Name: MEREVALE Location: nr Atherstone
County: Warwickshire Foundation: 1148 Mother house: Bordesley Relocation: None Founder: Robert de Ferrers, earl
of Derby Dissolution: October 1538 Prominent members: Access: Private farmland with public access to the gate chapel
Merevale abbey was founded in 1148 by Robert
de Ferrers, earl of Derby (d. 1159) and was the second house to
be colonised by Bordesley.(1) One
of Robert’s descendants,
Earl William de Ferrers, was buried in the chapter-house
in 1253. The abbey also enjoyed royal visitors: Edward I stayed
at the abbey in 1275 and Edward III wstayed
at the abbey during March 1322.(2)
Merevale was never a large monastery,
housing little more than ten monks. At the time of the Dissolution
the
net
annual income was £254 and the house was surrendered in October
1538.(3) Apparently parts of
the central buildings were converted into
a house once the abbey had been surrendered. Parts of the church
and south cloister range survive within two barns of the working
farm that occupies the site and the medieval gate chapel is still
in use as a parish church.(4)
