Buckfast Abbey is tucked away in a Devon valley. The Abbey has its origins as a Cistercian abbey in 1018 but this was closed down by Henry VIII's men in 1539. The monks surrendered the abbey without a fight and each one got a hefty pension to live off. The buildings were later left to rot and were used as a stone quarry by locals. During the 19th century, a local miller called Samuel Berry bought the ruins and had them pulled down so he could make space for a Neo-Gothic manor house (which can still be seen today as it was incorporated into the present abbey buildings). At the end of the 19th century, exiled French monks bought the land and the site of the abbey with the intentions to restore it. Believe it or not, only 4-6 monks ever worked on the abbey and what they achieved is incredible! The place is vast!
The tower once held a complete 1910 John Warner ring of 12 (tenor 27-1-26 in C# - the back ten are heard here: • A Dream Comes True! (1... ) and were rung from a gallery that skirts the inside of the tower. When the tower was extended in the 1930's, the present fantastic ring of bells were installed and original 12 were taken away (who knows where...).