Church Heritage Record 618003

The church is transeptal in plan. It has eastern chapels, a three by three bay presbytery, which itself has north and south presbytery aisles each of three bays and two by five bay ambulatory with former eastern chapels, a south-east tower, and south porch. Upstanding roofless remains include eastern bay of north wall of nave aisle, sacristy and adjacent fragment of a western corner of a dodecagonal chapter house. The alignment is north-west/south-east.

Presbytery 51ft x 28ft; central crossing 27.5ft x 28ft; north and south transepts both 28ft x 28ft; Ambulatory has a double east walk 18ft wide and north and south walks of 13.5 ft.

Prehistory

Geologically and topographically this is an attractive undulating lowland landscape for settlement, with many river tributaries. The solid geology of the greater part of Herefordshire is of Devonian age and belongs to the Old Red Sandstone, which, through weathering, gives rise to the characteristic colour of the local soil. It also gives the Abbey its characteristic reddish hue. There are a number of scattered findspots of Stone Age flints along the rivers. Bronze Age and Iron Age tools and possible barrows are known in the area, though none in the immediate vicinity of the site. Finds from all these periods are possible.

Roman

A section of the Roman road from Kenchester to Abergavenny was reportedly found in Abbey Dore station yard in 1908. There have been several other finds (pottery sherds) in the area, but no obvious traces of a settlement or villa.

Anglo-Saxon

There are nine charters in the Dyfrig (Dubricius, late 6th and early 7th century) section of the Book of Llandaff, which was written in the 12th century. These are in and around Herefordshire.  Lann Cerniu, thought to be possibly the site of Abbey Dore, is the object of a grant made by Pepiau to St Dyfrig according to the Book of Llandaff. This has not been proved by archaeology. Part of an iron horseshoe dated to the 4th - 6th century AD was found a few hundred yards to the south-west of the Abbey, but this does not prove occupation in this period.

After the Conquest

From the time of St Augustine's mission to re-establish Christianity in AD 597 to the reign of Henry VIII, monasticism formed an important facet of both religious and secular life in the British Isles. Settlements of religious communities, including monasteries, were built to house communities of monks, canons (priests), and sometimes lay-brothers, living a common life of religious observance under some form of systematic discipline.

Dore Abbey was founded in 1147 by Robert Fitzharold, the Lord of Ewyas Harold, and can be seen as part of the main wave of Cistercian foundations at the height of popularity of the movement in the early 12th century. It was formed as a daughter house of the Cistercian abbey at Morimond, which was the 5th senior house of the order. Dore was the only British house to be colonised by Morimond.

Abbey Dore sent out three colonies of its own: Trawscoed (in Wales, 1173), although this house was aborted in the early years of the thirteenth century and the site was subsequently worked as a grange; Grace Dieu in Monmouthshire (1226); and Darnhall (1274) which later moved to Vale Royal, both in Cheshire. 

The nucleus of the church is thought to have been constructed 1170-1185, and continued through the time of the first three abbots, Adam (1186-c.1216), Adam II (c.1216-1236), and Stephen of Worcester (1236–1257). In 1260, the abbey was described as a "sumptuous church". It was consecrated by Thomas de Cantilupe, Bishop of Hereford, in 1282, and was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and Saint Mary.

Apart from its estates in the Golden Valley, Dore Abbey acquired a number of valuable properties in Wales. During the early 13th century the abbey expanded its land holdings, particularly through the acquisition of good quality farmland in the area granted to them by King John in 1216.

The abbey was run with the aid of seventeen granges, nine in the Golden Valley, four in northern Gwent, and three far to the west in Brycheiniog, centred on the parish of Gwenddwr. The abbey also drew revenues from five appropriated parishes.

This enabled the abbey to become wealthy, especially through the sale of wool, and as a result it was largely rebuilt in the Early English style in the 13th century. The chancel was expanded with additional chapels and a processional ambulatory.  Domestic buildings and a chapter house were added..

The Reformation and Dissolution

In the survey of 1535 ordered by Thomas Cromwell the net annual income was valued at £101.   The house was dissolved a year later, without offering any serious resistance. Following the Dissolution, a sale of goods was held at Dore and by 1540 John Scudamore, a member of a gentry family historically connected with Owain Glyndŵr, had not only purchased all the goods belonging to the Abbey but was also granted the site of the abbey together with some surrounding property.  No effort was put into maintaining the building but services continued to be held in the most water-tight parts of it.

