what to do – gardens – Buckfast Abbey

What to do…

“I will walk in the presence of the Lord” (Psalm 114)

Located at the centre of a picturesque valley on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, Buckfast Abbey is home to a community of Roman Catholic Benedictine Monks, who live their lives of prayer, work and study according to the ancient rule of St Benedict.

Abbey Church
Exhibition Centre
Shops
Eat
Gardens

The Abbey church is open daily from 6.30am to 8:20pm (6:00pm on Sunday) but closed to general visitors during service times.

Pre-booking is necessary for coaches.
Email: groupvisits@buckfast.org.uk
or call 01364 645500.

The Monastic Way Exhibition is an immersive presentation of Benedictine monastic life, from its origins to the present day.

Visual feast of sight & sound

Educational

Discover a day in the life of a monk

For all the family

Entry is £2 per person. Free entry to children aged 11 and under.
Opens at 10am last admission 3.30pm, Closes 4.15pm. Closed Sundays.

The Gift Shop

Unique Gifts

Indoor Plants

Outdoor plants

Take a little of Buckfast Abbey home

The Gift Shop

Take time to visit our Gift Shop and explore the diverse collection of indoor and outdoor plants, curated to align with the garden themes at the Abbey, Lavender, Physic, Sensory, and Millennium gardens. You will also be able to get tickets to access the fabulous Monastic Way Exhibition, as well as find a unique gift to enable you to take a part of Buckfast Abbey home with you when you leave.

We also have an online shop which shows a selection of some of our stock: Online shop

Shops are open: 10:00am – 4:30pm daily.

Grange Restaurant

Indoor & outdoor with terrace eating

The Grange Restaurant menu changes daily, with a range of delicious hot dishes. On Saturday mornings between 10am –11.45am we offer a cooked breakfasts to order.

Lighter bites are also available including pasties, sausage rolls, soup, sandwiches, salads and paninis.

Sunday Roast Carvery between 12pm – 3pm for only £15

For group bookings please call us on 01364 645504

Grange Restaurant: 9:30am - 4:30pm daily

San Benedetto's

Pizzas & Coffee at the mill

San Benedetto’s, is now open for barista coffee and cakes Monday to Saturday 10am – 3pm and Pizzas are available Friday and Saturdays 4pm – 10pm to dine in or takeaway. Come and try our tasty selection of quick and easy Italian meals, both to eat-in and take-away. Choose either a traditional pizza or try our special of the week.
See our Pizza menu, click here .

All last food orders are at 9pm* Call us to book on Tel: 01364 645600

Non-residents welcome to dine with us

Seasonal menus

Aperitif on the terrace

Evening Dining with a view

Nestled within the stunning grounds of Buckfast Abbey and close to the southern slopes of Dartmoor National Park, our hotel provides a tranquil retreat. Enjoy cosy, well-appointed rooms, indulge in an exquisite à la carte dinner each evening, and start your day with a delightful continental breakfast. Unwind in our inviting bar or soak up the sun on the terrace, all set against a breathtaking backdrop.

Open to guests and non residents dinner served 6pm – 9pm. Please call us to book
Tel: 01364 645630

For more details and to view our sample menu, click here

Promotion:

Our gardeners work continually to maintain the highest of standards in the grounds at Buckfast Abbey. We hope you enjoy walking around and viewing our themed gardens. Feel free to enjoy a restful break or enjoy a picnic in our spacious grounds.

Car Parks & Gardens are open daily: 7:30am to 8:30pm

Toilets
Located in the car park and below the Grange Restaurant.

Dogs
Well behaved dogs on a short lead are permitted. Only registered assistance dogs are allowed inside buildings.

On Site First Aid
Rest assured that all our Visitor Experience Assistants are capable of providing First Aid during opening hours. Visitors requiring first aid will be treated by personnel wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment: masks, gloves, apron etc.

The Abbey Church, car park & gardens are free to the public.

Car Parks & Gardens are open daily: 7:30am to 8:30pm

The Abbey church is open daily from 6.30am to 8:20pm (6:00pm on Sunday) but closed to general visitors during service times.

Grange Restaurant: 9:30am - 4:30pm daily

Shops are open: 10:00am – 4:30pm daily.

