Best Forde Abbey Accommodation

Currently a large private residence in Dorset, Forde Abbey is a stunning Ham-stone combination of Tudor and mid-17th-century features with mediaeval parts that is spectacular, though not always harmonious, to see. With nice informal gardens and a stunning view of the south front from across its lilylake to the south west on a clear day, it's a wonderful place to visit. The most well-known of the museum's treasures are the gigantic tapestry copies of Raphael's paintings showing scenes from the Acts of the Apostles, which were brought to England by Charles I.
Initial construction of the abbey for 12 Cistercian monks took place in 1142-8. By 1200, it had amassed immense wealth and earned widespread academic fame, which it maintained (unlike many other monasteries) until it was liquidated in 1539. It was significantly extended and improved by the abbot who served as its penultimate abbot, Thomas Chard. It appears to have been abandoned after that, until it was acquired as his residence in 1649 by Sir Edmund Prideaux, who would go on to become Oliver Cromwell's Attorney General, and had it expanded to its current size. After siding with the Duke of Monmouth in 1685, the next Prideaux was fined £15,000 as a result of his actions. Through marriage, the estate came to Sir Francis Gwyn, Queen Anne's Secretary of War, who was afterwards rewarded with the famed tapestries in gratitude for his services. Jeremy Bentham, the philosopher, lived in the house from 1814 to 1817, and James Mill was a frequent visitor during that time period. When the present owners bought the property, it was towards the end of the nineteenth century. It is open to the public on a regular basis, and while there are no guided tours available, there is a good guide book available.

• Forde Abbey Geolocation Latitude 50.8434° N Longitude 2.9113° W
• Forde Abbey Postcode TA20 4LU
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