Echoes of a Legend

Chapter SIXTEEN: Clairvaux Abbey and all its Secrets

“I see a boy. How about you? It’s certainly not a templar!” Brother Pierson Bainard

Clairvaux Abbey was founded by the patronage and biggest early supporter of the Knights Templar, Bernard Clairvaux, in 1115. A Cistercian monastery situated in the Ville-sous-la-Ferté region approx 140km North of Citeaux, it is more than just one structure with many buildings, fields and even a large pond making up its long elongated grounds which run from east to west.

The complex is surrounded by a large stone wall fortified with watchtowers, set at certain intervals, to help enhance its protection to the outside world. Within these walls, a second one, just as high, runs north to south and serves as a dividing stone curtain between the Monastic buildings and agriculture land and workhouses that support the day to day running of the Abbey. A slaughterhouse, barns, stables, hay-chamber and even a large wine press are just some of the example buildings that this area contains and they readily greet you, sporadically placed with the only positional objective being convenience, as you enter via the main gateway at the far west of the main surround wall.

Between the buildings and along the main wall, flows a boundary moat that was created by the monks from the local fast flowing river. Its cold liquid weaves its way through the grounds, with gaps formed every so often for the patrons to enter a watchtower or make their way to a building without leaping over the rushing current. The waterway is vital to the survival of the monastery, providing not just water to cook with, but sanitation and irrigation for the entire complex.

The entrance to the Monastic section is via a single gatehouse within the stone curtain, close to a tile-kiln. On passing through you have a set of residents to your immediate right where the Abbott himself resides and guests are welcome to rest whilst visiting. In front of you is the west end entrance of the church.

The church is a large building and is almost central to the monastic section of the complex. To its south facing side are the majority of the remaining structures whilst to its north there is a cemetery. The entrance is in front of you via a narthex, a hall between the porch and the nave, and opens up into a vast area of eleven bays. The wings, or transepts, have two square chapels at their east end whilst a large apse finishes the building at the eastern tip.

Standing with the south wall of the church at your back you can see the majority of the remaining buildings starting with the great cloister.

This square cloister is the largest of two and catches the sun all year round. A central green of unspoiled grass is surrounded by a pebbled path and in the greens centre sits an ornate stone water butt which attracts a variety of birds. When the weather is at its harshest, the occupants can still walk around the greens outskirts as a stone arch covered walkway completes the perimeter.

On the opposite side of the cloisters to the church is the Refectory which was under development; half the roof was now tile whilst half remained thatch. An alley leading to the river was at the Refectory’s left and was followed by the calefactory which, to its east, had dormitories with an under croft entered through its main room.

With the wall and watchtowers as formidable obstacles it would take a genius or a madman to try and gain entry without permission. Or maybe just a man in the know? 

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Noon had come and gone and the sun was gradually making its way down towards the crimson horizon. It was a dry afternoon, with no sign of rain. The sky is a clear silky blue with the sun surrounded by a yellow and red hue which would be an encouraging sign for the superstitious shepherd.

Pierson walks straight-backed towards the main gate of the Abbey and appears bursting with self-importance as he points his sword towards the three hand-bound bedraggled Saracens in front of him.