medieval monastery located near village somerset england grade listed building scheduled ancient monument abbey founded late twelfth century house monks order year monastic history order frequently ill governed financially troubled sole member community achieve prominence bishop reformation closed henry_viii course abbey converted country house subsequently status site declined abbey farm buildings half nineteenth century steps taken conserve remains twentieth century taken state care abbey looked english_heritage open public today best preserved medieval monastic sites britain church longer standing buildings contain features particular interest including angel roof wall paintings painted chamber foundation abbey founded earl lincoln grant land given king june colony monks led arrived site lincolnshire official abbey florida latin flowering valley history generally known nearby village initial funding foundation increased land money family 1st earl somerset family addition produced rent abbey held right wreck meant claim washed shore lands abbey buildings work immediately began constructing abbey church task took decades conservative design heavily influenced thoughts bernard order early churches homeland shape nave seven bays short square east end eastern parts church built likely finished point abbey received royal donation oak build choir stalls remainder probably completed mid century south church laid surrounded domestic buildings house east range completed probably held chapter house monks dormitory day room metres long south range built contained warming house projected south main body building following usual plan suggested floors finished end thirteenth century tiles centimetres square include arms richard 1st earl cornwall family believed produced celebrate marriage 2nd earl cornwall final finished small west range storage quarters lay brothers east core buildings linked second monastic monastery surrounded gardens stables industrial buildings abbey grounds defended water filled moat gatehouse excavation revealed large stone cross like market cross stood west main building means wealthy house monks able significant investment home match rising living standards later period fourteenth century elaborate floors expensive high status product laid abbey mid fifteenth century radical works undertaken wooden shelter constructed floor abbot commissioned complete redesign south range monastery demolished old built new parallel floor grand chamber wooden vaulted ceiling carved angels equal hall contemporary secular lord beneath built self contained apartments probably abbey responsible abbey wall paintings religious subjects wall paintings survive depicting arrangement facing man standing bridge bridge water fish man angel head attacked lion left bridge dragon right work continued successors eve dissolution building work completed gatehouse performed late monks engaged major project walks latest fashion neighbouring house completed dissolution abbey monastic history like smaller houses comparatively little known internal history abbey early years received grants land property local lords crown supplement initial prosperous years thirteenth century grew steadily reaching monks abbey held local churches including holding abbey responsible chapel lady old disappeared inn pilgrims attending chapel expanded present major source income export wool fourteenth century saw change fortunes economic climate poor administration left abbey like order sharply declining numbers monks major debt internal discipline morals community declined reported government abbot monks leading group attacking travellers region things improved fifteenth century despite vast expense caused extravagant building projects better management access new resources instance profits right hold markets granted crown general improvement circumstances facing house meant prior dissolution enjoying indian summer comfortable stability dissolution abbey income assessed henry_viii great survey church finances meant following year came terms suppression act henry initial monks forced surrender abbey september proposals local gentry king officials dissolution sir granted number smaller monasteries monks finally left spring given pension marks year large certainly comfortable drawing years later monks given monk rose prominence came sticky end killed protestant beliefs later history soon crown property leased years site granted 1st earl sussex church demolished save south wall bounded rest abbey converted mansion suitable gentleman early seventeenth century turned farm dormitory large barn rest buildings agricultural purposes farm house red sandstone barn built south west corner abbey acquired site abbey stopped farm extensive archaeological excavations took place farm house converted rental cottages site tourist attraction partly bring traffic local farmers daughter named abbey acted guide described nightly ghosts monks head passed crown pay death duties estate managed major restoration archaeological work followed english_heritage took responsibility carrying excavations surveys continues care today present day church entirely vanished site boasts finest best preserved monks living quarters surviving southern england buildings round rooms retain important preserved rooms chapter house magnificent arch wooden vault painted chamber abbey medieval remains major include abbey gatehouse provides entrance visitor moat open public remains buildings designated english_heritage grade listed building listed scheduled monument cultural references abbey original site setting abbey series books based features described visited early years twentieth century identified site today literary licence allowed add features imagination castle scenes children musical comedy television series filmed
Cleeve Abbey