Neath Abbey – A Day Out (with Photographs)

I was just going through some photographs taken during a day out last year & figured they might make an interesting post for those of you fascinated by history.

I’m extremely fortunate to live only a few miles away from the Abbey of Neath – a large Cistercian monastery established in 1129AD. The entire area is rich in history, reflecting the fact that Neath has existed as a settlement since the Romans established the fort of Nidum in approx. 70AD.

A quick walk around the Neath area affords such delights as a Norman Castle plum in the middle of town, lots of Roman architecture juxtaposed against modern developments and a college built on an old Roman Fort – heck, even the Charity shops sell Roman coins discovered in the surrounding area.

While I was growing up, I eagerly took advantage of living in an area rich with history – working with the antiquarian society to log archaeological finds and volunteering at the Museum to display those magnificent treasures. Alas, as the years passed & adulthood (work & responsibility… boo!) caught up with me, the time I spent taking advantage of these opportunities dwindled. Therefore, last year, I decided an outing to rediscover lost passions was the order of the day; which nicely brings me to this post & my pictures.

Wiki:

Neath Abbey was established in 1129 AD when Sir Richard de Granville, one of the Twelve Knights of Glamorgan, gave 8,000 acres (32 km²) of his estate in Glamorgan, Wales to Savigniac monks from western Normandy. The first monks arrived in 1130. Following the assumption of the Savigniac order into the Cistercian order in 1147, Neath Abbey also became a Cistercian house. The abbey was ravaged by the Welsh uprisings of the 13th century, and eventually dissolved by King Henry VIII of England in 1539. At this time, the abbey was turned into a large estate. Sir Philip Hobby was the last occupant of the estate.

The ruins are still substantial, despite the Industrialisation of the area in the 18th Century. As you can see from some of the pictures, the condition of the undercroft of the Monks Dormitory is astounding, with the ceilings preserved from the 13th Century. Similarly, the remains of the floor tiles still echo a whisper of their glorious past.









Anyway, I hope some of you find enjoyment in this little overview & a few pictures from Lizziejayne’s day of fun!

Looks like a nice day out. I went to Furness Abbey in the lakes around 5 years ago to take some shots.
...Nice pictures to

reply to post by TheDoctor46


Cheers Doc

Wow - what an awesome picture - you are truly talented! I bow my head in the shame of my skewed iPhone 4 snapshots

Looks like a great place to visit too.

So beautuful! I can imagine strolling through these in the day.

reply to post by lizziejayne

Hi lizziejayne. Yes it is a lovely place to visit. Its in the south of the lake district. You should tie it in with a visit to the lakes one day. Now that is a great place to visit!

reply to post by Night Star


Me too! I'm always amazed by how much these places stimulate my imagination

I've always fancied visiting the lake district - beautiful part of the world. Perhaps I should do a UK Abbey tour & use it as an excuse to visit

reply to post by lizziejayne


Yes why not. Sounds like a good plan to me. A tour of Britain taking pictures sounds ideal...I have a flickr account what i stored a lot of my pictures on. All my best ones i did not put them on, So they would not get stole! I lost them due to an external hard drive failing. That was a total disaster. Just make sure you back them up! I always tell people that lol

I'd absolutely love to - one day maybe, when I eventually get the time & funds.

Sorry to hear about the loss of all your photographs - you must be absolutely gutted

Great excuse though for you to commence a host of new & exciting adventures in order to take some more

reply to post by lizziejayne


Oh yes. Well i was gutted but i will just come back with more better images next time!. And i know. lack of funds always spoil the fun!

It's frustrating isn't it - so much to do & see, but no money to do it with!

That's why I'm so grateful I live in such a rich history area - lots to see & do for free. Plus lots of the Welsh historical sites have free entry, so you can just pop along with a camera & picnic

Next venture for me I think is a trek along the Sarn Helen with my metal detector. If I discover treasure, I'll pay for us to tour the UK

reply to post by lizziejayne


Well it sure does look nice there. I can't pronounce much of it lol. Oh yes find that hidden treasure quick!

reply to post by TheDoctor46


I used to live on a mountain with a massive section of that road running along it. I now regret spending so much of my youth indoors playing on my Amiga 500, when I could have been out finding my millions

reply to post by lizziejayne

Yes just think of the hidden treasures on that hill which could have been yours. Mind you i bet your good at gaming

reply to post by TheDoctor46


Haha! Admittedly, I am a dab hand at Monkey Island

Yeah, I missed a trick there. That said, I've got 2 weeks leave coming up - so weather permitting, perhaps I'll have the opportunity to make up for lost time.

Start packing your bags... UK tour, here we come!

reply to post by lizziejayne

Haha just packing now. Where did i put my teddy!