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• Lesnes Abbey

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  London Borough of Bexley
  Highways and Amenities Department
  Crayford Town Hall
  112 Crayford Road
  Crayford
  Kent DA1 4ER
• 020 8303 7777

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Lesnes Abbey

Abbey Road, Belvedere Kent

Lesnes Abbey is a hidden treasure in the heart of suburban London. The site contains the consolidated remains of Lesnes Abbey ruin founded by Richard de Luci in 1178. This has been a very important site throughout history and was even visited by Edward I. Lesnes Abbey Wood is full of a diversity of wildlife habitats, plants and flowers. There are self-guided trails which take you through valleys containing hornbeam trees, wild flowers such as figwort and dogs mercury, open heath land and ornamental gardens.

Park Location and Travel Information

Lesnes Abbey is situated off the B213, Abbey Road, Belvedere and can be reached by bus, for information please see http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/. The nearest railway station is Abbey Wood Station. For further information contact the Parks and Open Spaces Department by telephone on 020 8303 7777 or by e-mail parks&openspaces@bexley.gov.uk.

Park Features and Facilities

• Abbey Ruin
• Self-Guided Walks
• Green Chain Walk
• Interpretation Centre
• Bluebell Woods (*)
• Formal Gardens
• orienteering facilities
• toilets

(*) Please note that the picking of bluebells and wild flowers at this historic site is strictly prohibited.

Features of particular interest

Lesnes Abbey Ruin

History

Lesnes Abbey was founded in 1178 by Richard de Luci, Chief Justiciar of England and was dedicated to St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr. De Luci, who had supported Henry II in his dispute with Thomas Becket, which ended with Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, probably founded it as an act of penance. In 1179, de Luci resigned his office as Chief Justiciar and spent the last three months of his life in retirement at the Abbey. He was buried in the chapter house.

Lesnes Abbey belonged to the order of Augustinian canons whose duty it was to 'baptise, preach, give penance and bury the dead.' The original canons at Lesnes were drawn from the priory of Holy Trinity, Aldgate.

Lesnes was not a large or wealthy foundation. Throughout much of its existence, the Abbey was in financial difficulties. This was partly caused by the expense of maintaining the river walls and draining the marshes along the banks of the Thames. This reclamation helped transform the land from unusable marsh to valuable pasture. Nevertheless, the Abbey gradually built up debts and through the fourteenth century its buildings fell into neglect.

Rebuilding in the early sixteenth century came too late. In 1524, Henry VIII's chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey, obtained permission from Pope Clement VII to close all monasteries in England and Wales with less than eight inmates. The revenue raised was intended to finance Cardinal Wolsey's College at Oxford. Lesnes, with only an abbot and five canons, became one of the first monasteries to be suppressed in England.

After Wolsey's fall, Lesnes met the fate of monasteries throughout the country after the dissolution its monastic buildings and land passed into the King's hands, later to be sold to wealthy laymen. Occasionally a monastic church would be preserved as a parish church (Waltham Abbey, for example); more usually the new owners partly or wholly demolished the monastic buildings for materials. Some were converted into fine country houses or large farmhouses. The Abbot's Lodging was often particularly suitable for conversion.

At Lesnes, although most of the monastic buildings were pulled down soon after the dissolution, Henry Cooke, who acquired the site in 1541, retained the Abbot's Lodging as a mansion house of the manor of Lesnes. The Abbey site later came in to the possession of Sir John Hippersley, who had it dug over for building materials. He then sold it in 1632 to Thomas Hawes of London who bequeathed it to Christ's Hospital in 1633, in whose possession it remained until 1930, when the London County Council purchased it. In 1931 Lesnes Abbey was opened to the public as a park and since 1986 the site has belonged to London Borough of Bexley.

The Abbey Buildings

The layout of the remains of Lesnes Abbey closely resembles the common Cistercian pattern of the late twelfth century. In this arrangement the church usually occupied the highest part of the site, with conventual buildings arranged around a cloister, situated to the south of the church. The church at Lesnes was unusually placed to the south instead of the north of the conventual buildings. This may have been because the Abbey was built on a sloping site between the river marshes and wooded hills.

The most important parts of the Abbey were the church, the buildings around the cloister, the infirmary and the curia or great court. In these areas the canons lived and worked, looked after the sick, showed hospitality to guests, made contact with the outside world and carried out the day-to-day administration of the monastery and its estates.

Roesia's Heart

Roesia was the great grand daughter of Sir Richard de Luci. As a young girl she was raised at Lesnes Abbey and grew to love the place. She eventually married and moved away, becoming Roesia de Dover. However, when she died her heart was buried at Lesnes Abbey as a relic to be prayed for in order to speed the passage of her soul through purgatory.

Further information

You can find out more about the Abbey by visiting Plumstead Museum, 232 Plumstead High Street, where there are many interesting archaeological finds on display from the excavation of the Abbey. There is also a display of finds at Erith Museum, in Erith Library, Walnut Tree Road, Erith. A number of tombs, other stonework and tiles are on display at St. John's Church, Erith. The Victoria and Albert Museum contains the effigy of a member of the de Luci family found in the chapter house, along with the missal of Lesnes Abbey, a richly illuminated manuscript from the early thirteenth century.

