Abbey Gate-house, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
Kingswood Abbey Gatehouse dates to the 16th century. It is thought to be the sole surviving remains of a (second) Cistercian Abbey. The first abbey at Kingswood was founded in 1139 by William de Berkeley. This was in accordance with the wishes of his uncle, Roger II of Berkeley. It was colonised from the Cistercian house at Tintern. In about 1149 the monks moved to Hazleton, reducing the abbey to grange status. The monks returned to Kingwood in about 1164-70 and founded a new abbey on a superior site near the water (the site of the gatehouse). The abbey was surrendered and largely demolished in 1538, during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2010).
