Page 9 - HB- Bordesley Abbey

Bordesley Abbey Redditch Heritage

The cellars range (that is the stores) were sited along the west side with the lay brothers
dormitory over them. Along the south side was the monks frater (dining room), the lay
brothers frater and the kitchen. The monks washplace (lavery) was an extension of the
south cloister aisle into the cloister garth opposite the monks frater entrance.

The home farm buildings were located south of the cloistral building, and still further
south the forge mill range. The present Forge Mills now occupy the site. At a later date a
fourth group of buildings surrounded a second and smaller cloister which was constructed
to the south east. This was the farmery the place where sick members of the community
were hospitalised and the older monks retired to and were cared for in their declining
years.

At the height of the Abbey development the Abbot occupied a separate establishment
north of the farmery and east of the Abbey Church (Minster). Only a depression in the
ground mark the spot where the Abbot's cellar was located.

The Gate House Community

Finally a Gate House was constructed with a hospice for lay visitors, accommodation for
merchants and a prison cell for recalcitrant members of the community. A second smaller
gate gave access to the township of Redditch proper.

One of the great achievements of the monks was the construction of two small canals.
One from the New Grange at Lye to Alvechurch and the other from the Abbots Grange at
Hewell. The purpose of these canals was to bring water to sufficient height to work the
Forge via water wheels. The water supply still serves the mill today.

When the monks first took possession of their lands the weather was much better than
it now is, but gradually as time went on the weather deteriorated until in the fourteenth
century it became the wettest period in history.

About this time the Black Death stalked the land killing about half the population. The
township of Redditch and the Abbey were no exception. Some of the best and most
astute leaders of the community died and there followed a time of recession and
mal-administration. Many of the granges had to be closed down or let to tenant farmers.
Others, notably in the Cotswolds and the Welsh Marches were turned over to sheep walks.

The complex system of drainage channels became overgrown and the Abbey fell into a
state of disrepair and decay. At one stage the situation was so bad that malcontents and
vagabonds were able to band together to attack the Abbey itself.

But gradually matters were mended and at the time of the Dissolution in 1538 Bordesley
Abbey was one of the twelve most important Cistercian Abbeys in the kingdom.

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