Buckfast Abbey

4.7

Based on 4251 reviews

review us on

Martin Wakefield

06:09 25 Aug 25

A sunny Sunday visit with friends. Free car park, the grounds are lovely and the buildings full of history.
Had a roast in the Grange, good food in a lovely location

Elizabeth Wright

20:47 19 Aug 25

We visited Buckfast Abbey on a weekday and it turned out to be one of the most lovely stops of the day.

First off—free entry and parking (donations are welcome) which was a pleasant surprise.
The grounds are beautifully kept, with vibrant gardens, wide open lawns, and plenty of spots to sit and enjoy a picnic. We especially loved the cheeky “Please DO walk on the grass” signs—such a refreshing change from the usual “keep off” warnings, and a great way to make visitors feel truly welcome.

The Abbey itself is impressive, with stunning architecture and some amazing stained glass. It’s peaceful without being overly solemn—just a nice place to wander, reflect, and take in the surroundings.

We wrapped up with a browse through the gift shop, which had a great mix of local goodies, books, and of course, Buckfast wine. Staff were friendly and helpful throughout, and the whole experience felt relaxed and well thought out.

Highly recommend if you’re in the area—whether you’re into history, gardens, or just need a scenic spot to stretch your legs and recharge.

Georg Schütte

14:04 05 Aug 25

If you are in the area make sure to visit this Abbey!
It is such a nice place to spend some time.
At the time we visited this Abbey it was a coincidence that a food festival was ongoing.
On the ground of this Abbey they had different choices of food to choose from.
It was great to feel the vibe of different cultures coming together on the ground of this Abbey.

mjdenness

23:40 30 Jul 25

We stopped at Buckfast Abbey after collecting our youngest son from a sailing trip in Brixham. We were looking for somewhere interesting (and free!) to enjoy our picnic lunch—and we’re so glad we chose to visit.

Parking and entry were both free, though donations are welcomed. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with immaculate lawns, colourful gardens, and plenty of benches and picnic tables. There are lots of clear and informative signs explaining the features of the gardens and the history of the buildings.

The Abbey itself is stunning, with impressive architecture and a peaceful atmosphere. The vibrant stained glass window was a real highlight. We ended our visit in the gift shop, which had a great selection of items to browse and buy.

Well worth a visit—we’re really glad we made the decision to stop here!

Beccy M-D

19:07 29 Jul 25

Beautifully presented and accessible to all. There is a wonderful restaurant and some small gardens to walk around. The Abbey is free to enter and walk around. A modern building with lots of character. Parking is free too which makes it an altogether cheap trip out

Jeff Burson

16:06 24 Jul 25

A beautiful Catholic Abbey run by the benedictines. This church was first established in 1018 and was closed by King Henry VIII. The benedictines have reconstructed the original beauty and added to the awesome gardens around the church. My biggest surprise was that there is an actual relic from St. Thomas Moore ..it has its own chapel.

Kate Dc

13:47 17 Jul 25

Very calm, beautiful space. Worth a visit. Lovely cafe with a good range of food very generous portions and you can sit on a lovely terrace overlooking the Abbey. Gardens are sweet and really good gift shop make this a definite place to call in on if you are making an itinerary.

Avoid the pizza place opposite "Bernedettos"... we waited for at least 10 minutes and no one came out even though we heard lots of teenage giggling in the kitchen. Bit of a weird sales strategy at lunchtime.

Graham Mellstrom

23:22 14 Jul 25

Visited for the first time in July 25. We arrived late in the day and purely by chance. When we entered the gift shop had just closed but we were late. The Abbey and grounds were still open and it was free so rhat was a bonus.

We visited the Abbey and had a walk inside. A stunning architectural building. There were worshippers within the building so we were sensitive to this regarding photography and our noise level. There wer 2 ushers outside and they were happy for us to walk in and invited us to join the service too.
We visited the beautiful gardens with the arrays of flowers, plants and herbs.
We will need to revisit when the gift shop and restaurant are open.

Victoria K

13:46 09 Jun 25

Fab place full of interesting architecture. Lots of information around. The staff are incredibly polite and helpful and if you want some buckfast wine then head to the gift shop. The gardens are pretty and the manicured lawns are plentiful for the kids to run some energy off. Its all free too.

