Denny Abbey and the Farmland Museum

Denny Abbey, Cambridgeshire, is a site with a unique story to tell. Founded in 1159, over the following four centuries it was occupied successively by Benedictine monks, the Knights Templars and Franciscan nuns, the poor Clares. When the Countess of Pembroke brought the Poor Clares to Denny after 1327, she converted part of the abbey into a residence for herself. After the closure of the monasteries, this became a farmhouse, which it remained until the former abbey buildings came into the guardianship of the Ministry of works in 1947. The site is now also home to the Farmland Museum, founded in 1969 and opened on this site in 1997. Museum displays and recreations of Cambridgeshire farming and rural life complement the earlier monastic history, bringing the story of Denny up to date. This colour guidebook provides the visitor with a tour of the abbey and museum, and describes the changing uses of the site from Roman times to the present day.