Stapehill Abbey

Stapehill Abbey offers beautiful gardens, craft workshops, and rural attractions on the site of a former Cistercian abbey near Wimborne. The Victorian Gothic abbey buildings were dismantled in 1989, but the peaceful 40-acre grounds remain, featuring monastic-style gardens, an ornamental Japanese garden, farmland, and nature trails. The site houses craft studios where visitors can watch artisans including blacksmiths, potters, and woodworkers. A vintage countryside museum displays agricultural heritage. The farmyard introduces children to traditional breeds including sheep, goats, and chickens. With play areas, a miniature railway, and café, Stapehill combines heritage, crafts, nature, and family entertainment. The gardens provide seasonal color while the abbey ruins evoke the site’s contemplative past. A gentle, family-friendly attraction celebrating rural craftsmanship and traditional country life.