Monument record 758/1/0 - Vale Royal Abbey

<1> Colvin H.M. (ed), 1963-1982, The History of the King's Works, I/ (Book). SCH3161.

Vale Royal Abbey began with a vow made by Prince Edward, following his saving from shipwreck in 1263. A Charter for the Abbey was granted in 1270, but the original site chosen was at Darnhall. This proved unsuitable and the foundation stone on this site was laid by Edward I himself in 1277. The community moved from Darnhall into temporary accommodation here in 1281.
The Black Prince became an important new patron from 1353 and commissioned an impressive new east end to the church

<2> Unknown, Various, Record Society of Lancashire & Cheshire, 68/ 1914 (Book). SCH2812.

Very detailed building records of the Abbey's early years survive. From 1290 the Abbey lost Royal patronage and building almost stopped. Not until 1330 did the monks move from their temporary accommodation into the permanent buildings but even in 1336 the claustral buildings remained incomplete.

<3> de Figueiredo P & Treuherz J, 1987, The Country Houses of Cheshire (Book). SCH3111.

<4> Winsford Local History Society, 1977, Vale Royal Abbey and House, NB 101 & 102 (Book). SCH3545.

<5> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 3/156-165 Harris B 1980 (Book). SCH3556.

<7> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), SAM 30398 1999 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

The monument includes the below ground remains of part of a Cistercian abbey, together with ancillary buildings and a cross set up on the site of the chancel of the abbey church 'Nuns grave'. The present buildings are excluded from the site and include the west range of the abbey cloister which has been modified into a country house which is now substantially 19th century in date (830/1/0). The size of the cloister garth was one of the largest in England (39m x 35m). The interior of the cloister together with the large chapter house have never been fully excavated but there are indications that considerable remains lie below the surface. Further remains of ancillary buildings have been located in a trial trench in the garden of Bell Cottage to the south of the southern claustral buildings. Survey work around the site of the present house has also established that there were more remains of monastic buildings and related drainage works to the west of the present house frontage extending beneath and to the south western side of the present access road. Originally these buildings were located within a much larger precinct which would have been enclosed by a boundary wall. This would have been appraoched through the White Gates which gave their name to the hamlet with a church at the entrance to the present country house grounds. There is no trace of the wall or the original gates which must have formed an impressive entrance. It is clear from the distance between the gates and the claustral buildings that the precinct would have been sizeable and probably bounded to the north by the River Weaver. There was also a series of fishponds recorded at SJ63107030 which are no longer visible but thought to be monastic in origin.

<8> Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit, 1989, Vale Royal, Cheshire: An Archaeological Evaluation, R2257 (Client Report). SCH3991.

A geophysical survey and small scale excavation (trial trenching) were undertaken in 1989 on land adjoining Bell Cottage, Vale Royal, Cheshire. The majority of the area was mapped by resistivity survey, complemented by magnetometer survey. The results of the trial trenching indicate extensive levelling of structures associated with the Cistercian Monastery of Vale Royal, and the limited survival of robbed-out wall footings in the south-east quarter of the monastic precinct.