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 7:45am to 8:20pm (7:00pm on Saturday) 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: 10:00am - 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 our full menu, click here

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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.

Buckfast Abbey Church is open from 7.45am – 8.20pm (7.00pm on Saturday), the gardens, and Shops are open 10am – 4.30pm daily; on Sundays Shops open 11.30am – 4.30pm.

Buckfast Abbey

4.7

Based on 2987 reviews

review us on

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.

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Indoor & outdoor with terrace eating

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Evening Dining with a view

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