Cerne Abbas, the Abbey and the village, ST665 014 and surroundings     (Lead Author: JT)

The Abbey Gate-House. ST 66535 01410: 50.8113 -2.4763. Photo: AH

The abbey at Cerne was founded in the 10th and 11th centuries and in the Domesday Book it is recorded that the abbey owned both Poxwell and Renscombe. Therefore, not only were the local flint and Chalk available for building, the Purbeck Cypris Freestones from Poxwell and the middle Purbeck from Renscombe would have been available.

The Benedictine Abbey of Cerne was established in a fold of the Chalk hills close to a permanent spring of clear drinking water in the late 10th century. The Abbey owned land in both Poxwell and Renscombe. The Abbey itself has been robbed of its stone, except for the hospice and the gatehouse. The stone has been re-used in the buildings in the village. Some of the stone may also have been used in Sydling St. Nicholas, unless it came directly from the Chalk quarry on the east side of Giant Hill. North Barn and the outlying Tithe Barn also survived the depredations of Thomas Cromwell. 

A block of Cenomanian limestone in the New Inn with ammonite fossil. Photo: JT

Chalk block in New Inn wall. Photo: AH

Stone slates (Ham Stone) in Abbey Guest-house. Photo: AH

Ostracods in Purbeck limestone block. Photo: AH

General view of Guest-house or hospice ST 66555 01371: 50.8110 -2.4761. Photo: AH

The Hospice has been built of flint and Lower Purbeck Cypris Freestone from Poxwell, with Ham Hill Stone and some Portland Freestone. Photo: JT

When the Abbey was closed during the 16th century most of the stone was re-used for the village buildings. A notice in the churchyard records this re-use. Only the Abbey Farm, North Barn, the Hospice and the Abbots Porch are accessible, as the Tithe Barn has become a holiday home.

Ham Stone preaching cross. Photo: AH.

Weathered Upper Greensand in building wall, Long Street. Photo: AH

North wall of guest-house. Photo: AH

A description of a walk around the village looking at the buildings, and the surrounding countryside where both Chalk and Upper Greensand may have been quarried, can be found by clicking here.

Another view of the Hospice wall. Photo: JT.

Long Street, Cerne Abbas. Photo: AH.

Stone slates used in a village building. Photo: AH

North Barn was built of Middle Chalk from the quarry on Giant Hill. Photo: JT

The village of Cerne Abbas has a variety of building stones, some originating from the demolition of it's Abbey and subsequent recycling of material in vernacular dwellings

Upper Greensand and Chert wall.

Portland Limestone (oolitic). Photo: AH.

References: Barker K ed, 1988: The Cerne Abbey Millennium Lectures. Published by The Cerne Abbey Millennium Committee.