated stonework at Cistercian
foundations is usually modest and
simple. This entrance, however, is
marked by four pointed arches or
‘orders’ carved with distinctive Early
Gothic ‘dog tooth’ decoration dating
from 1220-30.
Above the main doorway is a small
window inserted in the 15th century
and a miniature bell turret, added when
this part of the abbey was re-used as a
parish church in the 17th century.
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Dog-tooth decoration on the west door
Grey Abbey
Nave
The western part of the nave was mainly used by the lay-brothers, who performed
most of the heavy manual and agricultural work within the estate but followed a
less strict religious regime than their choir monk brethren.
This section was divided from the rest
of the church by a screen and would
have housed the lay-brothers’ altar.
A piscina – the basin used for washing
altar vessels is still visible in the south
wall as well as the doorway through
which the lay brothers entered this part
of the church from the cloister.
Beyond the screen, the eastern part
of the nave and the area below the
crossing tower formed the choir, used
by the choir monks for their round of
eight daily services.
The lay brothers’ church and screen
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Piscina in the nave
Grey Abbey
Tower
This occupied the junction of the nave,
chancel and transepts and allowed
each arm to be roofed separately. It
also housed the church bells. Stone
towers at Cistercian churches were
banned in 1157 and this is the first of
their churches in Ireland to defy the
ban and be designed with one.
Chancel
This eastern part of the church was its
most sacred. It housed the high altar
lit by the distinctive tall pointed lancet
windows. Dating from the 1190s, these
may be the first such Gothic lancets
built anywhere in Ireland and they must
have flooded the altar with light. The
south wall houses a sedile or seat for the
officiating priest or abbot and another
piscina. In the north wall is a recess
containing a pair of small cupboards.
The crossing tower and chancel from the south-west
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North Transept
This originally had a doorway in its north
wall leading to the monastic cemetery.
Although the northern of its two chapels
is badly ruined the southern example
is better preserved and houses a slab
carved with an eight-pointed cross.
This 13th-century coffin lid was brought
here from the nearby Black Abbey, a
Benedictine House which was also
founded by John de Courcy.
Sketch of the doorway in the south chapel
Grey Abbey
South Transept
This was a main thoroughfare of the
monastery. It connected the church
with the cloister and especially the
important communal rooms which
formed the eastern range of the
complex. The partially preserved
staircase, visible behind the southern
chapel, may be the base of the night
stair, used by the choir monks to enter
the church for early morning and night
services from their first floor dormitory.
Sacristy or Vestry
This long narrow room was where
the altar vessels, vestments and
any other church valuables were
stored for safekeeping. It was also
where officiating priests dressed and
prepared for services before entering
the church through the doorway in
the south transept
Remains of the chapter house
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Chapter House
This is where the monks gathered
after mass to hear a reading or chapter
from the Benedictine Rule and to be
addressed by the abbot. Although the
walls are ruined now, it is still clear that
this was a very fine building with an
ornate doorway and windows and an
imposing rib-vaulted roof.
Day Room
This was another fine room, divided
into eight bays and with a vaulted roof.
It was a multi-purpose work room and
may have contained a small partitioned
area used as a parlour, the only place
where conversation was allowed.
Grey Abbey
Latrine Block or Rere Dorter
Located at the southern end of the east
range, this toilet block served the choir
monks, whose dormitory occupied the
first floor level above the east range.
Two separate stairs led down from the
dormitory. The night stair provided
access to the church through the south
transept whereas the day stair led into
the cloister, beside the day room.
Frater or Refectory
This, the most substantial room of the
south range and the finest surviving
example in Ireland, is the communal
dining room. On its western wall is a
serving hatch which connected with
the adjoining kitchen. Further along
the same wall is a set of steps which
led to a pulpit. One of the monks
read a lesson from here during meals,
which were otherwise eaten in silence.
Dining in the refectory
Warming Room
or Calefactory
Located in the south range, this was
the only room within the cloister with
a fireplace where monks could warm
themselves during the winter.
