Cleeve Abbey is one of Somerset’s most ancient and impressive cultural heritage sites. These ruins are steeped in rich, fascinating history, going back nearly a thousand years. Situated in the east of Exmoor, just outside of Washford, it’s a must-see for this beautiful part of the world.
A Brief History of Cleeve Abbey
Established in the year 1198, Cleeve Abbey was a Cistercian monastery for 339 years. In 1537, Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries forced its closure. After this, the Crown leased Cleeve Abbey to Anthony Busterd. It was then converted it into a country mansion in 1538, by Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex. However, by the early 1700s it had been turned into a farm.
It wasn’t until the late 1800s that steps were taken to preserve the remains of this venerable site, when George Luttrell of Dunster Castle acquired it and undertook the excavation and archeological work needed to turn it into a tourist attraction. He even converted the farmhouse into rental cottages. It was finally passed back to the Crown to pay “Death Duties” on the Luttrell estate in the 1950s. In 1984 English Heritage took over the site, who have looked after it ever since.
Special Features To Look Out For
The first thing you’ll see when you arrive is the architecturally stunning gatehouse. And, alongside the gatehouse, built to defend the monks, there’s a moat! (You really don’t see enough moats these days, do you?) The moat is sometimes filled with water as originally intended, sometimes overgrown with wildflowers.
Sadly, Cleeve Abbey’s original church & infirmary no longer remain, but the conventual buildings (the monk’s living quarters) are some of the best preserved in all of Britain. Explore the dormitory & the latrines to see what a Cistercian monk’s life would have looked like.
The roofs are mostly in tact and some of the ceilings are truly incredible. The carvings on the wooden vaulted “angel roof” in the refectory (the old dining room) will have you craning your neck in awe, and the low curved ceiling of the Chapter House is one to behold too.
There’s also the “painted chamber” (likely the Abbot’s office) with its historic old wall paintings. We believe the paintings depict a scene from a famous medieval book; “Gesta Romanorum”, which means “Deeds of the Romans”.
There are still a lot of the original medieval floor tiles too which would have been very expensive at the time and are a source of much fascination. And that’s not all. You’ll discover all sorts of exciting & engrossing aspects of this fabulous old place once you’re there…
Useful Info For Visiting Cleeve Abbey
Opening Hours
Cleeve Abbey is open to the public 10am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday, including most Bank Holidays. (It is closed Mondays & Tuesdays.)
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online in advance here or in person on the door on the day. (Though, do note, it’s 10% cheaper to book online before you go.) Ticket prices are currently £6.80 for adults, £5.90 concessions & £3.60 for children. Family tickets are also available. Donations on top of your ticket price are welcome. Your ticket is for all day and you can arrive whenever you like and stay as long as you want (within opening hours).
Parking
There is a free car park on site and free Disabled Parking closer the entrance too.
Accessibility & Facilities
Speak to English Heritage directly for full details on this, but there are definitely a few steep staircases to the upper chambers, and a fair amount of uneven ground – just to warn you. You’ll find loos on site (including disabled loos) and baby changing facilities.
Food & Drink
You are welcome to bring a picnic to Cleeve Abbey. There are picnic tables for you to make use of on site, and lots of lovely grassy areas to set up camp too. If it rains, you can eat inside in the Education Room. You’ll also find a shop on site selling light refreshments & there’s a vending machine for hot drinks.
Kids
This is a wonderful place to bring your kids for a day out. There are lots of fun, educational things in place for kids to engage with during their visit, including a make-your-own tile patterns station with paper & tile stamping sets provided, and monks robes in a dressing up box!
Dogs
Dogs are welcome at Cleeve Abbey, on leads.
Take a Video Tour with Planet Imo
In case all of this still isn’t enough for you to decide whether or not you want to plan a trip to visit Cleeve Abbey, why not take a video tour with the lovely Imo, on her vlog, below? We think she’s a fantastic tour-guide.
Places to stay near Cleeve Abbey
As the local experts on where to stay in the area, we have plenty of suggestions for some gorgeous cottages to rent near Cleeve Abbey. Take a look at our top picks below, or see all our cottages here.
That’s it from us on Cleeve Abbey! We think you’ll love paying it a visit, so we hope you liked this article.
