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It was founded in 1132 by the Earls of Chester, and monks from Savigny settled there. In 1147 the abbey became part of the Cistercian Order and therefore a daughter house of Buildwas Abbey in Shropshire.

In 1157 the abbey was given the manor of Glossop by King Henry II. The hilltop Monks' Road in Glossop is a reminder of the monks' efforts to administer their possession. Earlier on they had received the manor of West KirbyWest Kirby is a village on Wirral, Merseyside, England You can find out more about West Kirby by visiting http://www. net Wirral, Villages and Towns. from the Earls of Chester.

In the 13th century, the abbey was under the patronage of Llywelyn the GreatLlywelyn ap Iorwerth (c. 1173 April 11, 1240) was a Prince of Gwynedd and effectively Prince of Wales. He was also known as Llywelyn the Great or, in Welsh, Llywelyn Fawr . Llywelyn was born in 1173, the grandson of Owain Gwynedd. His father Iorwerth havi, and his son Dafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap Llywelyn (c. 1208 February 25, 1246) was a Prince of Gwynedd ( 1240 1246) and a Prince of Wales. He was the only legitimate son of Llywelyn the Great by his wife, Joan (daughter of King John). Recognised as Prince of Wales by his uncle King Henr gave St. Winifred's Well to the abbey.

The monks harnessed the power of the Holywell stream to run a corn mill and to treat the wool from their sheep.

In 1536Events February 2 Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina. May 19 Execution of Anne Boleyn May 30 Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour October 13 The Pilgrimage of Grace, a rebellion in York, is "resolved" by Robert Aske October 29 abbey life came to an end with the Dissolution of the MonasteriesThe Dissolution of the Monasteries (sometimes called the Suppression of the Monasteries was the formal process, taking place between 1536 and 1540, by which King Henry VIII confiscated the property of the Roman Catholic institutions in England for himself.

Today, the abbey is part of Greenfield Valley Heritage Park .