Refectory doorway and steps leading to pulpit
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Grey Abbey
Kitchen & West Range
These do not survive above ground
but their outline can sometimes be
seen on the ground during dry spells,
suggesting that stone foundations
survive. The west range, like many
other buildings at Grey Abbey, may
have been made of wood.
Cloister
Cistercian churches were built to a
regular plan, with the church and
other buildings set around a central
square courtyard or cloister. Unusually,
the cloister here is not square but
rectangular. This may reflect a scaling
back of resources as construction
moved from east to west after the
eastern range, which represents
the long axis of the rectangle, was
completed.
Such a change of plan would explain
the shorter east-west dimension of
the cloister, reflected in the unusually
short nave and oddly placed dining
room or refectory set at the southwest angle. Most of the buildings
around the cloister would have had
doorways leading into it and the
central area would have provided
space for exercise and contemplation.
The northern walk of the cloister is
now partially blocked by large stone
buttresses, inserted in 1908 to support
the south wall of the nave. Behind the
middle buttress are the weathered
and rare remains of a collation seat
where the abbot would have sat
during an evening reading or collation,
with the monks seated on benches to
either side.
Remains of the collation seat
The collation reading in the cloister
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Grey Abbey
Life in Grey Abbey
Life for the Cistercian monks living in
the abbey would have been a very
simple one. They followed lives of
poverty and dedicated themselves to
worship, reading and work.
The rule of St Benedict meant that
Cistercians believed that manual
labour played an integral role in
monastic life. As such, time was set
aside each day for work and, during
the harvest, the monks would have
joined the lay brothers in working in
the fields.
This simplicity was reflected in
Cistercian churches. They avoided
decoration and elaboration as they
believed that they were a distraction
from God. This was perhaps done to
reflect the strict beliefs of their order.
Lay brothers followed a less strict way
of life than their choir monk brethren.
They only attended two services a day
and also did the majority of the manual
and agricultural labour which was such
an important part of abbey life.
An illustration showing a day in the life of the lay brothers and choir monks
The monks would have had a frugal
diet, which would have been mainly
vegetarian and consisted largely of
bread, vegetables, herbs and beans.
Meat at first was forbidden to all apart
from the weak and sick. Delicacies like
fish and eggs would have been served
on occassions like feast days and
anniversaries.
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A choir monk’s day, in contrast, would
have been structured around eight
daily services. While the monk’s choir
was situated in the east of the church,
the nave, where the lay brothers
worshipped, was in the west of the
church. The reason for this layout was
to reflect how the two communities
were seperate but also connected.
Grey Abbey
Agriculture and Medicine
Currently Grey Abbey is home to a reconstructed physic garden where visitors
can learn about the healing powers of herbs and their use in medieval times.
Cistercian monks were pioneers in agriculture and medicine due to the
combination of agricultural labour and medical knowledge. They were largely
vegetarian and were keen to live by their own labour. They produced food and
medicines for themselves and their animals.
More importantly, their creation and sharing of written records led to improved
animal breeds and high crop yields throughout the medieval period.
Ten Common Plants in the Herb Garden
Rosemary - for aches and pains,
stimulant, heart tonic, digestive
St. John’s Wort - used for anxiety,
tension, insomnia, depression,
menopausal problems, wounds,
burns and to relieve cramp
Fennel - for indigestion, flatulence,
loss of appetite, diuretic
Mugwort - magical, wards off evil,
digestive
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Grey Abbey
Opium Poppy - a narcotic herb used as a
sedative, and to treat cholera and dysentery
Elecampane - for respiratory disorders,
sore throat
Spearmint - is culinary, tonic, soothing
to the digestion, mouth freshener
Betony - protection against witchcraft,
claimed to cure 47 diseases, important
medieval physic herb
Lavender - strewing and linen herb,
antiseptic and disinfectant, sedative
Southernwood - to combat tiredness
and ward off infection, expel worms,
repel moths and other insects
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Grey Abbey
Stonemasonry
The Grey Abbey ruins bear testament to
the skills of the medieval stonemason –
a skilled craftsman who combined the
roles of architect, builder and engineer.
