ABBEYDOEE. 



By Mr. Thomas Blashill, F.E.I.B.A 



Jdst within the entrance to the Golden Valley, ten miles south-west of Hereford, 

 and on a site that in ancient times was far remote from the busy world, stands 

 the Church of Abbeydore. It consists of the transept, choir, and chapels of a 

 building, once of noble size and beautiful detail, and which is even now one of 

 our most interesting examples of architectural style. 



Built in the 12th century as the church of a community of Cistercian monks 

 (of whom I have given an account in my paper on Tintern Abbey, printed in the 

 volume of our Transactions for 1S77), it was in great part destroyed after the dis- 

 solution of the monastery in 1534. It then remained a ruin for almost exactly a 

 hundred years, until it was restored to religious uses through the piety of a Here- 

 fordshire nobleman, whose family name of Scudamore had been connected with 

 it from its early days, and was thus to become honourably attached to it for all 

 time. 



Leland, who passed through the Golden Valley shortly before the dissolution 

 of the monasteries, and would hear the account then current, says that Dore was 

 founded by Robert de Ewyas, youngest son of Harold, Lord of Ewyas, in King 

 Stephen's time. From their charters and from other sources this account receives 

 sufficient confirmation, the year of foundation being 1147, a date that agrees very 

 well with the architecture of the oldest part of the church. 



The site fixed upon was part of the parish of Bacton lying south of the river 

 that gives its name to the valley. "Dwr," the ancient British name for water, was 

 without doubt applied by the early inhabitants of this valley to the river, as being 

 the most important piece of water within their daily view. The monks who set- 

 tled here, to whom French would be a familiar tongue, slightly modifying the 

 word, called their house the Abbey of the Val d'Or, a name of pleasant sound, 

 which survives as the " Golden Valley " to this day. It is interesting,' to notice 

 that there is a valley of the same name in Gloucestershire, and at least one otlier 

 in England. I find also a notice of a Cistercian Abbey on the continent called 

 "A urea Valle. " Leland's description of the site is still sufficiently accurate. 

 He says " The Broke of Dour runneth by the Abbey of Dour, and there it breketh 

 a little above the Monasterie into two Armes, whereof the less Arme renneth 

 thoroughe the Monastery. The bigger Arme levith the Abbey a Bowe shot of, 

 on the right bond or bank. The confluence is again hard bynethe the Abbey. " 

 This "'lesser arm " is the artificial channel made by the monks to turn the Abbey 

 mill, a purpose which it still serves, and afterwards to run as a cleansing sewer 

 under the domestic buildings. 



There are evident signs that certain parts in and near to the transept are 

 older than the eastern end of the church, and, as these older parts exactly agree 

 with the plan on which the Cistercians built all their early churches, I shall 



