Buckland abbey was founded in 1278 by Cistercian monks on land overlooking the tranquil Tavy valley. The monks were responsible for building the great barn, an impressive building which would have been a treasure store of produce grown on the large estate given to them by the then Countess of Devon, Amicia.

The abbey thrived for two hundred and fifty years until the dissolution of monasteries by Henry 8^th and in 1541 the monarch sold Buckland to Sir Richard Grenville who converted it into a home, tearing much of it down, but unusually for the time the church was kept to become the main part of the house. Here is the great barn.

It’s far bigger than it looks on the outside!

Towards the entrance

Small shafts of light.

Huge doors were built to allow carts to drive in at one and out at another so that goods and produce could be unloaded in shelter.

The far end.

Wooden vaulting, the exterior would have been thatch.

The barn’s vast interior

An ancient apple press

I’ll be back tomorrow with some photos of the garden.