St Mary's Abbey (Malling Abbey)

St Mary's Abbey was founded by Bishop Gundulf of Rochester in 1090 for Benedictine nuns. After its closure in 1538 by King Henry VIII, the property was owned by various families. In 1892 the Abbey was purchased for a trust that it might be restored as a home for Benedictine nuns. Today, it is home to a community of Anglican nuns. In 2016, the nuns welcomed the St. Benedict’s Centre, which offers individuals and groups space and facilities for meetings, retreats, study and prayer. The Abbey also became the home of St. Augustine’s College of Theology, which trains ordinands and lay people from the Dioceses of Rochester, Canterbury, Southwark and Chichester. These two non-residential ventures are a resource for the Church and the wider community in the South East of England.

On the 50 min self-guided tour you will see the Norman west front of Gundulf's Abbey Church, the medieval Gatehouse and Guest House and the Grade II* Abbey Church, consecrated in 1966. You are also invited into the nuns’ private cloister area, including the Chapter House (part of the 11th century transept of Gundulf's Church) and the 13th-century cloister.

Timings & Tours

Sunday 08 September:

Arrival times: 1400-1420, 1420-1440, 1440-1500. Site closes at 1600.

Location & directions

Swan Street, West Malling, Kent, ME19 6JX

Directions:

Opposite the Baptist Church in Swan Street

Contact on day:

Guest Sister

Telephone number:

+441732843309

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please book an arrival time slot for the self-guided tour of the buildings and grounds.

Booking contact name:

Tonbridge Castle

Booking telephone number:

+441732770929

Booking email:

[email protected]

Additional information

Max no of people per tour:

25

Est. tour duration:

0 hour(s) 50 minute(s)

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