Buildwas Abbey

The Black Monk Of Buildwas

by Charles E S Fairey

The Abbey of Buildwas,

The Black Monk’s old home,

Between worlds he haunts all alone,

Praying pensively for reason yet unknown.

The Abbey of the Black Monk,

Where he was a Cistercian brother,

He walks the banks of Severn River,

And disturbs the Power Station worker.

The Black Monk of Buildwas,

Haunting the ruins of this majestic place,

Long robed cowl and horrific face,

Yet full of prayer and grace.

The Abbey of Buildwas,

The Black Monk’s haunting ground,

Creeping up without a sound,

Frightening folk, gruesomely frowned.

The Abbey of the Black Monk,

Unbelievers and ungodly beware,

For he will from your demons scare,

Towards a life of love and care.

For the Black Monk of Buildwas,

With his dark black figure and gruesome stare,

Haunt those who have no faith,

From the veils of the Reaper Wraith,

For here the Black Monk prays evermore,

For your souls outside the everlasting door.

Buildwas Abbey are majestic ruins set in a beautiful location by the River Severn near Ironbridge, in Shropshire.

The Cistercian Abbey of St Mary and St Chad was originally founded in 1135, as a Savignac monastery, and was inhabited by a small community of about six to twelve monks, who made their income by charging tolls to passing travellers on the bridge over the river Severn.

The Church remains rank among some of the best preserved 12th century examples of a Cistercian church in Britain and a row of original Norman columns still remain, as imposing today as they would have looked during the middle ages.

Nearby Buildwas Power Station looks at odds with the surrounding countryside.

It would seem that the power station cuts into the old boundaries of Buildwas Abbey especially the station's coal bay, where a ghostly monk has been seen.

The Black Monk is said to haunt the abbey ruins, several workers at the power station have reported seeing a ghostly black monk walking around the modern building.

One employee also reported seeing a phantom woman floating in his path who vanished before his eyes. Both audio and visual paranormal experiences have been reported by local residents from Leighton village.