DiCamillo Companion
England

Forde Abbey (Ford Abbey)

Chard, near Yeovil

Somerset

England

Historic County: Somersetshire, Dorset, Dorsetshire

Circa Date: 1100 core w/later alterations and additions

Status: Fully Extant

House Open to Public: Yes

Country House: Yes

This house has been used for TV and Film Historic Houses Member

An 1803 engraving of the house from "Storer's Beauties of England and Wales"

  • House & Family History: Cistercian monks founded the Abbey in Waverley, Surrey, in 1136 and moved to Forde in 1141. The current Abbey building was originally started in 1146 and is considered the finest example of an extant Cistercian monastery in Britain. The beginnings of what is today Lambeth Palace in London were put in place in 1190 by Baldwin of Forde Abbey, a Cistercian monk who was elected Archbishop of Canterbury in 1184. Baldwin had earlier been consecrated Bishop of Worcester at Lambeth on August 10, 1180. In 1650 Forde Abbey was transformed into a private home by Sir Edmund Prideaux.

    Collections: The contents of Forde Abbey were sold in 1846. There is a fine collection today at Forde of 17th century tapestries taken from the cartoon Raphael drew for the Sistine Chapel.

  • Garden & Outbuildings: Winner of the HHA/Christie's Garden of the Year Award 1992.

  • Country Life: XXVI, 18, 54, 1909. CXXXIII, 540 plan, 596, 656, 714, 1963.

  • Title: Lambeth Palace: A History of the Archbishops of Canterbury and their Houses
    Author: Tatton-Brown, Tim
    Year Published: 2000
    Reference: pgs. 19, 20
    Publisher: London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
    ISBN: 0281053472
    Book Type: Hardback

    Title: Holburne Museum of Art, Bath Guidebook
    Author: Bishop, Philippa
    Year Published: 1999
    Publisher: Bath: Holburne Museum of Art
    ISBN: 0951757482
    Book Type: Softback

    Title: Best Buildings of England, The
    Author: Pevsner, Nikolaus
    Year Published: 1986
    Publisher: London: Viking
    ISBN: 0670812838
    Book Type: Hardback

  • House Listed: Grade I

    Park Listed: Grade II

  • "Restoration" (1995). "Daniel Deronda" (2002 - TV mini series). "Far from the Madding Crowd" (2015 - as the Corn Exchange).

  • Current Seat / Home of: Mark Roper

    Past Seat / Home of: Edmund Prideaux, mid-17th century.

    Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

    Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

  • House Open to Public: Yes

    Phone: 01460-221-290

    Fax: 01460-220-296

    Email: [email protected]

    Website: https://www.fordeabbey.co.uk/

    Awards: Christie's/HHA Garden of the Year Award 1992.

    Historic Houses Member: Yes

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