Buildwas Abbey, West Midlands, England

Buildwas Abbey was founded by Roger de Clinton, who was the Bishop of Chester in the first half of the 12th Century. He was a supporter of the ‘reformed’ order of monks and canons which was very fashionable at the time.  These reformed communities were intent upon the return to the pure simplicity and primitive existence of early monasticism. 

Buildwas was first populated by the Savigniac monks of France.  They were given lands near Shrewsbury and an income from several other lands.  In 1138, King Stephen issued Buildwas with a charter which confirmed these gifts and presented the monks with new privileges granted from the King. 

The Savigniac order grew rapidly and created many daughter houses, so many in fact that there was a lack of effective control, over the British daughter houses in particular.  The Abbot of Buildwas petitioned his order to be absorbed into the Cistercian community.  The merger was approved at a Chapter meeting in 1147, and Buildwas became a Cistercian community just 12 years after it was founded. 

Under the 2nd Abbot, Ranulf, the Abbey began to flourish and its buildings were built, or re-built in stone.  This work continued until the mid-13th Century. 

The early Cistercians were committed to poverty, and rejected all forms of luxury.  Their monasteries were built in isolated areas, away from towns and villages.  They chose to wear habits of course, undyed wool, which is where they got their name ‘white monks’. It is thought they wore no undershirts or breeches, which must have been very uncomfortable. 

Supervision was maintained across the order through a system of visitations between mother and daughter houses, even for those in different countries.  In addition, all Abbots were required to attend the annual General Chapter meeting, at Citeaux. Even with this system, by the mid-14th Century there were issues.  In April of 1342, in unknown circumstances, the Abbot was murdered.  One of the monks was placed under suspicion and imprisoned for the crime but managed to escape and was never found.  The house was left with two warring factions, and over the next year, many of the valuables of the monastery managed to disappear.  

What was left of any value at Buildwas, was taken in 1350, when the Welsh uprising attacked the monastery and pillaged its treasury.  They also took the Abbot and monks as prisoners.  The monastery managed to survived however, despite being attacked again in the 15th Century, during the Owain Glyn Dwr rebellion, when the monastery was ravaged by his army.