900-Year-Old.

 Preparing for Christmas at the 900-year-old Forde Abbey ...

The exterior of Forde Abbey, a rambling beauty of a house set on the banks of the River Axe close to where the borders of Devon, Somerset and Dorset intersect, is a storybook in stone that encompasses 900 years of English history. Unlike so many of the monasteries that fell into ruin after the Reformation, Forde has been continuously inhabited since its foundation in the twelfth century.

The lancet windows of the monks’ dormitory, on the first floor of one wing, are a reminder of the austerity that characterised early Cistercians. On the other side of the building, the richly decorated Tudor tower and gothic tracery of cloister windows are a legacy of the vast wealth that made these religious institutions such an irresistible quarry for a cash-strapped king. Tall mullioned windows along this southern façade are joined by sash windows dating from the mid-seventeenth century, while their gothic-revival glazing of tessellated octagons dates from 100 years later.

Thank you, Walker's Arms.