Ruin of Talley Abbey

An ambitious abbey was planned, a 73m long Latin cross with aisles, square east end and transepts with eastern chapels, all very much in the Cistercian style. The N aisle and the four westernmost bays of the nave were only completed to foundation level and were then ignored during the difficult building programme.

The N and E walls of the crossing tower stand to a height of 24m; of the rest, only low walls survive. Mural passages visible in tower. Transepts with similar plans having 3 eastern chapels, the springing of their former barrel vaults visible on the choir walls. Square ended presbytery with foundations of anteroom and sacristry to S. N and E crossing arches plain and unadorned. Simple corner shafts to NE crossing pier up to springing level. Foundations of nave piers intact; all are of coursed plain rubble except that to the SE, which has a chamfered plinth and moulded quoins. Blocking wall across N arcade and to W end. Foundation walls of S aisle.