Nestled in the shadow of Dartmoor, in a beautiful wooded valley beside the river Dart, Buckfast Abbey offers visitors a tranquil refuge from the hectic pace of everyday life. The Abbey is a working monastery where a community of Benedictine monks live self-sufficiently, welcoming visitors from all around the world.
At the heart of the site is the Abbey Church, a spiritual haven for the many thousands of visitors who come each year. There is an overwhelming sense of peace as soon as you enter the grounds with the church surrounded by gardens which in the summer come alive with colour.
Within the Abbey precinct, visitors can browse in the Bookshop or visit the Monastic Shop which has an extraordinary array of products made by nuns and monks across Europe. There is also a gift shop and information point by the Westgate entrance.
In the Grange Restaurant, you can relax and enjoy tea and homemade cakes or choose from a range of hot meals and light snacks which are changed daily.
Escape for a while at Buckfast – worlds away from the busy rush of the everyday and just a few minutes from the A38.
Buckfast Abbey Gardens
The Gardens at Buckfast Abbey offer a tranquil easily accessible and inviting space around the Abbey Church.
Spacious lawns and three specialist garden areas are maintained for your pleasure and relaxation.
There is a Lavender garden, a Physic garden and a Sensory garden.
A gentle stroll along well laid paths leads you to carefully thought out areas which help to make you feel both relaxed and interested.
There are many gems or hidden garden areas which are there for the finding.
Whether through the main car park to the 'secret garden' or the lavender walk along the Southgate footpath.
Everywhere there are specialist trees which give a magnificence and splendour to the grounds. There is something for everyone.
Offering free entry all year round, the shrubs, the trees, the ornamental grasses and the herbaceous planting has been chosen to provide year round interest.
Accessibility
There is free parking available all day at Buckfast Abbey, while the parking at Saint Cuthbert’s Conference Centre is open from 8am to 5pm.
Assisting dogs only allowed on Buckfast Abbey grounds.
There are toilets (including disabled) available around the Abbey grounds near the Grange Restaurant, at Northgate House and at St. Cuthbert’s Conference Centre.
Professional First Aid cover is provided for visitors from 10.00am every day. The First Aid room is under the Grange Restaurant, beside the toilets. Anywhere with a phone will be able to call the qualified first-aider for you. First Aid kits are kept in the Grange Restaurant, the Monastic Produce Shop, the Bookshop, the Offices and the Abbey Church.
Entrance and parking is FREE and there is easy access to all facilities.
