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Kingswood Abbey (Ruins),
Abbey Street,
Kingswood, Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire.

Cemeteries

We don't know whether this Church had a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded in 1139, but we understand it was closed in 1539.

The origins of this abbey lie in a promise, by Roger de Berkeley II to grant the manor of Acholt at Kingswood to the Cistercian monastery of Tintern, in Monmouthshire. This was subsequently confirmed by Roger's nephew, William de Berkeley in 1139; however its status was not properly secured until later that century. The actual year when this happened is uncertain; but several sources say 1170. See the Victoria County History series: A History of the County of Gloucester, Volume 2: Religious Houses of the County (1907), pp.99-101 (Houses of Cistercian monks - The abbey of Kingswood) for more information.

Only the 15th century gate-house, and a wall against which cottages are built, now remain. They are aptly described on the British Listed Buildings website. Kelly's Directory of 1923 says the gate-house was purchased by the parish in 1897, and the apartment over it was then used as a Council Room. It is not known whether this is still the case.

Denomination

Now or formerly Cistercian.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Church was located at OS grid reference ST7470992036. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• Kingswood Abbey (Ruins), Kingswood, Wotton under Edge shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Wotton under Edge shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Kingswood, Wotton under Edge, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• The Victoria County History series: A History of the County of Gloucester, Volume 2: Religious Houses of the County (null) (verified 2018-11-06)
• Learn more about Buildings of special or historical interest on the British Listed Buildings (null) (verified 2018-09-19)

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.