Hayley Stride

17:24 08 Jun 25

Well worth a visit. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I was blown away by the stained glass window. Nice gardens to walk around. The restaurant is clean too.
Staff are friendly and helpful throughout the abbey and it's shop and restaurant.
Toilets are clean.

vrukesh panse

07:03 26 Apr 25

Charming and majestic !
Even the garden outside is well-maintained.

When we visited, there was choir practice ongoing. It was surreal experience!

It has very convenient, huge parking lot too.
It is must-see, if you are around in Buckfastsleigh.

John Huckle

07:23 10 Apr 25

This is a special place if you want peace and quiet, we were there on a beautiful sunny day which made all the difference. You can have a picnic on the grass as well. The Abbey is an outstanding example of what restoration can be achieved, the first Abbey I have visited that has been fully restored back. The good thing about this visit is it's FREE...even the car park....worth a visit.

Simon Shuck

12:39 23 Aug 22

A quiet place of reflection. The place is beautiful and serene, it is not an "in your face" education, seeing the life of the monks in a literal world through the display as you enter is informative. The story of the Abbey and how it was rebuilt by monks who were not skilled in masonry work is remarkable.

It costs nothing (apart from what you spend in the shops - which cannot be helped) to go but gives you an appreciation of how life was in the past through to today.

Thank you.

Ian Reid

19:42 22 Jul 22

The Abbey was very relaxing and peaceful. The gardens were lovely and well cared for. The story of Buckfast Abbey was very informative and inciting. This is one of the few religious places that is still free to visit. All they ask for is a donation if you want to. Inside the Abbey was spotless and the guides were very helpful. There were plenty of alters for reflection. The gift shop shelves were full of momentous at reasonable prices and the cafe food was fresh and tasty. Would definitely recommend for a day out . Thanks again for your hospitality.

Arthur Warren

16:46 30 May 22

A lovely picturesque Abbey, with gardens brimming with wonderful different arrays of flowers and statues. The exhibition detailed the history of the Abbey, and its inhabitants. With walls covered with stories and information, it was definitely my favourite part of the experience. I highly recommend visiting (try their cafe as well!) if you're looking for a peaceful place to look around and learn about.

Lord Parker

14:16 22 May 22

We've passed by on many an occasion on route to Plymouth, but my diary has never yet yielded the time to visit Buckfast Abbey until today. We arrived about 10 minutes before the gardens and shop opened and found the disabled parking easily accessible right outside the main gate.

We made our way in, there was no charge for entry unlike some ecclesiastical establishments, there is a suggested donation minimum of £2 instead. Once inside the gatehouse, you are greeted by the fantastic vista of the wide-open green spaces and the domineering presence of the church. We made our way down the gentle slope towards what I called the lavender garden as it was full of English and ornamental lavender plants, where we stopped to take a few images of the church before many people could photobomb themselves in (unknowingly).

Inside the church was just amazing, we were the only people in there and we were able to walk around in total silence and take our time to explore. We both marvelled at the huge organ at the rear of the church, with what looked like trumpets pointing out. Don't forget to look up.... or you'll miss the totally awesome gold mural/painting in the middle of the church (I've included an image here).

Facilities wise, the restaurant was busy changing over from breakfast to lunch menu when we arrived, there were some pastry products available and a nice selection of sandwiches and rolls. The toilets were lovely and clean, the disabled facilities were easy to access and immaculate, I did like the automatic courtesy air spray as I entered, nice touch.

On the way out we had to pass the shop, so it would be rude not to pop in and check out the wares, which I must say were very reasonable. We bought some pewter stag head pins for only £32.99.

If you enjoy the peace and quiet and nothing but the sound of songbirds, then this is definitely the place for you to visit. We really enjoyed our morning visit and hope to return when my diary allows.

Sharon R

00:14 12 Mar 22

A beautifully presented Abbey, just recently renovated. Lovely grounds and gardens to wander round, I imagine would smell divine in the height of summer. Restaurant and teashop also definitely worth a visit. Gift shop is very heartily stocked with produce made by the monks across Europe.

Martin Wakefield

06:09 25 Aug 25

A sunny Sunday visit with friends. Free car park, the grounds are lovely and the buildings full of history.
Had a roast in the Grange, good food in a lovely location

Elizabeth Wright

20:47 19 Aug 25