Rushen Abbey is a former abbey on the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

, located in

Ballasalla Ballasalla () is a village in the parish of Malew in the south-east of the Isle of Man. The village is situated close to the Isle of Man Airport and north-east of the town of Castletown, Isle of Man, Castletown. History Ballasalla grew up ar ...

. Originally home for monks of the Savignac order, it soon came under

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

control and remained so until its dissolution. The abbey is located from Castle Rushen, the politically most important site on the island in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times. Both these sites are on the ''Awin Rosien'', a river now called the

Silver Burn The Silver Burn or Silverburn River (Manx: ''Awin Rosien'') is a small river, about long, on the Isle of Man which rises near the South Barrule and flows south. It passes St Mark's and in its lower reaches it flows under the Monks' Bridge at B ...

History

The abbey was founded in 1134, under Óláfr Guðrøðarson's control. He granted the land to Savignac monks from Furness Abbey. In 1147 the abbey came under Cistercian rule following the merging of the Savignac and Cistercian orders. The abbey church dedicated to St Mary was completed in 1257. The abbey was dissolved in the 16th century. In 1853 the

Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man Government () is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of the Lord of Mann (currently Char ...

bought Rushen Abbey with the intention of turning it into a

lunatic asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...

, but it was never used for such a purpose, and in 1864 an Act was passed revoking the sale.''Mona's Herald.'' Wednesday, August 05, 1925; Page: 3 In the early 1900s, the abbey ruins became a popular tourist destination, famous for the strawberries and cream served in its gardens. After falling into disrepair after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the abbey was acquired by

Manx National Heritage Manx National Heritage () is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man. The organisation manages a significant proportion of the Island’s physical heritage assets including over 3,000 acres of coastline and landscape. It holds pro ...

in May 1998, and restorations have now been made. Soon afterwards, excavations began, and archaeologists discovered more about the monks' way of life and practices. The abbey is now a heritage centre (part of the "Story of Mann") with a building containing artefacts and telling the history of Rushen Abbey and the surrounding area. The remains of the original abbey have been restored and walkways constructed to allow visitors to get a close look. Between April and October the abbey is open to the public and an admission fee is payable. Before accessing the abbey gardens, visitors must walk through a museum that explains the role of the abbey. There is interactive, audio and video material available. At the end of the exhibition, there is an area designed for children, allowing them to build an arch and discover the monastery's history in a way that is more appealing to them. The centre is advertised to children with the phrase "Monky business". The '' Chronicle of Mann'' was compiled at Rushen Abbey, as were many other important documents relating to the island. The abbey is significant in this respect, as it would have been the centre of knowledge and literacy on the island.

Monks' Bridge

Monks from Rushen Abbey would sometimes have farms in the north of the island. A

packhorse bridge A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses (horses loaded with sidebags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low Parapet#Bridg ...

was built in around 1350 to allow the monks to cross the nearby Silverburn River. Known today as The Monks' Bridge (or ''The Crossag''), it is one of few surviving packhorse bridges in the British Isles.

Burials

Olaf the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and F ...

* Magnús Óláfsson * Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson

References

External links

Rushen Abbey
Centre for Manx Studies page about the abbey
Rushen Abbey
Information from Manx National Heritage
Information about Rushen Abbey
{{Coord, 54, 05, 56, N, 4, 38, 15, W, display=title, region:IM_type:landmark Tourist attractions in the Isle of Man Cistercian monasteries in the United Kingdom Christian monasteries established in the 1130s Burial sites of the Crovan dynasty Roman Catholic monasteries in the Isle of Man Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation