Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon

On Saturday 22nd November I had the blessing and sheer joy of visiting St. Mary's Abbey, better known at Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon. Although I have been a visitor many times before it never ceases to inspire and uplift me. I was attending a quiet day and Holy Eucharist in the adjacent St. Cuthbert's Conference Centre.

Buckfast Abbey is a Benedictine monastery on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. It is visited by almost half a million people every year. Visitors experience a marvellous tranquil atmosphere as well as the rare opportunity to encounter a Roman Catholic monastic community.

The first Abbey was founded in 1018 and absorbed into the Cistercian order in 1147. It grew throughout the Middle Ages until its closure in 1539 by King Henry VIII. The buildings were converted or allowed to fall into ruin, but in 1882 a group of Benedictine monks, exiled from France, settled at Buckfast and eventually set about rebuilding the Abbey. It now seems incredible that a team of no more than six monks completed the work in 30 years, especially as only one - Brother Peter - had any experience as a builder. This feat was made possible by their unshakeable determination to build a lasting symbol of monastic heritage and a living community dedicated to following the Benedictine Rule.

Today Buckfast Abbey is the only English medieval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose. The monks at St. Mary's Abbey pray and work in the exact spot and in the same ways that their predecessors did nearly a thousand years ago. They follow the guidelines that were set down by their founder, St. Benedict, in the fifth century, and they continue to support themselves through a variety of means, including the traditional monastic occupations of beekeeping, land management, wine production and hospitality.

Although, understandably, the monastic enclosure is private visitors to the Abbey are welcome in the church, its beautiful grounds and outer buildings. If you ever find yourself in Devon whether on business or vacation I can truly recommend a visit to Buckfast Abbey where you will find peace and quiet in a spiritually uplifting environment. You cannot fail to leave without experiencing a close encounter with the Holy Spirit.

The High Altar at Buckfast Abbey. Since its foundation in 1018 Buckfast Abbey has experienced times of peace and turbulence, of grandeur, ruin and finally restoration to what it is today.

This huge magnificent stained-glass window of the Last Supper, dominating the Blessed Sacrement Chapel which was added in the late 1960's at the east end of the Abbey Church, was created by the late Father Charles Norris. He trained at the Royal College of Art and developed a modern style of stained glass by using thick tiles of glass, which were chipped to shape and set in concrete or epoxy resins. Over the last 50 years, the monks of Buckfast Abbey have designed and produced windows for over 150 churches, as well as many private commissions. One notable recent commission was a window for a memorial in New York to the firemen killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001.