The Wool Wealth and Ruined Grandeur of Croxden Abbey

Bertram III de Verdun, the lord of the manor of Croxden, founded Croxden Abbey in the 12th century. In 1176, he endowed a site near Alton to a group of 12 Cistercian monks from Aunay-sur-Odon, Normandy. He founded the abbey for the souls of his family and for the well-being of himself and his wife, Rohais. The monks remained at the Alton site until 1179, before moving to land near Croxden, a few miles to the south.

The abbey prospered during the 13th century, drawing the majority of its wealth from sheep farming. By 1315, the monks were supplying more wool to the continent than any other religious house in the county, with transactions recorded with Florentine merchants well into the 1420s. The abbey's wealth was significant enough that the abbot William of Over purchased a house in London for £20.

By the 14th century, the abbey's financial situation worsened due to royal taxation, loans, and plague. After the death of Theobald II de Verdun in 1316, the patronage passed to his heiress, Joan de Verdun. The abbey was eventually surrendered and sold in 1537, following the Suppression of Religious Houses Act 1535. Today, the site is managed by English Heritage. The west wall of the church, including two doorways and lancet windows, remains almost complete.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons