Monastic Wales.








Remnants of Ruthin Priory


Only a few wall fragments remain of the former buildings. They include the cloisters, now known as ‘The Organist’s House’, and parts of the collegiate church which now serves as the parish church of St Peter's and St Meugan, Ruthin. This incorporates remains of the fourteenth-century collegiate church and the later church that served the community of Bonhommes canons.

The early church was axial, that is, it had a central tower between the nave and chancel (destroyed in 1663) but no transepts. The nave was initially unaisled but a south aisle was added in the late fourteenth century.
The building has been much altered over the years; for example, in the mid-nineteenth century the tower was modified and a broach spire added. A piscina in the south wall of the nave aisle with a trefoiled head is early fourteenth-century whilst the camber-beam roof in the nave with highly decorated panels dates to the early sixteenth century.

The remains of a two-storey structure lie to the north of the church. This structure probably dates to the early fourteenth century but has been modified significantly. Original features include a five-bay vaulted undercroft and two doorways on the east of the building.[1]

[1] R. W. Morant, The Medieval Abbeys of England and Wales: A Resource Guide (Victoria, Canada 2004); Coflein database.

Monastic sites related to this article

Ruthin, Denbighshire(Priory)
 
Graphic.