Abbeys and Monasteries in Dorset

The Abbey of St Peter at Abbotsbury was a Benedictine monastery founded in the 11th century by Orc, steward to King Canute. After Orc and his wife Thola died, they left the abbey to the church. The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538 and the buildings destroyed so that the stone could be used for local building projects.
Abbotsbury, Dorset, England, DT3 4JR

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: The Great Barn, the largest thatched building in the world.

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Cerne Abbey was founded in AD 987, near the site of a holy well attributed to St Augustine, which can still be visited. The best remaining features are the abbey's guesthouse and the ornate 15th-century gateway to the Abbot's Hall.
Abbey Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorset, England

Heritage Rating:   ?

Heritage Highlight: The Abbot's Porch, built in 1497

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Shaftesbury Abbey was founded by King Alfred around AD 888, and Alfred's daughter Aethelgiva was the first Abbess. The town grew up around the abbey during the late Saxon period and gained in importance to the point where it was granted the right to have no less than three money minters under Aethelstan.
Park Walk, Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, SP7 8JR

Heritage Rating:   ?


Nearest Self Catering Cottages