| Summary: | The Great Benedictine Abbey of Tavistock stood immediately south but extending east and west of the parish church. It was founded about AD 973 by Ordulph, brother-in-law of King Edgar. Foundation Charter granted by King Ethelred II AD 981 and witnessed by others by Elfrida, the Queen Mother. It was burnt by the Danes AD 997 and raised again by Ordulph and his monks. Abbot Alfred, AD 1027, when later Archbishop of York crowned William the Conqueror. At the dissolution the abbey was surrendered into the King's hands by Abbot John Peryn, 3rd March 1539. All that remains of the abbey church is the angle of a wall which has a recess framed by an early English arch in the south side of the north wall. In the west wall is a small archway. The remains of the abbots lodging known locally as Betty Grimbal's Tower is principally 15th Century work and stands in the vicarage grounds. Most of the walls were levelled at the dissolution. Buildings for which no use could be found were unroofed and ruinous. Only the gatehouse, the Saxon school (used as a granary) the walls of the kitchen and chapter house were uncovered at the top; the refectory was fitted up as a meeting house for the Presbyterians. About 1720 the building now known as the Bedford Hotel, was erected by Jacob Saunders from the stone of the chapter house. The survey of 1726 deals with the abbey site, listing the buildings then in use, including houses, stables, poundhouse and pound, Malt Kiln House and Mill House. In 1927 Harbottle Reed described the foundation, history and architecture of Tavistock Abbey. Very little of the abbey survived into modern times. |
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