Penmon’s history stretches back to the 6th century, when a monastery was established here by St Seiriol. The holy well (with reputed healing properties) that bears his name is thought to be associated with this period, though the ‘cell’ that houses it is a much later construction. The remains of the priory that stand today largely date from the 13th century, when it became part of the Augustinian order.
Inside the church, which still serves the parish today, stands an impressive cross. Dating from the 10th century, its shaft is carved with intricate patterns of frets and plaits.
References:Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.
The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).