![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-Gatehouse-with-flowers-@kristy.belo_-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Cleeve](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-birds-eye-@markhomerdesigns_images-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Cleeve](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-@howard_tarbox-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t <\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n\t Special Features To Look Out For<\/h3>\n
The first thing you’ll see when you arrive is the architecturally stunning gatehouse<\/strong>.\u00a0 And, alongside the gatehouse, built to defend the monks, there’s a moat!\u00a0 (You really don’t see enough moats these days, do you?)\u00a0 The moat is sometimes filled with water as originally intended, sometimes overgrown with wildflowers.<\/p>\n Sadly, Cleeve Abbey’s original church & infirmary no longer remain, but the conventual buildings <\/strong>(the monk’s living quarters) are some of the best preserved in all of Britain.\u00a0 Explore the dormitory & the latrines to see what a Cistercian monk’s life would have looked like.<\/p>\n\t The roofs are mostly in tact and some of the ceilings<\/strong> are truly incredible.\u00a0 The carvings on the wooden vaulted “angel roof<\/strong>” in the refectory<\/strong> (the old dining room) will have you craning your neck in awe, and the low curved ceiling of the Chapter House<\/strong> is one to behold too.<\/p>\n There’s also the “painted chamber<\/strong>” (likely the Abbot’s office) with its historic old wall paintings.\u00a0 We believe the paintings depict a scene from a famous medieval book; “Gesta Romanorum”, which means “Deeds of the Romans”.<\/p>\n There are still a lot of the original medieval floor tiles<\/strong> too which would have been very expensive at the time and are a source of much fascination.\u00a0 And that’s not all.\u00a0 You’ll discover all sorts of exciting & engrossing aspects of this fabulous old place once you’re there…<\/p>\n\t![\"Cleeve](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-buildings-@missbebecca-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Cleeve](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-Gatehouse-with-moat-filled-with-water-@bluehourdrifter-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Cleeve](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-arch-@what_katy_did_next_82-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Cleeve](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-Gatehouse-@frankoniangirl-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t <\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n\t
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-Angel-Ceiling-@kazzie22468-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Windows](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-Refectory-@pittstopstravels-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-vault-@kazzie22468-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"Original](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-tiled-floor-@markhomerdesigns_images-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Cleeve-Abbey-inside-@missbebecca-400x400.png\")
\"><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t <\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n\t