Greyabbey

Coordinates: 54°32′06″N 5°33′36″W / 54.535°N 5.560°W / 54.535; -5.560

Greyabbey or Grey Abbey is a small village, townland (of 208 acres) and civil parish located on the eastern shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 7 miles (11 km) south of Newtownards. Both townland and civil parish are situated in the historic barony of Ards Lower. It is within the Borough of Ards. It had a population of 939 people in the 2011 Census.

Greyabbey is often associated with the antiques trade, there being several specialist antique shops in the village, as well as some interesting Georgian and Victorian buildings. Of particular note is Mount Stewart Estate (National Trust) as well as a traditional coaching inn.

History

The village (and townland) derives its name from Grey Abbey, a Cistercian abbey-monastery located on the north side of the village, dating from 1193. Historically it was also called Monesterlee or Monesterlea, which are anglicisations of its Irish name Mainistir Liath ("grey abbey/monastery"). It was founded by Affreca, daughter of Godred Olafsson, King of the Isles, and wife of John de Courcy, Anglo-Norman conqueror of the province of Ulster. The site of the abbey was on the Ards Peninsula, 7 miles (11 km) from Newtownards, at the confluence of a small river and Strangford Lough.. Architecturally it is important as the first fully gothic style building in Ulster; it is the first fully stone church in which every window arch and door was pointed rather than round headed. The abbey is located in the parkland of Rosemount House, home of the Montgomery family, to the east side of the village.