Bruton Abbey

Bruton Abbey stands in the small Somerset town of Bruton, once home to a powerful Augustinian monastery. Founded around 1127 as a priory, it became an abbey in 1511 before Henry VIII dissolved it in 1539. The site once controlled manors, churches and lands stretching even into Normandy. Its history includes scandals among the canons, with priors accused of immorality and misrule in the 15th century. The abbey’s later years were troubled by disputes and accusations against its last abbot, Robert Ely, who ended up imprisoned in the Tower of London. The abbey’s legacy survives in several ways. The Church of St Mary, built mainly in the 14th and 15th centuries, still stands within the former abbey grounds. Its chancel was rebuilt in 1743 in a light Rococo style, contrasting with the medieval nave. Nearby, the 16th-century Dovecote overlooks the town and once formed part of the abbey’s deer park. It contains over two hundred pigeon holes and was adapted from a Tudor tower. After the Dissolution, the site passed to Sir Maurice Berkeley, whose Renaissance tomb can still be seen in the church. Visitors today find a quiet corner of Bruton where medieval walls and later buildings meet. The parish church remains in use, its unusual Rococo chancel catching the eye. The Dovecote, managed by the National Trust, offers a glimpse of monastic life turned domestic. The Berkeley family’s tombs in the chancel recall the abbey’s turbulent final years. The abbey grounds blend into the town, where the past lingers in stone and story.