These skills were in high demand and
many masons travelled the country
from one building project to another.
Each mason had an apprentice
who could be indentured for up to
seven years before graduating as a
journeyman. The most skilled could be
recognised as master masons and they
played a crucial role in constructing
the iconic medieval buildings that still
stand for us to enjoy today.
Medieval stonemasons often carved
their own symbol or mark onto each
block. This allowed their work to be
readily identified and perhaps their
piece rate pay to be calculated. If you
look closely you can often still see
these masons’ marks and they provide
a personal link to the otherwise silent
craftsmen who cut and worked the
stones hundreds of years ago. You may
also be able to see the ‘put-log’ holes
where the original scaffolding was tied
into the walls of the building as they
were being built.
NIEA has its own team of stonemasons
who keep this craft skill alive. Visitors
can see examples of their skills at many
of the monuments in our care. These
range from replacement stones in a wall
to more delicately carved moulding in
a window or doorway, like the western
doorway here at Grey Abbey.
Stonemasons marks at Grey Abbey
See more examples in the Visitor Centre
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NIEA stonemasons
19th century sketches showing details of the stone masonry at Grey Abbey
Grey Abbey
Grey Abbey Visitor Centre
Call into our visitor centre at Grey Abbey to learn about the history of the abbey,
the stone masons that built it and what life here would have been like. A model
shows how the compete abbey would have looked and there are interactive
puzzels to test your masonry skills! For our younger visitors there are dressing up
costumes and puzzles as well as an activity booklet.
Find out more about the history of Grey Abbey at the visitor centre
Saint Patrick’s Trail
The Saint Patrick’s Trail is a driving
route that allows visitiors to explore
Northern Ireland’s rich Christian
Heritage. The trail spans 92 miles and
includes sites at Grey Abbey, Nendrum,
Inch Abbey and Struell Wells, all of which
have strong links with Saint Patrick’s life,
legacy and landscape. For more further
information got to:
www.discovernorthernireland.com/
stpatrick
Image of St Patrick - courtesy of NITB 2012
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Grey Abbey
The Care of Grey Abbey
Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Built Heritage cares for
Grey Abbey as one of the 190 monuments in State Care spread
across Northern Ireland.
In fact the abbey has been looked
after by the Government for over 100
years, ever since it was given into the
care of the State by the Montgomery
family in 1907. A major phase of
conservation work began almost
immediately, including the insertion
of the massive buttresses which
still dominate the south side of the
abbey. Although these, and the heavy
concrete work in the tower, seem
somewhat crude by the standards of
today, without them the bowed and
cracked nave and the remains of the
tower might have collapsed.
A NIEA stonemason undertaking conservation work
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Today, our conservation works team
works closely with archaeologists to
preserve and maintain the ruins. We
follow the internationally accepted
principles of minimum intervention,
maximum retention of historic fabric,
clarity of new work, reversibility
and sustainability.
To view further information on historic
monuments in Northern Ireland visit
www.doeni.gov.uk/niea
Other sites cared for by
NIEA in Northern Ireland
Carrickfergus Castle
Crawfordsburn
Country Park
Grey Point Fort
Tullahoge
Bangor
Redburn Country Park
Ballycopeland
Windmill
Newtownards
Belfast
Scabo Tower and
Country Park
Lisburn
Peatlands
Grey Abbey
Nendrum
Monastic Site
Lurgan
Portadown
Hillsborough
Courthouse & Fort
Portaferry Castle
Navan Fort
Quoile Countryside
Inch Abbey
Centre
Armagh
Mound of Down
Struell Wells
Dundrum Castle
Newcastle
Newry
Christian Monument
Defence / Fortification
Historic Monument
Country Park
Greencastle
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Our aim is to protect, conserve and promote the natural environment
and built heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.
Opening hours and access
For opening hours please visit
www.discovernorthernireland.com/niea
or telephone +44 (0)28 9181 1491
Get in touch
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Built Heritage, Waterman House
5-33 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA
Telephone: +44 (0)28 9054 3034
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/
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