Teignmouth Abbey

Teignmouth Abbey, also known as St. Scholastica’s Abbey, is a former Benedictine abbey in Teignmouth, Devon. The building was constructed in 1863 by George Goldie for a community of Benedictine nuns who had fled Dunkirk during the French Revolution. The nuns had previously lived in Hammersmith, London, before relocating to Teignmouth. Some of the community later came from Haslemere after the dispersal of East Bergholt Abbey in 1975. The abbey is now a Grade II listed building and has been converted into private apartments, with the Abbey Lodge functioning as a private residence. The abbey’s history traces back to a Benedictine convent founded in Brussels in 1598 by Lady Mary Percy. Dame Lucy Knatchbull and Magdalene Digby, along with other nuns, established a daughter house in Ghent in 1624. In 1662, the Ghent community founded another in Dunkirk. The Teignmouth community once possessed a reliquary cross said to have come from Fountains Abbey, traditionally brought by Lady Abbess Messenger of Pontoise. The Dunkirk convent was later sacked in 1793, leading to the nuns’ imprisonment before their eventual move to England. Visitors to the site will find a grand stone building designed by George Goldie, its architecture reflecting the nuns’ history and resilience. The Abbey Lodge, now a private house, stands nearby, adding to the abbey’s historic presence. The surrounding area of Teignmouth offers coastal views and a quiet atmosphere, with the abbey’s former grounds now integrated into the town. The building’s Grade II listing ensures its preservation, though its interior is no longer accessible to the public. The abbey’s story remains visible in its structure and the legacy of the Benedictine nuns who once called it home.