Abbey House

The Benedictine monks chose a magnificent site high on a hill overlooking the sea to found their Abbey of St. Peter in 1024. Despite being sacked by Henry VIII and burned by Cromwell, a lot of the monastic settlement remains: the church, the magnificent swannery, an enormous thatched tithe barn, a ruined watermill, and, most importantly, the infirmary. Now home to the Cookes, the infirmary was originally a resting place for visitors, evolving over the years into a farmhouse and now a welcoming guesthouse and tearoom. Pink chairs and tables topped with pink cloths are set around the giant inglenook fireplace in the old kitchen. Breakfast and lunch are served here or, on warm summer days, under the vine-covered arbor or on the lawn overlooking the barn. Bedrooms range in size from a spacious suite with a sitting room and separate bedroom to a cottagey little room set beneath the eaves and reached by a narrow staircase. The adjacent tithe barn contains interesting exhibits while the farm with its array of animals is a great attraction, as is the nearby swannery with its vast colony of swans. Abbotsbury is a delightful village of thatched houses very typical of those found just a short drive away in Hardy country, a favorite destination for visitors.