Guidebook: Cleeve Abbey
Cleeve Abbey is one of the best-preserved monastic sites in the country. The cloister buildings have survived virtually intact, along with some of their decoration, including wall paintings, floor tiles and carved timberwork. Founded in the late 12th century by Cistercian monks, Cleeve Abbey was home to 28 monks and numerous lay brothers at its peak in the later 13th century. Although the church was demolished shortly after the Dissolution in 1536, the rest of the abbey survived, as it was converted into a private house and then later a farm.