Remains of Lilleshall Abbey

The remains of Lilleshall Abbey are a Scheduled Ancient Monument founded around 1148 by Richard de Belmeis for the Canons of the Augustinian Order of Aras. The structure dates from the late Norman to Early English period. The surviving ruins include nearly the entire church, which is about 228 feet long, featuring a remarkable west doorway in the Transitional Norman style from the 12th century. There is also a fragment of a tall wall to the north with trefoiled blank arcading, chapels on either side of the chancel, and the north and south transepts. Additional remains include the vesty, cloisters, the chapter house (excluding the east wall), and the frater located on the south side of the courtyard. The site was thoroughly investigated in 1891. During the Civil War, the Abbey, which was then the residence of Sir Richard Leveson, was fortified for the King and was largely destroyed during a siege by Parliamentary forces.