Bayham Abbey ruins are described as one of “southern England’s finest monastic ruins”. They are impressively imposing, poignant and have an air of tranquillity and calm that makes them compelling. But first, let’s tackle the elephant in the room, namely, are they in East Sussex or Kent? Because if you Google Bayham Abbey or look at the English Heritage website, you could be forgiven for thinking they are a Kent attraction. But I disagree.
Bayham Abbey is just south east of Tunbridge Wells and not far from Wadhurst in a sleepy corner of the countryside. The expression Bayham Abbey could actually be used to include a number of sites. There is the magnificently imposing New Bayham Abbey. This is privately owned and not open to the public but you can see it across the fields as you approach the ruins. In 2024, it went on the market for just under £3.5 million and it is in Kent. There is also Bayham Lake and Bayham L’Eglise. The church (eglise) was built in 1870 but is now a house. You can see its spire from the ruins. Both the lake and the church are in Kent. The new abbey and the church are less than quarter of a mile from the ruins but you cannot walk to them.
The ruins of the old abbey include the main ruins, the Dowager House and the Gatehouse. If you look closely at an Ordnance Survey map, they are in East Sussex and the county boundary runs pretty much around the outside of the grounds in which the ruins sit. You pass a sign announcing you are in East Sussex just before you turn up the lane to the ruins. So, that’s settled then.
Bayham Abbey ruins
Bayham Abbey was founded in 1208 by Robert de Thurnham. It was a Premonstratensian abbey and Premonstratensians were known as White Canons owing to their simple white robes. The Abbey was extended later that century but it was closed on Cardinal Wolsey’s orders in 1525, in order to fund educational establishments. This was just a decade ahead of the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. At that point, the Abbey gradually fell to ruins although apparently some of the contents were thrown down drains so have since been rediscovered.
The ruins today include the Abbey Church, Cloisters, Refectory, Chapter House, Dormitory, Transept and Day Room. Useful information boards explain more about each setting, with details of interesting finds that provide more colour about life here. That said, the large ruins you see today were part of an even bigger complex. There would have also been an Infirmary, two cemeteries, underground rooms and kitchen gardens. Running through the centre was the impressive Abbey Church. The White Canons were a monastic community who lived a simple life devoted to prayer and contemplation so this would have been the centre of their world.
You can wander in and out of the various sections of the ruins and you’ll be struck by the serenity of this place. The Day Room is where the monks did various activities like writing manuscripts whilst gathered around the fire. The Refectory was on a first floor with cellars beneath it while the Cloisters were in the heart of the complex. Here there were probably fruit trees and covered walkways for reading and study. One of the details you’ll learn about on a visit here is about graffiti scratched by a monk on one of the windows. You can just imagine him there, staring out of the window, doodling.
The Chapter House was for business, sermons and confessions, a serious place. The Church must have been so impressive. Look out for the brick foliage similar to that at Westminster Abbey which gives you an idea of the building’s quality. The tall columns also speak of how grand it must have been and there would have been stained glass windows filling the Church with coloured light. Walk up to the High Alter where with a strange sense of serendipity, the stump of a tree now climbs out of and clings to the remains of a wall.
Finally, spend a moment in quiet reflection at the touching tombs of two young boys, who were both born and died on the same day in 1868 and 1869 respectively. They were the sons of the Marquis and Marchioness Camden, descendants of the Pratt family.
The Dowager House and the New Abbey
Bayham was bought by the Sir John Pratt, Lord Chief Justice in 1714. The Pratt family had the Dowager House built in Gothic style a few years later and this overlooks the ruins. In 1810, the Pratts opened the grounds to the public.
The New Abbey was designed and constructed in the 1870s and reflects the family’s rise in fortunes. It has eight bedrooms and a mile long drive. In the early 19th century, the famous landscaper, Humphrey Repton, landscaped the grounds. Repton pops up all over Sussex. The building also has stained glass windows and many of the original features and also goes by the name of Bayham Hall.
Bayham Abbey is charismatic and compelling, a perfect spot to reflect on the history of the area and learn a little more about lives gone by. We visited on a Bank Holiday and were surprised to find very few visitors. It is an English Heritage site. Entry is free but parking is £2. Turn off the B2169 and follow the single track lane and you will find a small car park in front of the ruins. The site closes in winter.
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