The great barn at Abbotsbury is the only surviving building of St. Peter’s Abbey in Abbotsbury. The abbey was founded in 1040. At the dissolution of the monastery in 1539 it owned 22 manors. This made it one of the richest abbeys in England and its barn was consequently one of the biggest. It was originally 273 feet long with 23 bays. Most of the walls survive although it is now only roofed over half its length. When it was fully roofed it was probably tiled, but now it is thatched with local reeds. The nearby Swannery, Abbotsbury village itself and St. Cathrine’s Chapel are also worth a visit.
