Grey Abbey
On the eastern shore of Strangford Lough, the striking ruins of Grey Abbey sit amid a beautifully landscaped setting, perfect for a picnic. Founded in 1193 by the Cistercians, it contained one of the earliest Gothic churches in Ireland. Many Cistercian ruins were quite elaborate, but this one is surprisingly plain. Amid the ruined choirs is a fragmented stone effigy of a knight in armor, possibly a likeness of John de Courcy, husband of the abbey’s founder, Affreca of Cumbria. There’s a reconstructed medieval herb garden, and a small visitor center has exhibits on the abbey’s history.
On the eastern shore of Strangford Lough, the striking ruins of Grey Abbey sit amid a beautifully landscaped setting, perfect for a picnic. Founded in 1193 by the Cistercians, it contained one of the earliest Gothic churches in Ireland. Many Cistercian ruins were quite elaborate, but this one is surprisingly plain. Amid the ruined choirs is a fragmented stone effigy of a knight in armor, possibly a likeness of John de Courcy, husband of the abbey’s founder, Affreca of Cumbria. There’s a reconstructed medieval herb garden, and a small visitor center has exhibits on the abbey’s history.
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