Buckland Abbey

Today in Yelverton, Devon England, I'd like to share our visit to Buckland Abbey.  Let's all ride over the lovely countryside together and enjoy a most famous spot.

To me while in Britain, one of the most enjoyable sights is the ride to a destination.  High hedges and narrow roads usually add to the charm.  

The photos above are taken through the front window of our rental car.  Can you believe the beauty?  

Sheep are always happy to pose for a photo in front of the dry stacked stone walls.

Heavenly vistas follow us along our way to visit an abbey that was home to Cistercian monks in 1278. 

Walking into the entrance of Buckland Abbey we can see why this spot was chosen as a place to worship and farm. 

At the entrance please watch your step as it's quite steep.  We are checked in and are invited to watch a video of the change the Abbey has seen over the years.  During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII sold Buckland to Sir Richard Grenville in 1541.  We learn about the sea adventures of Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Francis Drake.  Drake bought the home in 1581 and lived here for fifteen years and thereafter so did many of his descendants until 1946.  They sold the property to Arthur Rood and in 1948 and he gave it to the National Trust. 

The Buckland Abbey barn is enormous and so pretty on the outside.

I adore the stone features here at Buckland!

The old farm implements are certainly from another era and I'm sure horse or human drawn.

Let's walk through the stone arch and look at the front of the Abbey.

The grounds are so peaceful full of bird song and a distinct quiet.

"The tower of the priory, with a monastic barn of extraordinary size, are seen...as in a forest, far distant from the haunts of men."  William Marshall 1796

I'm so glad that Buckland Abbey was not destroyed but sold.  The Abbey was later converted into a home.  Let's go inside and view the interior that features the lives of Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Francis Drake.

As always, the National Trust places flower arrangements about their properties.  Such a welcoming sight!

Buckland Abbey is an accredited museum in tandem with the Plymouth City Museum.  The drum above belonged to Sir Francis Drake.  It is said he took this drum as he circumnavigated the globe.  He wanted the drum to stay at Buckland Abbey when he died and if ever England was in trouble to beat the drum and he would return to defend his country!

The Golden Hind replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship. 

The home is part museum and parts furnished with family pieces.

The interior is full of its past glory when it served as an abbey. 

The plastered ceilings were lovely and a nod to the past. 

Carved paneling adorns many of the rooms in the abbey. 

  
This painting is considered a self portrait of Rembrandt.  The portrait was painted in 1635 after the artist settled in Amsterdam.

Elizabeth Sydenham, Lady Drake, later Lady Courtenay is in the portrait above.

The old sea chest above is a handsome example of items in the museum pertaining to Sir Frances Drake's adventures around the world.  This particular chest was used by fish mongers to store their fish in.  It appears to have a battle scene from 1588 on the top.

This plaster statue of Sir Francis Drake stays in the Lifetimes Gallery in Buckland.  It was made by Sir Joseph Boehm.  

The Golden Hind life sized replica shows how very brave Drake and his men were to travel the globe with very few instruments for navigation.

This portrait of Sir Frances Drake was created when he returned home from his famous circumnavigation of the globe.  He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1581.  He was quite wealthy and purchased Buckland Abbey.  He became mayor of Plymouth and also was a MP (a member of parliament). 

He was even granted his own coat of arms.  "From small beginnings, great things."  

The Triptych shows in the left wing The Way of the Cross, in the center The Entombment of Christ, the right wing The Resurrection.   As one can see there is priceless artwork at Buckland Abbey.

I always love visiting the kitchen at these properties if we are allowed.

This enormous kitchen would certainly support important guests and family members.

As we exit the kitchen we notice the beautiful gardens that surround this lovely abbey.  

We walk among the many walled gardens and think about the many souls that have tended to this lovely spot, beginning with the Cistercian monks.

Being a Buckland Abbey thrilled us both.  I do hope you enjoyed our retreat there.