A couple of weeks back we took a trip down to Dumfrieshire and one of the places we visited was Sweetheart Abbey. The day was warm and sunny and had plans to visit other places too so we arrived early, too early as it turned out the Abbey wasn’t yet open. Then I spied the graveyard, as some of you might have gathered by now I like old graveyards and this one is old - there is a contemporary one beside it. We spent a pleasant 45 minutes wandering about heading headstones, commenting on some of the designs, admiring how well it was kept and the ivy, lichen and moss. Then we headed back round to the entrance of the Abbey, as we did we spotted a plaque on the wall, telling us that William Paterson a founder of the Bank of England is in an unmarked grave close by. I like the fact the grave is unmarked, maybe that is because apart from wanting a tree planted on top of me I want mine to be unmarked too, but I also like the reminder that history is always there right under our noses, or in this case feet.
The Abbey itself was a Cistercian founded by monks from Dundrennan near Kirkcudbright, and established by Lady Dervorgilla of Galloway in 1273, it was intended as a lasting memorial to her husband Lord John Balliol, which Balliol College Oxford is named after and which his widow continued to endow, who had died five years previous. When she died in 1289 she was buried in the Abbey along with her husbands heart which she kept close by her in an ivory and silver casket until then, because of this affection the Abbey was called St Mary the Virgin of Sweetheart, it was also known as ‘New Abbey’ as it was the last of the 12 Cistercian monasteries to be set up in Scotland, although now it is generally only know as Sweetheart Abbey.
The Abbey suffered under the Wars of Independence being so close to the border and was restored by Archibald Douglas the new lord of Galloway, however after the Reformation it wasn’t to be restored again. While much of its impressive precinct wall remains surround three of the four side of the 30 acre grounds, and much of the Abbey church itself can still be clearly seen the cloisters and other surrounding buildings are all but gone.
It is set not far from the Solway Firth in lush farmland and has the same wonderful warm, gentle, secure feeling that I think Fountains Abbey has, it is certainly well worth a visit should you be in the area.
