Margam Abbey

Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Port Talbot. It was founded in 1157. Although dissolved by King Henry VIII of England, the abbey church was later restored and is today in use as a parish church. The ruins of other abbey buildings, including the twelve-sided chapter house, dating from the 13th century, stand within a 840 acre (3.4 km²) country park, close to Margam Castle . On a hill overlooking the abbey stand the ruins of an outlying monastery building, Capel Mair ar y Bryn ("the chapel of St Mary on the hill"). At one point in Margam's history there were only 12 monks living in the monastery.