17th-century Reconstruction

In 1633  it is believed that after the early deaths of several of his children the 1st Viscount Scudamore became convinced  that he should make amends for living off the proceeds of former monastic land. Scudamore was a friend of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, who is believed to have influenced him in this. Scudamore decided to restore what was left of the abbey church and convert it for use as the local parish church. The east end of the church was re-roofed so that it might serve the parish, while the nave, together with most of the cloister buildings, was left to fall into ruin. This is the opposite of what happened at many other monasteries after the Dissolution, where the nave became the parish church and the eastern parts were demolished.

A new tower was added over the south chancel aisle (or former inner transept chapel), the crossing tower having been demolished, and a new west wall built. The original mediaeval mensa slab was said to have been found in a nearby farm and was returned to the church.  A new west gallery and a carved oak rood screen, incorporating the arms of Scudamore, Laud, and King Charles I, was made by John Abel of Hereford.  Abel was responsible for other woodwork including the roofs and choir stalls, and possibly the bell frame. New stained glass was commissioned, and the walls were painted with pictures and texts, many of which remain visible. The new church was re-consecrated on 22 March 1634.

Recent tree-ring analysis found that of the timbers used in the restoration, some were felled AD1205-1238, while others dated to a few decades before the 1633 restoration.

New wall paintings, including a large coat of arms of Queen Anne were added between 1700 and 1710, and six new bells were cast in the same period.

Victorian and Edwardian

The church was restored between 1895 and 1909, including re-roofing using the local Old Red Sandstone slates. Many of the original stone slates were re-used. The architect, Roland Paul, was also responsible for part-excavating and plotting the remaining foundations and traces of the original Abbey buildings.

Late 20th and early 21st century

The church is now little altered since the 1900s rearrangement. By the middle of the 20th century the condition of the church was poor. The congregation was small, and closure was suggested. By the 1990s many of the fixings had failed so that the whole roof needed to be stripped and recovered. English Heritage worked with the congregation and Friends to effect the repairs. English Heritage offered a grant of £278,100 (80%) towards the roof works on condition that sound slates from the existing roof be re-used and the shortfall made up with new stone.  The work was undertaken in 2002.

Today the church, supported by the Friends, enjoys regular church services, has a fine organ and is the venue for many concerts. Its future is however uncertain in the medium to long term due to a lack of facilities to support more educational and outreach work.

The building forms what was previously the eastern arm of the cruciform abbey church. It is comprised of the crossing with transepts and a presbytery with aisles and eastern ambulatory. The 17th-century tower over the south aisle is unusual and gives a unique appearance. It is thought that placing a tower here was a less expensive way of achieving a space for six bells. The nearest comparisons to the redevelopment of the abbey post dissolution are to be found in Europe, e.g. Hildesheim or Cashel.

The Presbytery, aisles and ambulatory

The north and south presbytery aisles have 2:2 bays of chamfered lancets divided by weathered buttresses with deeply moulded plinths, and linked by a billet-moulded string which rises to gables truncated by 17th century roof alterations.  The pointed north doorway set beneath the thereby diminished lancet in the third bay from the east has a 13th-century plank door with ornate strap hinges, a rare survival.

The east wall of the ambulatory and former east chapels are of similar design to the aisles, with keel-moulded strings and lancets to each bay between buttresses.

The narrow, steeply gabled, presbytery rises above the aisles and ambulatory and has single lancets to the north and south clearstorey. The east wall has three stepped chamfered lancets and two more lancets, probably 17th-century, in the gable above lighting the roof space.

The tower

The tower is tall and square. It is of four stages with a string course beneath the embattled parapet and angle buttresses to south-east corner.  There is one central chamfered lancet to first stage of south and east faces, with similarly positioned round-headed single-light windows to third and fourth stages.

The crossing gable (blocked east end of nave)

The west elevation has a blocked 2-centred arch to the crossing containing a central 2-centred single-light 17th-century window and flanking aisle arches with a small lancet above the scar of each nave aisle roof, outside each of which is a tall lancet. The crossing gable has a 17th century corbel table. The single bay of the south aisle which survives has a trumpet capital supported by a decorative corbel on the nave pier and a  waterleaf capital to the western respond.

North transept

The north transept was begun in the 12th century and is of two bays.  The north elevation has the blocked doorway of the former night stair from the dormitory at first floor level, and a 17th- century doorway at ground level. In front of this are the ruined remains of the previously barrel vaulted sacristy and bases of shafts for one of the angles of the polygonal chapter house.

South transept

The south transept was built in the 13th century and is of two bays, with buttresses and a 17th-century corbel table. The south elevation has a pair of very tall shafted lancets with waterleaf capitals surmounted by a vesica window in the gable, all surrounded by deep roll mouldings and flanked by large buttresses with off-sets. The lean-to on the east end of the east side of the south transept contains a newel staircase to the 1st stage of the tower, with loop lights and two lancets in the gable, which is probably 17th-century.

