The Abbey

The 19th century church of St. Thomas, still the parish church of St.Dogmaels, offers commanding views of the entire abbey site.

Viewed from its west side, the church looks first on the nave of the abbey.

First used as a parish church itself, the nave was laid out in the 12th century, though only completed one hundred years later.

The remains of the piers of the south aisle arcade can be seen embedded in the south wall .The 13th century north wall stand today almost to its full height, with two arched tomb recesses at its base. Paved originally with stone flags. The surviving floor tiles probably date from the 15th century.

...At the end of the nave, the low walls between the two great western piers of the crossing represent the remains of the 13th century pulpitum which originally separated the nave from the east end of the church. The floor which remains is some nine inches higher than the original 12th century floor. The crossing area would have been occupied by the monks' choir; today, only the base of the wall between the south piers has survived though a more modern addition under the north arch is visible. The founder of the abbey is commemorated on a broken grave slab in the center of the choir floor. Two further graves are clearly identifiable.

Further east is the presbytery, which housed the high altar, from which steps lead down to the 13th century crypt, built to house the relics of St.Dogmael. Beyond the presbytery is the ruin of the south transept which dates back to the 12th century. Visible only at ground level, it is perhaps overshadowed by the majesty of the north transept, perhaps the most impressive surviving section of the abbey. Rebuilt in the 16th century, the three outer walls still stand to roof height, dominating the landscape of the lower village. Its corbels are carved with figures of a lion, an angel and the Archangel Michael, while the base of a small altar is evident in the center of the east wall.

In the center of the abbey grounds. a rectangular area of grass forms the garth to the cloisters alleys which were at the heart of monastic life. The bases for the arcade columns can still be seen projecting from the walls of the cloister walks. The lower floor of the 12h century west range is perhaps the best reserved section of the claustral buildings. This floor used once as cellerage, also provided a welcoming room where monks were permitted to meet visitors, as well as a guest house added some two or three hundred years later. The large stone steps at the corner of the cloister also date from the later period.

The doorway in the south range was the entrance to the monks' refectory. To its left are the remains of the washing trough, visible now as two 13th century red sandstone jambs. The rest of the range is 14th century and features on the higher ground three circular ovens an the stairs belonging to a later residence on the site.

The east range was home to the chapter house , one of the most important rooms in the abbey, with at the southern end a latrine block now marked by a slate slab over the stream near the original warming house. Some way from the east range lie the remains of the infirmary, built in the 13th century for old or sick members of the monastic community. Like the north transept, two of its walls still stand almost to full height.