A brief overview
Bertram de Verdun, Lord of Alton and an important local nobleman at the time, founded a Cistercian monastery in 1176 for the salvation of the souls of his family.
The Verdun family, originally from Normandy, granted land in Cotton (a few miles north) and Croxden to monks from the Cistercian abbey of Aunay-sur-Odon. The monks moved from Cotton to the more remote site of Croxden in 1179. The church was built first, followed by the buildings around the cloister. Completion and further enlargement followed under the prosperous leadership of Walter London, abbot in 1242-1268.
Despite the lack of historical records in the later periods, it is evident that Croxden was never particularly wealthy. The abbey flourished in the 13th century when it may have supported as many as 70 monks but during the 14th century the community suffered from the affects of crop failure, cattle disease and plague. Henry VIII eventually suppressed the abbey in 1538, and the site became part of a farm.
Cistercian monks observed the strict Rule of St Benedict, originally written in the 6th century. Monasteries of the order favoured remote sites and their buildings were often austere at Croxden. These communities endeavoured to be self-sufficient and much of the surrounding land belonged to the abbey. Indeed, the abbey precinct covered 30 hectares of fertile land and included a mill and fishponds.
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