Beaulieu Abbey

Beaulieu Abbey
The cloister and refectory of Beaulieu Abbey seen from the west range
Monastery information
Full nameThe Abbey Church of St Mary, Bellus Locus Regis (Latin: "The beautiful place of the king")
Other namesBeaulieu Abbey
OrderCistercian
Established1203/1204
Disestablished1538
Mother houseCîteaux Abbey, France
Dedicated toVirgin Mary
DioceseWinchester
Controlled churchesShilton, Inglesham, Coxwell, St Keverne
People
Founder(s)King John
Important associated figuresKing John, Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, Abbot Thomas Stevens
Site
LocationBeaulieu, Hampshire, England
Visible remainscloister, refectory (now the parish church) and west range, gatehouse, foundations of the church, many other ruins, earthworks
Public accessyes

Beaulieu Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1203–1204 by King John[1] and (uniquely in Britain)[2] populated by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order. The Medieval Latin name of the monastery was Bellus Locus Regis ("The beautiful place of the king"') or monasterium Belli loci Regis.[3] Other spellings of the English name which occur historically are Bewley (16th century) and Beaulie (17th century).[4]

  1. ^ Page, William; H. Arthur Doubleday (1973). Houses of Cistercian monks: Abbey of Netley, A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume II. The Victoria County History. pp. 140–146. ISBN 0-7129-0592-8.
  2. ^ Robinson, David; Janet Burton; Nicola Coldstream; Glyn Coppack; Richard Fawcett (1998). The Cistercian Abbeys of Britain. Batsford Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7134-8392-5.
  3. ^ Graham, Rose. "Two Records of Plate and Vestments Removed from Beaulieu Abbey in 1399" (PDF). archaeologydataservice.ac.uk.
  4. ^ "Beaulieu Liberty". british-history.ac.uk.