ailes Abbey was a Cistercian monastery built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall. Vowing to found a religious house if he survived a dangerous episode at sea, Richard returned and kept his promise with the help of his brother, King Henry III, who gave him the manor of Hailes. The majority of the building work was carried out around 1246-1251. To provide a regular income, the abbey needed a religious relic and this was provided - a phial said to hold the blood of Jesus. Relics were very useful at the time as it brought many pilgrims and their money to the abbey. The founding monks came from the Cistercian abbey of Beaulieu in Hampshire and they arrived in 1246. The abbey was built rapidly as in 1251, on November 5th, the building was dedicated in a ceremony attended by the King and Queen, Earl Richard, and thirteen bishops. Flocks of sheep were the main source of income for the abbey, like most Cistercian abbeys, but they also collected endowments from surrounding parishes. The end for the abbey came in 1539 as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Holy Blood was removed to London were it was claimed it was a fake. The abbey was sold and parts may have been demolished in 1524 to use as building materials elsewhere.