Explore an active Benedictine monastery with over 1,000 years of history, featuring a stunning abbey church and peaceful gardens in a picturesque Dartmoor valley.

Buckfast Abbey is an active Benedictine monastery located near Buckfastleigh in Devon, set within a picturesque valley on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. The site boasts a rich heritage spanning over a millennium, originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1018. Today, visitors can experience the impressive Abbey Church of St Mary, completed in 1938, which showcases a striking mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. The church remains open to visitors throughout the day, providing a serene and spiritually significant space. The abbey grounds offer families an opportunity to explore the monastic heritage and learn about the community of Roman Catholic Benedictine monks who continue to live and work on the site. The surrounding gardens and valley setting create a peaceful environment suitable for all ages. With free entry and family-friendly amenities including dog-friendly grounds and pushchair accessibility, Buckfast Abbey welcomes visitors of all ages to discover its fascinating history, architectural beauty, and contemplative atmosphere. The venue also features the Grange Restaurant, making it possible to spend a full day exploring this significant heritage site.

Venue Details

What this place offers

Toilets

Public transport nearby

Accessible toilets

Free WiFi

Baby changing facilities

Food available

On-site parking

🐕Dog-friendly

Parking nearby

Pushchair friendly

☕ Food & Drink

W

Will Rogers

2 weeks ago

Love this place peaceful and relaxing. Great abbey church plus follow the live stream of Sunday mass. Maybe one day I will be able to get hold of the fabulous Taylor 12 in the tower.

D

Dom Bowler

2 weeks ago

Lovely cafe and great quiet atmosphere church and gardens are free to visit, make sure you go to the chapel at the far end of the main church. The stained glass windows are amazing.

M

Marco Balboni

4 weeks ago

Unbelievably beautiful grounds and a great day out! ​The abbey itself and the surrounding grounds were unbelievably beautiful. We had such a great time walking around the gardens and soaking in the amazing weather. To top it off, there was some sort of singing event happening on the day we visited, which was a pretty cool bonus. Highly recommend a visit!

J

joypotbg

2 months ago

Has to be the most peaceful and relaxing place I've ever visited. There's an invisible wall that we pass through where all my worries seem to melt away and stay off my shoulders for the time we're visiting. Absolutely love it. The Grange restaurant is amazing too, had the best soup I've ever eaten there today. Could taste that it was made with love and care. Absolutely delicious! Definitely worth a visit.

L

Lille Chef

10 months ago

Beautiful place (drizzle rain, but didn't put us off our visit) last time I visited was 40 years ago so couldn't remember much at 9 years old

Reviews last updated: 29 September 2026