Hailes Abbey and ringwork

Heritage listing

Details The monument includes the known extent of St Mary's Abbey, a Cistercian abbey, the west range of which was converted into a country house in the 17th century, and the earlier Hailes Castle, a ringwork whose extent was partly incorporated into the abbey's inner precint. The site lies adjacent to a tributary of the River Isbourne on the lower slopes of a north west facing combe in the Cotswolds. The remains of the abbey, which are Listed Grade I, are divided between its inner precinct and outer court which were separated by a boundary which has not survived later landscaping. The inner precinct contains the claustral buildings. Of these, the walls of the cloister survive mostly at foundation level, although at the south end of the west range three bays survive to full height. The remains of the abbey church are to the north of the cloister. These were revealed during excavations early in the 20th century from which a complete plan was produced. This demonstrated that, when it was completed in the 1250s, the church was of typical Cistercian layout. In 1270 the abbey was presented with a phial of the `holy blood', and a shrine was made for it behind the high altar by extending the east end of the church and throwing out a ring, or chevet, of chapels. Excavations in the 20th century also produced burials north east of the north transept of the church and west of the nave. The east, south and west ranges of the claustral buildings follow the usual Cistercian plan. A geophysical survey was undertaken in 1978, which revealed the infirmary and another building beyond the east range. The outer court contains the site of a gatehouse chapel, believed to be in the vicinity of the parish church, four fishponds, a cross, the sites of two mills and earthworks representing inter

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.