Abbotsbury Abbey

Abbotsbury Abbey
Abbotsbury Abbey remains and the abbey barn
Abbotsbury Abbey is located in Dorset
Abbotsbury Abbey
Location within Dorset
Monastery information
OrderBenedictines
Established11th century
Disestablished1539
Dedicated toSt Peter
Site
LocationAbbotsbury, England
Coordinates50°39′52.1″N 2°35′55.4″W / 50.664472°N 2.598722°W / 50.664472; -2.598722
Visible remainstithe barn, parts of a building (possibly the abbot's house)
Public accessyes

Abbotsbury Abbey, dedicated to Saint Peter, was a Benedictine monastery in the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, England. The abbey was founded in the 11th century by King Cnut's thegn Orc and his wife Tola, who handsomely endowed the monastery with lands in the area. The abbey prospered and became a local centre of power, controlling eight manor houses and villages. During the later Middle Ages, the abbey suffered much misfortune. In the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the last abbot surrendered the abbey and the site became the property of Sir Giles Strangways.

Today, a small part of the former Abbey estate, including the abbey's remains, and those of the nearby St Catherine's Chapel, are in the guardianship of English Heritage.