Abbotsbury hotels and self catering cottage accommodation in Abbotsbury

Dorset » Abbotsbury accommodation

With more than 20 burial mounds nearby, the town of Abbotsbury is located in a region that has been heavily inhabited for over 6000 years. One of the many Iron Age forts close by, Abbotsbury Castle was built by the Celtic Durotriges, who were dominated by the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD.

Bertulfus, a priest who allegedly saw numerous apparitions from St Peter, built the first church here in the 5th century. 200 years later, this became part of Wessex, as the Saxons had already settled here. By the late 8th century, the Vikings invaded the region, and would inhabit it for two more centuries. Orc, steward of King Canute, received these lands and built the Benedictine monastery where the first church stood.

After the Norman Conquest, Abbotsbury flourished. Later on, Edward I would grant it a market charter. Meanwhile, the monastery already possessed a great deal of wealth and land, which, with the coming of the Plague in the 14th century, would slowly disappear. The abbey finally closed in the 16th century, and Sir Giles Strangways acquired the property and lands, which were partially destroyed in the Civil War while housing a large number of Cromwell's soldiers. The town's wealth has since diminished, never to return to its original splendour.

Nowadays the main trade of this attractive village is tourism. Abbotsbury features a Swannery within a protected lagoon, Sub-Tropical Gardens and some great views from atop Abbotsbury Hill, while another hilltop is home to St Catherine's, a 15th century chapel. A large number of the local houses are from the 16th century, many of them featuring wooden casement windows. Abbotsbury is also a convinient access point to the extensive shingle bank of Chesil Beach which stretches for over 6 miles in either direction.

There’s no shortage of food and drink options in Abbotsbury, including a variety of tearooms, and strolling through town is made easy with the conveniently located central car park.