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Forde Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in the 1140s in the parish of Thorncombe, Devon, near the Dorset border. The abbey was established by monks from Waverley Abbey in Surrey and developed into a substantial religious house with characteristic Romanesque and Gothic architectural features. The surviving ruins and converted domestic ranges reflect both the monastic period and later use following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, when the site passed into secular ownership. The abbey church, cloister ranges, and associated buildings demonstrate the typical layout of a medieval Cistercian foundation, with the extant remains including substantial sections of the chapter house and dormitory ranges.
Forde Abbey is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002347. View the official record →
Forde Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in the 1140s in the parish of Thorncombe, Devon, near the Dorset border. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002347.
Forde Abbey is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002347.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Holditch Court Tower (3.3 km), Hillfort 550yds (501m) SE of Four Gates (5.4 km), Medieval settlement 300m east of Knight House Farm (5.7 km).
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