Cerne Abbey is a magical place steeped in history. The village is quaint and the scenery is wonderful! Many footpaths and as close to the famous Cerne Giant as you can get!

Intriguing historic site of a Benedictine abbey dating back to the year 987. The attractive house that stands today is a privately owned home, built on the site of the old main entrance. For just £2.50 you can look around the grounds and see the old abbey guesthouse and abbots porch - these are the only original buildings to have survived the dissolution of 1539. Information boards have been provided to detail the history of the abbey and these particular buildings. A small but nicely kept attraction, worth a look if you're in the vicinity of Cerne Abbas. While here, take a look at St Augustine's Well across the burial yard, and the attractive church just along the road.

Definitely worth stopping at this place. Very interesting

Visited Cerne Village today. I must say how friendly everyone was. The abbey is just £2.50 pp payable by card or cash into a box to help with the up keep. Fascinating history and the well area was beautiful. The Cerne Giant is fading and difficult to see. We looked at the Giant from the car park on Ducks lane. The village has some beautiful houses & make sure you visit the Cerne brewery just down the road, the beer is amazing.

Cerne Abbey was Benedictine monastery founded in 987 and, until its dissolution in 1539, was a religious house. It was then brought into private ownership and to this day remains a family home. Abbey Guest House was built by Abbot John Vanne between 1458 and 1470. Guest houses were used to accommodate travellers and were part of the monastic duty of service. The Abbot's Porch was built about 1500 as the living quarters for Abbot Thomas Sam. Around its magnificent two-storey oriel window are several panels showing the commemorative arms of the benefactors of the Abbey. The Porch and the Abbey Guest House are the only Abbey buildings which survived Henry VIII's Dissolution of Monasteries in 1539. It was used as a dwelling for some time, but gradually fell into disrepair. It was restored in the 1990s. The present owners, the Fulford-Dobson family, have extensively restored all the buildings and the late Lord Digby was awarded a Civic Trust Award for work carried out on the South Gatehouse (now the residence) in 1959. You can read about the Abbey's history in the Abbot's Porch. Dogs have to be kept on a lead at all times. While in the area, you can also visit the St Augustine's Well or the Silver Well, which located next to the grave yard. By some superstitions belief, drinking water from the Well was said to be a cure from infertility. The Well also known as a wishing Well. Girls were recommended to go there and pray to St Catherine for a husband. :) The town is very beautiful too! Definitely recommend it!