St Benet’s Abbey was a medieval monastery of the Order of Saint Benedict, situated on the River Bure within the Norfolk Broads.
The origins of the Abbey are shrouded in uncertainty and coloured by myth. What we know for certain is that by the 12th century, with Norfolk at the peak of its wealth and influence, St Benet’s Abbey was a powerful player.
In Tudor times, when Henry VIII shut down monasteries across England, St Benet’s was the only one not officially closed. Yet swiftly, most of its buildings vanished, including its centrepiece church.
Today the Norfolk Archaeological Trust owns St Benet’s Abbey and the Bishop of Norwich is the Abbot of St Benet’s.