Abbeys & priories · South West England
Forde Abbey
Forde Abbey — Grade I listed historic house museum in West Dorset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Axminster · 9.6 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Forde Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1101. Built in the Gothic architecture style. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed historic house museum in West Dorset, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.8422°, -2.9109°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Forde Abbey is a privately owned former Cistercian monastery in Dorset, England. The house and gardens are run as a tourist attraction while the 1,600-acre (650 ha) estate is farmed to provide additional revenue. Forde Abbey is a grade I listed building.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Dorset
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Forde Abbey is a privately owned former Cistercian monastery in Dorset, England. The house and gardens are run as a tourist attraction while the 1,600-acre (650 ha) estate is farmed to provide additional revenue. Forde Abbey is a grade I listed building.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Between 1133 and 1136, wealthy nobleman Richard de Brioniis built a priory on his land at Brightley (meaning "bright" or "clear" pasture) and invited Gilbert, Abbot of Waverley in Surrey, to send 12 monks to form a new Cistercian community there. One story is that the agricultural land surrounding the new priory was insufficiently fertile, forcing the monks to consider returning to the mother house in 1141. However, Adelicia de Brioniis, the sister of Richard and successor to his estate, offered them an alternative site close to the River Axe in the manor of Thorncombe. Here, between 1141 and 1148, they built a new priory which came to be known as "Ford" due to its proximity to an old river…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.8422, -2.9109
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Thorncombe
- Postcode
- TA20 4LU
- Parliamentary constituency
- West Dorset
- Phone
- +44 1460 220231
- Established
- 1101
- Nearest railway station
- Axminster — 9.6 km
- Official site
- www.fordeabbey.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q689615 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Forde Abbey (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Forde Abbey 061.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 4Cathedrals · South West England
Forde Abbey
Forde Abbey is a cathedral in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · South West England
Leigh House
Leigh House — historic site in Somerset, England, UK.
📷 3Historic bridges · South West England
Winsham Bridge (That Part In Winsham Civil Parish And Somerset County Council)
Winsham Bridge (That Part In Winsham Civil Parish And Somerset County Council) — Grade II listed building-listed bridge in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic houses · South West England
WW2 Pill Box (Intact)
WW2 Pill Box (Intact) — a historic house in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · South West England
WW2 Pillbox (Intact)
WW2 Pillbox (Intact) — a historic house in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic houses · South West England
WW2 Anti Tank Blocks
WW2 Anti Tank Blocks — a historic house in england-south-west, United Kingdom.
Other abbeys from this era
📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Austin Friars
Austin Friars — former friary in London.
📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Boxley Abbey
Boxley Abbey is a abbey in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Chippenham Preceptory
Chippenham Preceptory — monastery in Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Church of Saint Nicholas
Church of Saint Nicholas — church in Stevenage, United Kingdom.
More abbeys in this region
📷 5Abbeys & priories · South West England
Abbotsbury Abbey
Abbotsbury Abbey — Benedictine abbey in Dorset, England, UK.
📷 5Abbeys & priories · South West England
Athelney Abbey
Athelney Abbey — abbey in Somerset, England, UK.
📷 5Abbeys & priories · South West England
Axminster Monastery
Axminster Monastery — monastery in Devon, England, UK.
★ Iconic📷 5Abbeys & priories · South West England
Buckfast Abbey
Buckfast Abbey — Benedictine abbey in Buckfast, Devon.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Forde Abbey?
- Forde Abbey is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TA20 4LU), in the parish of Thorncombe.
- When was Forde Abbey built?
- Built or established in 1101.
- Is Forde Abbey a listed building?
- Forde Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Forde Abbey a protected site?
- Yes — Forde Abbey is part of the Dorset National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Forde Abbey?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode TA20 4LU. It sits within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency.