Buckland Abbey
Near the delightfully named village of Crapstone in Devon sits the 700-year-old Buckland Abbey. Originally a Cistercian establishment, it was sold into private ownership as part of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Later it became noted for its connection with the legendary English sailor and sea captain, Sir Francis Drake.
Buckland Abbey was originally founded in 1278 by the Countess of Devon. In the 1540s Henry VIII sold the estate to his courtier Richard Grenville who converted the building into a residence. The abbey is unusual in that the church was retained as the principal component of the new house whilst most of the remainder was demolished, a reversal of the normal outcome with this type of redevelopment.
Grenville’s grandson sold Buckland to Francis Drake in 1581 and he lived here for 15 years, during which time he became most famous as the instrumental architect in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Drake’s descendants continued to live at the place until 1946, after which it was sold to the National Trust who continue to maintain it. The collection is noted for the presence of ‘Drake's Drum’ said to beat an inspirational ghostly rhythm whenever England finds itself at peril.