Abbeys & priories · London
Lesnes Abbey
In or near Darenth.
Lesnes Abbey — former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, London Borough of Bexley, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Abbey Wood · 0.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Lesnes Abbey, the nearest railway station is Abbey Wood, located 0.7 km away. Entry is free, but please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is SE2 0AX.
About
Lesnes Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1101. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, London Borough of Bexley, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.4885°, 0.1292°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
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.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Summary from the official site
Lesnes Abbey is a historic site featuring beautiful sculptures and mosaics set within the surrounding woods. Visitors can explore various artworks created by local artists, including large wood sculptures and intricate mosaics inspired by the site's history.
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)
- commons: Lesnes Abbey in October 2013.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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★ Iconic📷 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 — former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, London Borough of Bexley, England, UK.
- 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 listed building?
- Lesnes Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- 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.