STANLOW ABBEY CISTERCIAN MONASTERY AND MONASTIC GARAGE

 

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

 

• Name: Stanlow Abbey Cistercian monastery and monastic grange • District: Cheshire West and Chester
• District Type: Unitary Authority
• Parish:

• National Park: Not applicable to this List entry. • Date first scheduled: 21-Oct-1975
• Date of most recent amendment: 13-Sep-1993 Legacy System Information

• The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system. • Legacy System: RSM
• UID: 22590

 

Reasons for Designation

Stanlow Abbey is an example of a small former Cistercian monastery latterly functioning as a monastic grange. Granges were farms run by or for a monastic community and, as such, helped support the economy of the parent house, in this case Whalley Abbey. In the medieval period such monastic farms were numerous but few can now be accurately located. This example is particularly unusual because it represents re-use of a small failed monastery. Despite post-medieval use of the site, in-situ and re-used medieval fabric survives, and further evidence of the abbey and grange will exist beneath the demolished farmhouse, outbuildings and farmyard.

 

History

The monument is the site of Stanlow Abbey Cistercian monastery and monastic grange. It is located at the north-eastern end of Stanlow Point, a low-lying promontory projecting into the River Mersey and now severed from the mainland by the Manchester Ship Canal. The monument includes both upstanding and buried remains of the monastery and the grange which succeeded it. Because the monastery and grange buildings were later incorporated into now demolished post- medieval farm buildings, the exact interpretation of the upstanding remains is uncertain but they retain a range of architectural features which identify them with the core buildings of the monastery.

 

These upstanding remains include a sandstone wall running east-west across the site; this is two courses thick and stands 1.5-2m high and was latterly used as part of the north wall of the farmhouse and adjacent buildings. At the western end of this wall is a re-used medieval doorway 1m wide. A second sandstone wall runs north-south across the site, slightly apart from the farmhouse and at an angle to it. This wall is up to 3m high and was latterly used as the west wall of farm outbuildings. Amongst other buried features, the monument includes a tunnel cut into sandstone and running west to east. This is lined with 4 courses of sandstone blocks and formed part of the main drain which led to the River Gowy. Some dressed sandstone from the monastery was re-used in the post-medieval farm buildings and is visible in the ruins of the outbuildings. There is a revetment wall on the eastern side of the promontory constructed of re-used sandstone.

 

Stanlow Abbey was founded by John de Lace, Baron of Halton, in the latter half of the 12th century. It was dedicated to St Mary and colonised from Combermere. During the 1270's a storm destroyed the church tower and much surrounding masonry. This was followed a few years later by a serious fire and further flooding. Towards the end of the 13th century many of the monks transferred to Whalley Abbey and only the abbot and 5 other monks remained at Stanlow. The site had become a grange of Whalley Abbey before the middle of the 14th century and there is documentary evidence for sheep farming during the 13th and 14th centuries. The sheep probably grazed on the adjacent salt marshes. It was listed as a grange in 1535 and passed into the hands of Sir Richard Cotton at the Dissolution. Deep ditches flank the eastern and western sides of the monument. These features post-date the medieval use of the site and were probably created for flood control and drainage.

 

Ormerod, G, 'History of Cheshire' in History of Cheshire, , Vol. 2, (1882), 298
Williams, C, Kackinder, R, 'Liverpool University Archaeology Newsletter' in Stanlow Abbey, , Vol. 2, (1986)
Other
Capstick, B., FMW Report, (1989)
Ordnance Survey Record Card ref No. SJ47NW1, Ordnance Survey, Stanlow Abbey (Site of) (Cistercian),
SMR No. 17/1, Cheshire SMR, Stanlow Abbey, (1987)
National Grid Reference: SJ 42776 77373

Source: http://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1011117