Waverley
Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey
to be founded in Britain.
It is located near a beautiful
riverside meadow and in a peaceful
valley by the river Wey, two miles
south of Farnham, Surrey
Waverley Abbey was built in 1128
and was the foundation house in
England of the new Cistercian order
of the monks where manual work was
encouraged and the liturgy simplified.
The reliance of lay brothers to
work the land proved very attractive
to the uneducated by 1150 there
were five other communities in England
including Fountains Reivaux and
Tintern Abbeys.
Waverley continued to grow until
late in the 14th century, providing
shelter for pilgrims and an infirmary
for the sick. Unfortunately, the
Abbey was not well endowed and suppressed
by Henry VIII in 1536. Afterwards
the Abbey became a convenient source
of local building material.
The Abbey’s ruins sit next
to the river Wey and provide a picturesque
picnic spot.
Visit and be absorbed in thought
of Brother Cadfael’s alter
ego living, working and worshipping
on this spot.
Waverley Abbey is managed by English
Heritage and is open all year, is
free to enter and has limited parking
More information is available from
the Waverley website.
Address:
Waverley Lane
Farnham
Tel: 0870 3331181
More
information can be found at:
www.waverley.gov.uk/abbey/wav_abbey.htm
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