Llantarnam Abbey, Abbeys and Priorys Cwmbran, Torfaen - Wales where to go, what to see and where to stay in Wales

The present Llantarnam Abbey - home to the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy - is built on the site of a medieval Cistercian Monastery, founded in 1179 from Strata Florida in West Wales. Llantarnam Abbey lies about 5 miles west of Newport in South Wales. In 1538, during the Reformation, the Monastery was dissolved, suffering the fate of most monasteries throughout England and Wales. In 1553, the property was bought by William Morgan, a Catholic, who adapted the monastic building and turned it into a family home. In the 1830's Reginald Blewitt claimed the property and restored it. He also made some additions and re-built the Great Hall. During the Second World War, the property was used as a storage centre for RAF uniforms. The property came on the market in 1946 and it was bought by the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy as a central house for the Sisters in the UK and Ireland.