Caldey Abbey

Caldey Abbey
Caldey Abbey Location of Caldey Abbey within Pembrokeshire
Coordinates: 51°38′14″N 4°41′04″W / 51.637303°N 4.684337°W / 51.637303; -4.684337
Location	Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire
Country	Wales
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Website	www.caldey-island.co.uk
History
Founded	1910
Architecture
Status	Abbey
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Administration
Deanery	Pontypridd

Caldey Abbey is an abbey and monastery of the Cistercian order of the Strict Observance (commonly called Trappists), situated on the island of Caldey, south of Tenby on the Welsh coast of Pembrokeshire.

Caldey Island has been known as one of the centres of Cistercian activity since Celtic times and thrived during medieval Europe. However, the current abbey was built in 1910 by Anglican Benedictine monks. At the time of building, the abbey was called "the greatest phenomenon in the Anglican community at the present time". The abbey passed to the Cistercian order in 1929. Today, the monks of Caldey Abbey are known for their lavender perfume, shortbread and chocolate production, and opened a shop on the Internet in 2001.

A Celtic monastery was founded on the island in the sixth century, and a Benedictine foundation existed from 1136 until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 (Benedictian monks were from the St Dogmaels Abbey located on the River Teifi). Pyro was the abbey's first abbot;Saint Samson was also one of Caldey Abbey's pioneer abbots.

William Done Bushell offered the island to Dom Aelred Carlyle in 1900. An Anglican Benedictine community, led by Carlyle, arrived six years later in 1906, and built the current abbey in the Italian style with assistance from Lord Halifax and others between 1906 and 1910. Initially a row of cottages were built for the people working on the building; hence the abbey was named as "cottage Monastery." The chapel was added in 1910. Three years later the monks were received by the Roman Catholic Church, except for a small Anglican remnant which left Caldey and moved into Abbey House, next to Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire. This was a house which had belonged to Caldey Abbey, but was returned in 1913 to its original, Anglican donor. The Anglican Benedictine community moved on from Pershore to Nashdom Abbey in 1926.