Medieval Poulton

The Cistercians established a number of houses in medieval Cheshire. The first was founded at Combermere in 1133, and it was monks from there who established the abbey at Poulton in 1147.

According to the abbey chronicle, the abbey and its lands were prey to frequent raiders from Wales, so that in 1214 the abbot accepted an invitation by Ranulf de Blundeville, earl of Chester and lord of Leek, to move to a new site. This was just outside Leek, in Staffordshire, at Dieulacres Abbey.

Legend has it that the earl had a vision one night in which his grandfather, Ranulf de Gernons, told him to go to Leek and found a Cistercian abbey there on the site of a former chapel of the Virgin Mary. De Gernons also instructed his grandson to move the monks of Poulton to this new abbey. When the earl told his wife of his vision she is supposed to have said 'Deux encres!' – 'May god grant it increase' – so that he named the abbey Deulencres, which later became Dieulacres.

Although the monks moved to the new site, the property at Poulton was retained by Dieulacres Abbey. Indeed, it was greatly extended over the next century, until the estate covered 3,000 or so acres, of which around 1,900 acres were devoted to arable farming. As well as the monastic grange, or agricultural estate, at Poulton itself, at least three other granges were established in the near vicinity.

The Cistercians' skill in hydrologic engineering led them to drain the land, redirect the local stream and construct a series of fish ponds and other structures. They were so successful in their activities that by 1401, Poulton was the third largest source of tax revenues in Cheshire, behind only the urban areas of Chester and Malpas.

In the 15th century, however, the abbey lands at Poulton were leased to the Manley family. The Manleys took over Poulton Grange and it became Poulton Hall. The hall was not finally demolished until 1894, although all other traces of monastic buildings apart from the chapel had long since disappeared.

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