Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
14150
Building Number
Grade
I
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
12/11/1952
Date of Amendment
25/04/2000
Name of Property
Ruined Undercroft at St Mary's Abbey
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Neath Port Talbot
Community
Margam
Town
Port Talbot
Locality
Margam Park
Easting
280193
Northing
186235
Street Side
Location
Located to the S of the Chapter House and E of Margam Orangery.
Description
Broad Class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Period
History
Robert of Gloucester, Earl of Glamorgan, granted lands for a Cistercian Abbey at Margam in 1147. Most of the nave of the original C12 abbey church survives and is now the parish church. The rest of the abbey church and the remaining monastic buildings were rebuilt in Early English style in the early C13, probably in 1203-13 under Abbot Gilbert. The undercroft belongs to this phase. It supported a storey above, probably a bridge leading to the monks' dormitory at right angles to the W. Alternatively, the upper storey could have been part of the dormitory or even an infirmary, although the latter is likely to have been in a more isolated position.
Margam Abbey was dissolved by the crown visitors of Henry VIII in 1536-7 and the monks evicted. By 1540, Sir Rice Mansel (1487-1859) of Oxwich and Old Beaupre had acquired most of the former monastic lands. He built an impressive Tudor house, incorporating some of the monastic remains into the service areas.
Exterior
Three-bay vaulted structure orientated E-W of roughly coursed stone with quoins. Arcade of 3 pointed arches surviving to just above apex level, but the E arch of the N side is no longer extant. Low impost band to arches, chamfered to underside. Pilasters to fronts of piers. Wide arches to E and W ends, the dressings no longer surviving. The E piers are built into short N-S walls with quoins, possibly demarcating a corridor or range beyond. A break in this wall further N suggests a doorway. Large pier or wall fragment against N side of NW pier, while a short wall joins the W side of the SW pier. Quadripartite ribbed vaults survive to the W and central bays. Low scalloped corbels between the vaults support chamfered ribs.
Interior
Reason for designation
Listed grade I as a rare survival in S Wales of a medieval monastic building. Group value with Abbey Church of St Mary and chapter house.
Scheduled Ancient Monument GM005 (NEP).
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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