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Denny Abbey Garden, Waterbeach

Introduction

The remains of a monastic garden which prior to 1170 was occupied by a small community of Benedictine monks. The current site is surrounded by earthworks and the remains of fish ponds.

The present building is an 18th-century house which incorperates part of the 12th-century cruciform church. The site is surrounded by six hectares of earthworks, including the remains of fishponds and some unusual rectangular ditched plots which were probably once gardens tended by individual monks. The 1880 Ordnance Survey Map shows an extensive moat, partly edged with trees and a small walled garden divided into four by cross paths.

Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
History

Prior to 1170 this monastic site was occupied by a small community of Benedictine monks. It was transferred to the Knights Templar who made use of the site until the order was suppressed in 1308. It was then taken over by a house of the Franciscan Order of Minoresses, established by the widowed Countess of Pembroke who held it until the Dissolution of the monastries in 1538.

Key Information

Type

Garden

Principal Building

Domestic / Residential

Survival

Lost

Open to the public

Yes

References

References

Contributors

  • Cambridgeshire Gardens Trust