Buckfast Abbey

A working community of Roman Catholic Benedictine monks lives here, at the centre of a valley on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, keeping to the rule of St Benedict through prayer, work and study. The site's history runs long and interrupted: Saxon and Savignac origins around 1000, dissolution in 1539, monastic life returning in 1882, and the Abbey Church consecrated in 1932 after decades of rebuilding.

Entry is free and so is the parking, which makes it an easy stop rather than a planned expedition. There's a large restaurant, shops, an exhibition centre and gardens, plus accommodation if you want longer. Dogs on leads are welcome. The Abbey Church opens 6:30am to 6:00pm and again for evening worship, closing to visitors during services; shops run 10am to 4.30pm daily.