Cathedrals · London
Lesnes Abbey
In or near Darenth.
Lesnes Abbey is a cathedral in the United Kingdom.

Marathon — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Abbey Wood · 0.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Lesnes Abbey is located in Bexley, London, with the nearest railway station being Abbey Wood, approximately 0.7 km away. Admission is free, but please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is SE2 0AX.
About
Lesnes Abbey is a cathedral in england london, United Kingdom — the principal church of its diocese, dating from 1101. Cathedrals are seats of bishops in the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and other Christian denominations across Britain.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
Lesnes Abbey Woods features inspiring art installations, including wood sculptures and mosaics, set within a natural landscape. Visitors can explore the beautiful gateways and various artworks created by local artists, enhancing the experience of this historic site.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Abbey Wood SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Lesnes Abbey is a former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, England. It is a scheduled monument, and the abbey's ruins are listed at Grade II by Historic England. The adjacent Lesnes Abbey Woods are a Local Nature Reserve. Part of the wood is the Abbey Wood SSSI, a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which is an important site for fossils of the early Tertiary period.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the area of Lesnes, close to the town of Erith, passed into the possession of Bishop Odo, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Loisnes in the Hundred of Litlelai. The year 1178 saw the foundation of the Abbey of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr at Lesnes, on a site now located in the suburbs of southeast London to the north of the ancient but long-managed Lesnes Abbey Woods that are named after it, where the land rises above what would originally have been marshland. It was the home for a small group of canons regular related to the Arroussian Order, a more relaxed version of the Augustinian canons, and subject to many reports over the years…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4885, 0.1292
- District
- Bexley
- Parish
- Bexley, unparished area
- Postcode
- SE2 0AX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Erith and Thamesmead
- Established
- 1101
- Nearest railway station
- Abbey Wood — 0.7 km
- Official site
- www.lesnesabbeywoods.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q6531292 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Lesnes Abbey (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Lesnes Abbey
Abbeys & priories · 0.0 km

Lesnes Abbey Woods
Parks · 0.1 km

Lesnes Abbey Mosaic
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Fossil Pit
Archaeological sites · 0.2 km

Coryphodon
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Lady of the Woods
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Monk
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Data Tree
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William Morris memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.5 km

Abbey Wood Caravan Club Site
Caravan parks · 0.7 km

Queensland Cinema
Theatres · 1.3 km

Abbey Wood
Chapels · 1.3 km
Nearby
📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey — former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, London Borough of Bexley, England, UK.
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Lesnes Abbey Woods
Lesnes Abbey Woods — area of ancient woodland in southeast London, England.
Abbeys & priories · London
Lesnes Abbey Mosaic
Lesnes Abbey Mosaic — Public artwork (mosaic).
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Flagship📷 5Frequently asked questions
- Where is Lesnes Abbey?
- Lesnes Abbey is in London, United Kingdom (postcode SE2 0AX), in the parish of Bexley, unparished area.
- What is Lesnes Abbey?
- Lesnes Abbey is a cathedral in the United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Lesnes Abbey?
- The nearest railway station is Abbey Wood, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode SE2 0AX.
- When was Lesnes Abbey built?
- Built or established in 1101.
- Is Lesnes Abbey a protected site?
- Yes — Lesnes Abbey is part of the Abbey Wood SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Lesnes Abbey free to visit?
- Yes, Lesnes Abbey is free to enter.
- How do I get to Lesnes Abbey?
- The nearest railway station is Abbey Wood, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SE2 0AX.