Muchelney Abbey

12/08/2026

We often get asked if there are any ghosts at Muchelney and this Sunday is your chance to find out. Researcher, podcaster and international author Caroline McKendrick Gibson is giving an exclusive 1-hour talk that delves into the eerie side of Muchelney's rich past.

'Monks, Myths and Misery: the haunted history of Muchelney Abbey' explores the ghost stories, folklore and historical secrets of one of the oldest abbeys in Somerset.

Taking place this Sunday, 16th August from 2-3pm.

Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite Monks, Myths, and Misery: The Haunted History of Muchelney Abbey Tickets, Sunday, August 16 • 2 PM - 3 PM | Eventbrite https://share.google/AJjfw3gKx8KD9RoyL

Please note: there is an age restriction of 18+ for this event.

17/07/2026

Our summer tour is in full swing and it looks like tonight will be another beautiful evening! The tour takes us to Muchelney Abbey this evening and tickets are still available online, at Visit Taunton or at the door!

https://www.ticketsource.com/tauntonthespians

11/07/2026

There's more than one reason to visit Muchelney. In spite of its small size, the village actually has three remaining medieval buildings.

The abbey not only had its own church for the exclusive use of monks (sadly demolished in the 1500's), but it also owned the much smaller parish church that is still in use today. And in 1309, the abbot agreed to provide the vicar with a house, along with a daily allowance of bread and ale, meat every Tuesday and Sunday, and eggs and fish from the abbey's kitchens on other days.

If you are exploring Muchelney Abbey on a Sunday afternoon, you can head across the road to visit the Priest's House, which is cared for by the National Trust.
For more information about the Priest's House including opening times, go to https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/priests-house-muchelney.
(Photo: Historic England/Richard Lee)

09/07/2026

We have had to cancel our guided tours for this coming weekend, due to the heat wave.☀️

The abbey and the grounds will still be open for you to visit from 10am to 4pm on both Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July.

Tours will be available again on the last weekend of the month when we hope things will have cooled down a bit.
➡️You can book them on our website at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/muchelney-abbey/

06/07/2026

This floor tile from the abbey's collection depicts what looks like a heron fishing with an eel caught in its beak. This would have been a common sight at the time; the rivers in the Somerset Levels were teeming with them. We know that the monastery had two fisheries that produced 6,000 eels a year. The monks relied on eel for their own diet but they also sold and exchanged them for other goods.
And they even used the fat from the roasted eel as a remedy for earwax!

The European eel used to be common in the UK but numbers have dropped by 95% in the last 25 years which means it is now a critically endangered species. Eels are vital for our freshwater ecosystem and an important food source for otters, bitterns and herons. The young elvers swim from where they are born in the Sargasso Sea, across thousands of miles back to our rivers where they mature into adult eels. Special eel ramps have been put in place by Natural England to help the elvers complete this journey and to try to restore their numbers in the Somerset waterways.

23/06/2026

They're back!
On the 17th July, the Taunton Thespians are bringing their production of Twelfth Night to Muchelney.

This local community theatre group have built a reputation for their high quality productions over the years and what better place to see it than in the grounds of the abbey here at Muchelney.

Tickets are on sale now at https://www.tauntonthespians.co.uk/

11/06/2026

I know it’s hard to imagine, but the weather forecast for this weekend is 23°C and blue skies. 🌞

So, come and take advantage of the return of the warm weather with a tour of the abbey grounds. Our fantastic volunteer guides will be on hand for guided tours at 10.30am and 12pm.

➡️You can book these online at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/muchelney-abbey/

05/06/2026

31/05/2026

Muchelney Church Cafe is this Sunday from 11.30am - 3.30pm.

You can enjoy tea, fresh coffee, cordials, homemade cakes and scones in the church. 🍰
Everyone is welcome!

(Image: Freepik-Magnific)

29/05/2026

These beautiful stone stairs leading up to the abbot's chamber at Muchelney have been worn down by the passage of many feet over the centuries. Why not walk in the footsteps of the monks yourself and explore one of the oldest monasteries in Somerset?

The abbey and its grounds are open from 10am to 4pm this weekend and our knowledgeable volunteer tour guides will be offering tours of the whole site at 10.30am and 12pm.
⬇️
To find out more and to book a place on a tour please go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/muchelney-abbey/