Penally Abbey
Encyclopedia
Penally Abbey is an old rectory, now the Penally Abbey Country House Hotel and Restaurant overlooking Carmarthen Bay
in the village of Penally
, about 1.5 miles from Tenby
, Pembrokeshire
, Wales
. It is an AA
3-star hotel, located off the A4139 road. It was once owned by the Jameson family of Irish whiskey brewers, but was purchased in 1985 by Berkshire
natives Steve and Eileen Warren.
The monastery which existed at Penally is believed to date back to around the 6th century when St Teilo and several other saints lived here, being located along the pilgrim’s trail to St David's
in North Pembrokeshire. A Celtic Cross created by pilgrims in the 10th century is located in Penally village church.
In 1301, the rectory was occupied by the nuns of Aconbury
and for some time it houses eight nuns and their prioress until the Dissolution of the monasteries
when in 1534 the property and lands were seized by the Church of Wales. The rectors of the church at Penally used the building as their place of residence until the 1820s, when a new vicarage was erected. In the early 1800s the ruined chapel became a fernery and later a Victorian folly.
In the early 20th century, Penally Abbey became privately occupied and it was occupied by the famous Jameson’s Whiskey family from 1916 until 1925. It was then occupied by numerous military personnel in subsequent decades, becoming a country club briefly in the 1950s. In 1985, the abbey was bought and converted into a hotel.
Carmarthen Bay
Carmarthen Bay is an inlet of the south Wales coast. The coastline includes famous beaches, including the Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands, and is partially covered by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park....
in the village of Penally
Penally
Penally is a coastal village near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village is known for its Celtic Cross, Penally Abbey, with neighbouring St.Deiniol's Well, and Penally Training Camp .Served by Penally railway station Penally is a coastal village near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The...
, about 1.5 miles from Tenby
Tenby
Tenby is a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay.Notable features of Tenby include of sandy beaches; the 13th century medieval town walls, including the Five Arches barbican gatehouse ; 15th century St...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is an AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
3-star hotel, located off the A4139 road. It was once owned by the Jameson family of Irish whiskey brewers, but was purchased in 1985 by Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
natives Steve and Eileen Warren.
History
Little remains of the original monastic site except a ruined 12th century chapel in the grounds. It is called St. Deniol's church and has a Flemish chimney.The monastery which existed at Penally is believed to date back to around the 6th century when St Teilo and several other saints lived here, being located along the pilgrim’s trail to St David's
St David's
St Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
in North Pembrokeshire. A Celtic Cross created by pilgrims in the 10th century is located in Penally village church.
In 1301, the rectory was occupied by the nuns of Aconbury
Aconbury
Aconbury is a village in the English county of Herefordshire, situated on a road leading from Hereford to Ross-on-Wye.St John the Baptist Church was originally the church of a nunnery founded before 1237. The style of the current building is late 13th-century. Some restoration work was carried out...
and for some time it houses eight nuns and their prioress until the Dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
when in 1534 the property and lands were seized by the Church of Wales. The rectors of the church at Penally used the building as their place of residence until the 1820s, when a new vicarage was erected. In the early 1800s the ruined chapel became a fernery and later a Victorian folly.
In the early 20th century, Penally Abbey became privately occupied and it was occupied by the famous Jameson’s Whiskey family from 1916 until 1925. It was then occupied by numerous military personnel in subsequent decades, becoming a country club briefly in the 1950s. In 1985, the abbey was bought and converted into a hotel.