Self-Guided Trails

Lesnes Abbey Wood is a hidden treasure in the heart of suburban London. The suggested self-guided trails (marked in red and blue on the map) will take you on a walk through glorious woodland and past ancient historical sites. But don't stop there. There are many other paths for you to explore and surprising discoveries to make.

1. Both trails begin on the tarmac path that leads from Abbey Road to the woods. Keep the Abbey ruin to your right. Upon reaching the picnic table turn left on to the rough grass and follow the edge of the woods. Do not forget to look back for an excellent view over the Thames towards London and Essex.

2. This valley contains a large number of hornbeam, a tree similar to beech but with ridged bark and a saw-toothed leaf. The valley is also rich in wild flowers such as figwort and dogs mercury. Various fungi, which help to recycle dead matter within the woodland, can also be found.

3. To the left of the path is a small quarry where in the past chalk was excavated for use as a fertiliser to 'sweeten' the surrounding farmland.

4. The enclosures to either side of the path are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the importance of the underlying geology and rare fossils which have been found. The fossil bed may be visited at any time, but please sign the visitor's book in the Ranger's office first.

5. A short distance from the path will bring you face to face with the 'Sleeping Dryad', a sweet chestnut with a face.

6. This is Fountain Pond, although it sometimes dries up in summer, it is still a valuable area for amphibians such as the common frog and plants such as yellow iris, reedmace and rushes.

7. Pine Pond was built during the Victorian era, as an ornamental feature within the grounds of Hurst House. Although the house has long since been demolished, the rhododendrons, which were a popular shrub of the time, still surround the pond.

8. The wild flowers along this path are glorious. Daffodils, bluebells, ramsons and dog violets are on show during spring, followed by willow herbs, St John's wort and yellow archangel in summer. At the bottom of the steep slope, is an area where 'dene holes' were excavated. These were deep chambers leading off a central 'well' and used for extracting chalk and flint. The holes have since been filled in for safety reasons.

9. There are a number of exotic trees in this area. Unlike most other conifers, which are evergreen, the larch and swamp cypress, are unusual because they drop their needles in autumn.

10. This open heath land area is an important site for butterflies, other insects and birds. Trees and bracken are cut back to encourage the growth of the heather. In the past this clearance would have been managed by grazing or by burning. The mounds at one end are the remains of a 'tumulus', which was possibly the site of an ancient burial.

11. It is believed that Condite Pond provided water for the monks at the Abbey. This flowed through the woods in lead pipes to the well, which can still be seen in the formal gardens.

12. The grassy slope leading down to the roundabout was once an orchard. This is a good feeding area for many birds including the green woodpecker. The vantage point here affords views across London and out towards Essex.

13. Before leaving, take the chance to visit the ornamental gardens and Lesnes Abbey ruin. Here you will find an information centre, which gives further details about the history of the Abbey and its woods.

Wild Flowers

Lesnes Abbey wood is well known for its fine display of spring flowers. Wild daffodils provide a spectacular carpet of yellow, especially within the wildflower enclosures. Bluebells and wood anemones add to this display. At other times of the year look for foxgloves, willow herbs, red campion and violets.

For details of the best time to visit and see the wild flowers please telephone the Parks and Open Spaces Department on 020 8303 7777 or by e-mail to parks&openspaces@bexley.gov.uk.

Trees of Particular Interest

The Mulberry Tree

This very old tree is reputed to be one of the mulberry trees commissioned to be planted by King James I who proposed to set up his own English silk industry. However, silk moth caterpillars feed on the White Mulberry and the trees the King was sold were Black Mulberries.

The Sleeping Dryad

This sweet chestnut has a face at the base of the trunk that is said to look like the face of a sleeping Dryad.

Exotic Trees

There are a number of exotic trees in the woodland. Unlike most other conifers which are evergreen, the larch and swamp cypress are unusual because they drop their needles in the autumn.

Birds

Lesnes Abbey Wood is the home or feeding place for many birds and an interesting variety can be observed in the woodland and ornamental gardens. These include all three British species of Woodpecker; green, greater spotted and lesser spotted. The unmistakable laughing call of the green woodpecker and its habit of foraging for insects on the lawns ensure it is the most noticeable of the three, jays, magpies, collared doves, blackbirds, song thrushes, robins, wrens and several members of the tit family are regularly seen and all live within the woodland.

More usual visitors include kestrels, pheasants and ring necked parakeets and the graceful tawny owl is also known to frequent this beautiful woodland. The woodland ponds attract Canada geese and mallards and both occasionally nest there. A less frequent visitor to the ponds is the grey heron.

Fossils

The fossil bed found at Lesnes Abbey Wood contains many types of fossils from the Eocene epoch of about 54.5 million years ago. The main fossils found today are sharks' teeth and seashells. Permission to visit the site can be obtained from the Rangers at the site office by the Information Centre.

School Visits

School visits to the Abbey and fossil bed can be arranged by contacting the Parks and Open Spaces Department on 020 8303 7777 or by email to parks&openspaces@bexley.gov.uk.

The Lesnes Abbey Conservation Volunteers

This is a group of people made up from local residents and some who live much further away, who undertake a range of practical and survey work within the site. Focusing primarily on the ancient woodland and it's wildlife, the group meet a few times a month to work on a programme agreed with the Council. The Group are always looking for new members, even if you do not have much time to give and can only get involved a few times a year.
To find out more please visit their website www.lacv.btik.com