Basingwerk Abbey

Heritage Site in Flintshire

Wales

Basingwerk Abbey

Basingwerk Abbey is a historic site located in Flintshire, Wales. It was founded in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks, and remains of the abbey can still be seen today.

The abbey was established in 1132 by Ranulf de Gernon, the Earl of Chester. It served as a daughter house of Savigny Abbey in Normandy, France. Basingwerk Abbey was known for its religious and agricultural activities, and it played an important role in the local community.

The abbey was built in a Gothic architectural style, and its notable features included a church, cloister, chapter house, and a range of domestic buildings. The ruins that remain today give visitors a glimpse into the grandeur of the abbey in its prime.

Basingwerk Abbey had a turbulent history, experiencing periods of prosperity and decline. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, the abbey was dissolved and its lands were seized by the Crown. The buildings fell into disrepair and were eventually used as a quarry.

Today, Basingwerk Abbey is a popular heritage site and a Grade I listed building. Visitors can explore the ruins and learn about the abbey's history through informational displays and guided tours. The site offers a peaceful and picturesque setting, attracting both history enthusiasts and those seeking a tranquil retreat.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Basingwerk Abbey Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 53.288/-3.2074 or Grid Reference SJ1977. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Basingwerk Abbey

Chris Andrews

St Peter's Church, Holywell

A modern, multi-purpose church building. The grid-line bisects the church and only the left-hand side of the building is in the square.

John H Darch

St Winefride's Chapel

View from south in 1980.

Sandy Gerrard

Cruck frame in cottage at Basingwerk Abbey

More recent photograph SJ1977 : Ruined cottages at Basingwerk Abbey indicate that this structure no longer survives.

Sandy Gerrard

Basingwerk Abbey

Chapter House on left and Dorter on the right in 1980.

Sandy Gerrard

St Winefride's Well & Chapel in 1995

View from the north

Kevin Waterhouse

Basingwerk Abbey Remains

View east over the cloisters

Kevin Waterhouse

Railway Museum, Greenfield Heritage Park

This museum in a warehouse by the former lower cotton mill houses a pair of Robey stationary steam engines. The smaller is associated with a pop bottling plant and is steamed from this boiler. The boiler is based on a Coltman vertical boiler but was built in the 1990s by Israel Newton of Idle, Bradford. The safety valve lifts at 80 psi but it usually runs at about 60 psi. There is also a Worthington Simpson duplex boiler feed pump.

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - steam engine

This inverted vertical single cylinder engine drives a reconstructed pop bottling plant on the first floor of the Railway Museum that is open one Sunday a month in the season. It was built by Robey of Lincoln in 1931 as No. 46005 and used at Wrexham Technical College. As befits a teaching engine it has an adjustable Meyer slide valve. It was running at 108 rpm and taking steam at about 60 psi. It lives in a wooden 'hut' with a glass window in front of the engine. This view is through the door with the help of the friendly volunteers on site. Because it used a mixture of time and flash the engine appears to have two crossheads.

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - steam engine

This is in the Railway Museum that is open once a month in season. It is a Robey horizontal cross compound the was used at the Ruby Brick & Tile Co at Rhydymwyn, Flintshire. It was built in 1903 as serial Nos. 22825-6 and has drop steam valves and grid iron sliding exhaust valves. The cylinders are 13.5" and 21.5" x 2'6" stroke. The flywheel is 11' diameter. As re-erected it is missing a few minor parts - eccentrics, lubricators and handrails for example. This is an interesting survival and it deserves to be much better known. I only learnt about it just before Covid-19 struck and it took me a while to get round to it because of that.

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - steam engine

This is in the Railway Museum that is open once a month in season. It is a Robey horizontal cross compound that was used at the Ruby Brick & Tile Co at Rhydymwyn, Flintshire. It was built in 1903 as serial Nos. 22825-6 and has drop steam valves and grid iron sliding exhaust valves. The cylinders are 13.5" and 21.5" x 2'6" stroke. The flywheel is 11' diameter. As re-erected it is missing a few minor parts - eccentrics, lubricators and handrails for example. This is an interesting survival and it deserves to be much better known. I only learnt about it just before Covid-19 struck and it took me a while to get round to it because of that.

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - pop bottling plant

This railway museum includes this steam driven pop bottling plant. The steam engine is in the background and can be seen through a window. It is an inverted vertical single cylinder by Robey and was built in 1931. The bottling plant was relocated from a local works and joined up with the engine by Flintshire County Council. The museum is now run by volunteers.

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - pop bottling plant

This shows the bottle filling and carbonation plant. The caps/corks were fitted in another machine. The machinery is driven by belts from an overhead lineshaft turned by a Robey steam engine. This museum only opens on the last Sunday of the month in the season and has little presence on the internet.

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - steam pump

This railway and industrial museum was open and the steam powered pop bottling equipment was running (but not actually bottling). Next to the vertical boiler was this recently refurbished horizontal duplex non-rotative steam pump that was awaiting plumbing in. It is a Worthington-Simpson, serial No. 5110521 with cylinders 3" x 2" x 3".

Chris Allen

Greenfield Heritage Park - Railway Museum

This building is a warehouse adjoining the Lower Cotton Mill and house a railway museum with other industrial elements including a steam powered pop bottling plant and a Robey engine from a brickworks.

Chris Allen

St Winefride's Well, Holywell

A religious site popular with European Roman Catholics. There is an outdoor bathing pool but this indoor well within St Winefride's Chapel is strictly not for bathing. You can see the water rising within it.

Chris Allen

St James's Church, Holywell

The edge of St Winefride's Chapel is seen on the left.

Chris Allen

Holway Level Mine, Holywell

This is the entrance to the Holway Level, a two mile tunnel that lead to one of the most productive lead mines in Britain. The Level drained the water from the mine and also allowed the ore to be brought out by boat. The tunnel was developed into a tourist attraction in 1788. The galena in the mine contained up to 80% lead and 12% silver. Since 1917 this level has supplied St Winefride's well as the original supply was interrupted by the construction of the Milwr Tunnel.

Chris Allen

Show me another place!

Basingwerk Abbey is located at Grid Ref: SJ1977 (Lat: 53.288, Lng: -3.2074)

Unitary Authority: Flintshire

Police Authority: North Wales

Also known as: Abaty Dinas Basing