Buckfast Abbey

The first abbey to have been founded at Buckfast was believed to have been in 1018, at the time of the Danish King Cnut, and was for an order of Benedictine monks. No evidence of the small Saxon monastery, apart from a fragment of stone that may have come from the church, has ever been found. Buckfast Abbey transferred to the austere order of Cistercians during the mid 12th century, and at this time the monastery was rebuilt in stone. It is from the original Cistercian plan that the present Buckfast Abbey was reconstructed at the end of the 19th century.

Cistercian monks were renowned for sheep farming in medieval England, and in this picturesque corner of Devon, skirting the rugged stretch of Dartmoor, the story was no different. In fact, at the beginning of the 14th century Buckfast Abbey was highlighted as a major wool exporter to Italy, and the woollen industry is still an important part of life in this area. In 1539 Buckfast Abbey was dissolved, and almost immediately many of the monastic buildings were demolished and others left to decay naturally through neglect. The estate passed through various owners until in 1882 a small group of Benedictine monks, evicted from their monastery in France, leased the ruinous site from Dr Gale. Enthusiastic about restoring and rebuilding a new monastery on the medieval site, the monks bought the land the following year, and by 1884 had carried out substantial excavations that helped identify the original ground plan of the first Cistercian abbey.

Throughout the last years of the 19th century the Abbot's Tower was restored, a temporary church had been built, and much of the domestic accommodation was underway. In 1902 Buckfast was reinstated as an abbey and work continued to progress at a steady pace. With the help of Frederick Walters, the architect, Buckfast Abbey gradually evolved as an accurate replica of the 12th century site. The finale to this great effort was the new Abbey church. Commenced in January 1907 under Abbot Anscar, the church took 32 years to complete and was built entirely by the monks themselves, who had been sent to the French abbey at En-Calcat to learn from the master masons working there. Sadly, the Abbot had only three weeks to enjoy his lifetime's work, as he died at the end of December 1938.

Life at Buckfast Abbey still remains very much the same as it did over six centuries ago, and it is possibly the best example in England of an authentic working abbey. The monks still follow a strict regime of prayer and worship but also enjoy living and working in a busy community. Renowned for their hospitality during the Middle Ages, the abbey re-introduced this tradition by opening a restaurant and tea rooms for visitors. As a means of attracting much needed income they learned the handicrafts and skills of their predecessors as potters, brewers, winemakers, fruitgrowers and beekeepers, and now sell their specialist wares to an international market.

A visit to the delightful Buckfast Abbey really is an experience that will remain forever in your memory. But don't let this prevent you from re-visiting the site, and this wonderful part of Devon, on many occasions.