Sefydlwyd Abaty Nedd fel mynachlog yn perthyn i Urdd Savigny yn 1130, ond pan ymgorfforwyd yr urdd honno i'r Urdd Sistersaidd rymus yn 1147, daeth Nedd yn D? Sistersaidd. Cwblhawyd adeiladau'r fynachlog erbyn diwedd y ddeuddegfed ganrif ac, er gwaethaf ymosodiadau yn ystod y gwrthryfeloedd Cymreig, ffynnodd y safle dan nawdd Robert de Clare a dechreuwyd ailadeiladu ar raddfa fwy yn niwedd y drydedd ganrif ar ddeg. Daeth ei chyfoeth i raddau helaeth o'r ystadau mawr a roddwyd iddi yn Sir Forgannwg, Dyfnaint a Gwlad yr Haf, a bu helaethu ei thiroedd ym Morgannwg yn destun anghydfod chwerw rhyngddi ag abaty cyfagos Margam.
Er i Abaty Nedd ddianc rhag ton gyntaf diddymu'r mynachlogydd gan Harri'r VIII yn 1535, bedair blynedd yn ddiweddarach gorfodwyd yr Abad Leyshon Thomas i ildio'r fynachlog i'r goron. Rhoddwyd y safle i Richard Williams, ond erbyn 1600 roedd yn nwylo Syr John Herbert. Adeiladwyd plasty Tuduraidd mawr yng nghornel dde-ddwyrain y clasordai yn rhan olaf yr unfed ganrif ar bymtheg, ond ar ol canrif o ddefnydd aeth hwn hefyd a'i ben iddo.
Gyda chynnydd diwydiant trwm yn ystod y ddeunawfed ganrif, defnyddiwyd rhai o gyn adeiladau'r fynachlog i fwyndoddi copr ac agorodd gwaith haearn ei ddrysau gerllaw. Pan ymwelodd yr uchelwr Llydewig alltud, Armand-Louis-Bon Maudet, Comte de Penhouet, a'r safle yn 1796, canmolodd harddwch yr adfeilion, a oedd yn amlwg yn dal i ddangos peth o'u cyn ysblander canoloesol, ond rhedodd mewn arswyd oddi wrth y merched a'r plant di-gartref a oedd yn byw yn eu mysg gan fegera ar ymwelwyr a'r safle. Roeddent yn ei atgoffa braidd ormod o gyrch merched Paris ar Versailles a daniodd y Chwyldro Ffrengig. Daeth y safle i ofal y wladwriaeth yn 1944 ac mae bellach yn eiddo i Cadw. Mae'n safle poblogaidd ar gyfer ffilmio ac wedi'i ddefnyddio'n helaeth mewn sioeau teledu fel Doctor Who a Merlin.
Cofnod wedi ei ddiweddaru fel rhan o'r prosiect 'Taith i'r Gorffennol: Cymru mewn teithlyfrau o Ffrainc a'r Almaen' a gyllidir gan yr AHRC.
R. Singer (Prifysgol Bangor) a S. Fielding (CBHC), 2017.
Adnoddau
LawrlwythoMathFfynhonnellDisgrifiadapplication/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesPdf document - 'finds register' - relating to archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey. Produced by Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, March 2020 - August 2021.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'INTERNAL COURTYARD - Survey elevations 1.2.3 AND 1.2.5.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesProject specification relating to archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey. Produced by Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 15th January 2020.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'Ground Floor Plan - Proposed groundworks and guardrails.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'Site Constraints.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfETW - European Travellers to Wales ProjectDescription of visit to Neath Abbey by Armand-Louis Bon Maudet, Comte de Penhou?t, from 'Letters Describing a Tour through Part of South Wales'(1796).Text available in Welsh, English, French & German. Produced through European Travellers to Wales project.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'SOUTH BOUNDARY - Survey elevations 1.1.1; 1.2.1; 1.4.1; 1.4.21.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'Ground Floor Plan Indicating boundaries and location of Phase 3, 4 and 5.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital pdf report relating to archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey. Produced by Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, February 2021. (Compressed version). HRSWales report no. 214.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'INTERNAL COURTYARD - Survey elevations 1.2.4, 1.2.8 and 1.4.2.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'EAST ELEVATION - Survey elevations 1.4.20 and 1.1.4.2.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesPdf document - 'context register' - relating to archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey. Produced by Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, March 2020 - August 2021.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesDigital contractor drawing: 'INTERNAL COURTYARD - Survey elevations 1.4.4, 1.4.18 and 1.4.3.' Produced by Purcell for Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, 7 January 2020. Part of the archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey.application/pdfHRS - Heritage Recording Services Wales Project ArchivesArchaeological Geo-physics survey relating to archaeological building investigation and recording of Neath Abbey. Produced by Richard Scott Jones of Heritage Recording Service Wales, September 2020. Report no. 223. (low resolution version).
