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Forde Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery founded in the mid-twelfth century in the parish of Axminster, Devon (historically within the wider region, though often associated with the Dorset border). The abbey was established around 1136 and developed as a significant religious house, with its surviving structures including the church, cloister ranges, and later domestic buildings representing various phases of medieval construction and subsequent alteration. The site passed into private ownership following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, and the principal buildings were substantially modified and converted for residential use, notably during the seventeenth century when major remodelling occurred. Today Forde Abbey retains important medieval architectural elements alongside later additions, forming a complex of considerable historical and archaeological interest that reflects both its monastic past and subsequent occupation as a country house.
Forde Abbey is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002347. View the official record →
Forde Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery founded in the mid-twelfth century in the parish of Axminster, Devon (historically within the wider region, though often associated with 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).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Forde Abbey's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Forde Abbey stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.