The south porch

The south porch to the west side of the south transept has quadrant braces to the front tie-beam above which are V-struts, suggesting a 17th-century date; the rear tie has its underside carved away to clear the doorway, and quadrant braces missing; the south-west post has an incised key-hole pattern on its west side; side panels are roughly square and two panels high to the wall-plate.  The south porch has a stone flagged floor and benches. The inner doorway of the porch has a 2-centred deeply moulded arch, one with keel-moulding, a dog-tooth hood mould and single attached shafts with stiff leaf capitals; the door is battened and studded with two decorative wrought iron strap hinges.

The overall interior of the church is quite plain and the walls of the presbytery and aisles are exposed stone. The crossing and transepts are plastered and richly decorated with faded wall paintings and texts, but also with parts of the fabric exposed.  The floors are composed of stone slabs and many fine ledger stones, mainly of the 18th century.

The ceilings of the crossing and transepts are in oak and the result of John Abel's 17th century restoration, although incorporating some re-used timbers from the pre-Dissolution roof.  The ceilings are carried on consoles on oak wall shafts rising from 12th century wall shafts which formerly supported the vaulting to the crossing and transepts, probably timber originally, with angle-struts to moulded and chamfered ceiling beams; the wall-plates are also moulded and chamfered.

In the south transept wall is a rectangular cupboard with Dog-tooth surround and 17th century panelled doors, also a 17th century poor-box and 17th century chest.

The north transept north wall has a Royal Arms of Queen Anne to the right of the doorway to the former night stairs, several other 17th-century wall paintings are visible on this and the west wall, some across the blocking of the crossing arch. An arch opens to the outer transept chapel that now functions as a vestry on the east side, with a plain wooden screen into which is let a door.

Against the west wall in front of the blocked crossing arch is a fine gallery, supported on four columns, similar to those of the screen with panelled superstructure and balustered stairs at south end these are also by Abel. Facing this, is a screen separating the chancel from the transept. This is 17th century work by Abel and has four bays divided by Ionic columns, central entry, deep cornice, strapwork decoration, and the Royal Arms of Charles I between those of Scudamore and Archbishop Laud. The dado has posts-with curved run-out chamfer stops.

The presbytery roof, restored in 1902, is similar to the crossing but more elaborate with grotesque female consoles, carved angle struts and acorn pendants. The seating is massive oak benches with carved ends, standing on boarded pew platforms. The pews are believed to be to Scudamore’s design. The stalls and benches have early 17th-century panelling with arabesque designs, similar pulpit.  Fine early 17th century communion rails dividing the chancel from the north and south aisles, and another rail of similar design in front of the 17th century communion table, an intact Laudian arrangement.

The High Altar consists of a Medieval stone mensa slab with consecration crosses supported on two sets of re-used clusters of shafts, 13th century, with heraldic tiles to each side.

The aisles, ambulatory and five former eastern chapels have quadripartite vaults, the last two separated by four groups of clustered shafts rising from dividing walls.

The arcades have deeply moulded two-centred arches and 14 clustered shafts to piers dividing the east end into three bays; the two eastern bays are in a similar style, whilst the western bay has narrower and higher double chamfered 2-centred arches resulting from the conversion of former inner eastern transept chapels into aisles. These have water-holding bases, keel-moulded shafts and capitals with trumpet, water-leaf and acanthus motifs. Two aumbries in the south wall each with a two-centred head. There are two hatchments on the south wall.

The south-east chapel of the ambulatory has fragments of late medieval stained glass in the east window, and 17th century glass commissioned by the Scudamores. This chapel also contains a large trefoiled aumbry in the north wall.

There are numerous architectural fragments from the lost nave on display in the eastern bay of the ambulatory, including several 14th century roof bosses, one depicting the Coronation of the Virgin.

The north and south aisle arcades each have a 13th century recumbent effigy of a knight within the arcades; the south aisle also has a large dug-out sarcophagus.

The  Hoskyns chapel to south of tower has trefoil-headed piscina with two circular drains and to its right a trefoiled aumbry; between the two is a small niche with a 2-centred head and fragments of medieval glass.

Adjacent to the arch to the south-west Hoskyns chapel is a 17th century doorway with 2-centred head and 17th century door leading to the newel staircase of the tower. At the time of writing the floors in the tower had just been repaired and the new bell-frame installed beneath the old one. There are lesser horseshoe bats roosting in the tower, and work has to be done around these.