CISTERCIAN ABBEYS: Cymer

Cymer

location:	Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales
founded:	1198
daughter of:	Cwm-Hir (filiation of Clairvaux)
current status:	ruins in the care of Cadw
visit:	all year round
pictures taken :	October 2010
Cymer Abbey, founded by Maredudd ap Cynan, Lord of Meirionydd, lies at the confluence of the Rivers Mawddach and Wnion; the abbey's name derives from Kymer deu dyfgr meaning 'meeting of the waters' . Of all the Cistercian abbeys in England and Wales, Cymer was one of the smallest and poorest and due to financial difficulties, was never completed.

the nave, looking east

door from the nave into the south cloister walk

looking up into the tower at the south west corner of the nave

modern repairs!

spider's view of the nave

nature taking over the walls

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In 1098, aspiring to a return to the strict observance of the rule of St Benedict, Robert de Molesme founded a New Monastery at Citeaux. Within twenty years the Order of Cistercians had spread to four daughter abbeys, and continued to expand rapidly. By 1250, the order numbered 650 abbeys across Europe and the Near East. Though many have been destroyed by wars and revolutions, those that remain provide a fascinating collection of outstanding sites.

My first visit to a Cistercian abbey was several years ago, to Noirlac, in Cher in central France. I found the austere design of the Cistercian ideal so attractive that I have been visiting Cistercian abbeys ever since. Though they vary considerably in their state of repair, many are open to the public.

I am gradually adding photos and brief details of each of the abbeys I have visited, but anyone who wishes to add further photos or information by way of comment is most welcome to do so.

Kath Banks

July 2009