Chard, near Yeovil
Somerset
England
Historic County: Somersetshire, Dorset, DorsetshireCirca Date: 1100 core w/later alterations and additions
Status: Fully Extant
House Open to Public: Yes
Country House: Yes
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
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