Downside Abbey Church and Monastery Gardens - Free Guided Tours, Organ Recital and Exhibition

Downside Abbey is the senior Benedictine monastery of the English Benedictine Congregation. The buildings and grounds were developed by the Community of St Gregory the Great (originally founded in Douai in 1606) after it settled at Downside in 1814.

The Abbey Church (the minor Basilica of St. Gregory the Great) is one of only four minor basilicas in the UK and is one of England’s great neo-Gothic churches. The grade one listed building is work of several distinguished architects including Thomas Garner, Sir Ninian Comper and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

On Thursday 17th September we are offering two free guided tours (aprox. 1 hour each)
Tours of the Abbey Church will take place at 10.15 and 13.15

Tours of the private monastery gardens will commence at 11.45 and 14.45. Please note that the gardens are only accessible on a tour.

Between 12.20 -13.15 renowned organist Nigel Kerry will perform pieces by past members of the Community (e.g. Dom Alphege Shebbeare, Dom Thomas Symons and Dom Gregory Murray) on the abbey organ, the largest instrument built by the firm of John Compton.

Our exhibition 'Everyday Lives' explores the lives of some of the people who worked at Downside as domestic servants or on the wider estate and looks at some of the ways the Community affected the lives of local people.

The visitor centre cafe will be open for tea and coffee between 10.00 to 16.00.

Timings

Thursday 17 September:

Abbey Church & Exhibition open: 1000-1600. Abbey Church Tours: 1015 & 1315. Monastery Gardens Tours: 1145 & 1445, Organ Recital 12.30-13.15

Location & directions

Downside Abbey, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Somerset, BA3 4RH

Contact on day:

Diane Brunning

Telephone number:

+441749717116

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Book on day

Booking conditions:

Places on tours should be booked in the visitor centre which will be open from 10am.

Booking opens:

17 Sep 2026 10:00 AM

Accessibility details

A few areas of the abbey church are up or down stairs and are inaccessible to wheelchairs/pushchairs. Some of the gardens paths are uneven and care should be taken. Appropriate footwear is advised. The garden tours are not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchair users.

Additional information

Max number of people:

40

Estimated duration:

1 hour(s)

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