Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

Hailes Abbey

The Cotswolds


Now lying in ruins 3 miles northeast of Winchcombe, this 13th-century Cistercian abbey was once, thanks to a long-running medieval scam, one of England’s main pilgrimage centres. The abbey was said – by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, among others – to possess a vial of Christ’s blood. Until that was denounced during the Reformation as containing no more than coloured water, thousands of pilgrims contributed to the abbey’s wealth. Free audio guides lead visitors around.


Contact

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby The Cotswolds attractions

1. Stanway House

1.57 MILES

There's little more to the pretty village of Stanway than a few thatched-roofed cottages, a church and this magnificent Jacobean mansion, concealed behind…

2. Sudeley Castle

1.88 MILES

During its thousand-year history, this magnificent castle has welcomed many a monarch, including Richard III, Henry VIII and Charles I. Half a mile…

3. St Peter’s Church

2.06 MILES

Winchcombe’s much-restored, 15th-century Perpendicular St Peter’s church is worth a visit for its majestic tower, arcaded interior and the series of…

4. Belas Knap Long Barrow

3.43 MILES

Dating from around 3000 BC, Belas Knap is one of the country’s best-preserved neolithic burial chambers, complete with ‘false’ portal leading nowhere. The…

5. Snowshill Manor & Garden

3.76 MILES

Once home to eccentric poet and architect Charles Paget Wade (1883–1956), this wonderful medieval mansion stands just over 2 miles south of Broadway. It…

6. Cotswold Farm Park

4.44 MILES

Owned by TV presenter Adam Henson, Cotswold Farm Park sets out to introduce little ones to the world of farm animals, while also preserving rare breeds,…

7. St Eadburgha’s Church

4.81 MILES

It’s well worth taking the time to wander down to lovely 12th-century St Eadburgha’s Church, a signposted 1-mile walk south of Broadway.

8. Broadway Tower

5.44 MILES

Built in 1798 to resemble an imaginary Saxon fort, this turreted Gothic folly looks down on Broadway from atop the escarpment, 1 mile southeast. William…