Basingwerk Abbey — Attraction in Holywell

Lovely, well preserved historic religious building. A slightly magical place where you can allow you imagination to run riot about what it must have been like to believe strongly enough for the members of a religious order to undergo the hardships of life within these buildings. Think also about the dedication of the pilgrims who trudged many miles to be able to reach this very isolated and rather beautiful place. People stayed here because it was one of the many sites on the pilgrims route. It provided guest accommodations to those who may also have visited Saint Winifred's well and for those who could afford it whilst earning indulgence through pilgrimage. In the Middle Ages the Christian Church encouraged people to make pilgrimages to special holy places called shrines. It was believed that if you prayed at these shrines you would be forgiven for your sins by earning indulgences and therefore have far more chance of going to heaven. Others went to shrines hoping to be cured from an illness they were suffering from. A wonderful place to visit - best done on a...

Basingwerk Abbey, founded in 1131 as a daughter house of Savigny Abbey and later part of the Cistercian Order, has a rich medieval history. Over the centuries, it attracted support from Welsh princes and English monarchs, helping it to flourish. Today, however, there are no tours or information panels on site, so without looking online, it’s just a collection of old stones – the abbey’s fascinating story is invisible to casual visitors. The chapter house and monks’ parlour are still interesting to see, and the peaceful setting is lovely, but anyone hoping for a fully informative visit will be disappointed. However lovely place for a walk, changing with every other season and that's add special magical touch...

We went to visit Basingwerk Abbey on a lovely sunny morning to take our dogs for a walk. There is a cafe in the grounds called the Bakehouse and we just loved sitting having a coffee sitting in the sun with all the birds singing around us. I recommend trying their toasted tea cakes 🥰. We have not tried the Museum there yet so maybe on our next visit. There is a lovely long walk where you can go off on other paths to look at the ruins. It is well...