Buckland's Medieval past
Buckland was founded in 1278 as one of the last of the Cistercian monasteries to be built in medieval England and Wales. During the dissolution of the monasteries 250 years later many of the abbey’s buildings were destroyed, although, unusually, the church was retained as the key component of the house.
The property is well-known for being the home of two famous seafarers, Sir Roger Grenville, captain of the Mary Rose, and Sir Francis Drake, after it was converted into a dwelling in the 16th century. Although fragments of the original buildings survive it has undergone many modifications and phases of refurbishment over the years.