This article presents the results of the radiocarbon dating programme and interpretation of a medieval chapel and graveyard in Poulton, Cheshire. The structure was associated with a lost Cistercian Abbey of 12th-13th-century date, which was relocated to Staffordshire after c. 60 years. Extensive excavation has revealed a minimum of 783 interments, interpreted as the remains of the farming community who worked the land after the monks’ departure. The role of the chapel within the early Cistercian landscape has proved enigmatic, although archaeological investigation has enabled a detailed understanding of the development of this ecclesiastical structure. The radiocarbon dating programme has revealed the chronology of the graveyard. By combining this new evidence with the historical record and
archaeological data, an interpretation of the changing role of the chapel within the evolving medieval landscape is presente
