History
Abbey House dates from the 16th century, built on 13th century foundations, with some evidence of a substantial house on the site as early as the 11th century. It has been extensively renovated and extended since, particularly in Tudor times.
It was connected to Malmesbury Abbey, next door, and is thought to have been the main home of the abbot of the famous Benedictine abbey. It is a Grade I listed building.
In 1539, Malmesbury Abbey was sold by Henry VIII to a local clothier William Stumpe, who also bought the site and lived in it himself. In 1542, he rebuilt the home in the Tudor style, using the foundations of the 13th century Abbot's house; the old secytion of the house remains mostly unchanged since then.
The house and its grounds were handed down through the Stumpe family, which by the time of the English Civil War had married into the Ivey family.
The house remained in private hands and was bought by Captain Elliot Scott McKirdy during the 1920s, who enlarged the house, added a nursery wing and servants' quarters, keeping the same exterior style.
The house was bought in 1968 by The Deaconness Community of St Andrew, who ran the home as a convent and retreat until 1990.
Read more about this topic: Abbey House Gardens
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