Near Yelverton, in Devon, Buckland Abbey is one of the most emblematic places of the redistribution of monastic property under the Tudors — and of the golden age of English sailors. A former Cistercian abbey become a house, it was the home of Sir Francis Drake, the privateer who sailed around the world and defeated the Armada.
From an abbey to a house
A prosperous Cistercian abbey, Buckland was dissolved in 1539 during the great wave of suppression of the monasteries. Henry VIII sold it as early as 1541 to Sir Richard Grenville the Elder, who undertook — like so many buyers of Church holdings — to convert it into a private residence. The work, completed by Richard Grenville the Younger around 1575-76, achieved a bold transformation: the abbey church itself was converted into living quarters, its arches and its tower enclosed within a dwelling — a striking case of post-monastic reconversion. The Grenville family also touched the maritime drama of the time: Sir Roger Grenville perished in the wreck of the Mary Rose, in 1545.
The house of Sir Francis Drake
In 1581, Sir Francis Drake — the first Englishman to have sailed around the world (1577-1580), and future hero of the fight against the Armada — bought Buckland Abbey, where he lived for fifteen years. He acquired it discreetly, through intermediaries, without the knowledge of Richard Grenville the Younger: the two men hated each other, and Grenville would never have sold directly to his rival. Buckland still keeps the famous 'Drake's Drum', the great sailor's drum, around which runs a legend: it is said to sound when England is in danger. To see: Drake's Drum, the great medieval barn (Great Barn), the tower and arches of the former church, the great hall beneath the tower.
Did you know?
Francis Drake could not buy Buckland openly: its owner, Richard Grenville the Younger, hated him — the two most glorious sailors of Devon were bitter rivals. Drake therefore had to go through intermediaries to acquire the abbey in 1581, without the knowledge of Grenville who, discovering the ruse, never forgave him for it. National glory did not efface the grudges of the parish.
Notes
Buckland Abbey lies at Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon; a National Trust property, open to visits. Seasonal hours to check.
Quiz
- What became of the abbey church of Buckland?
- It was converted into living quarters
- It was razed
- It remained a place of worship
- Which great sailor bought Buckland in 1581?
- Sir Francis Drake
- Walter Raleigh
- Humphrey Gilbert
- How did Drake have to buy it?
- Through intermediaries (the owner hated him)
- At public auction
- As a gift from the queen