Kingswood Abbey

This 16th century gatehouse, one of the latest monastic buildings in England, displays a richly sculpted mullioned window.

It is the sole survivor of this Cistercian abbey. 

All that now remains of the abbey is the early 16th century gatehouse with a range of precinct wall on each side, although there are signs of earthworks in the surrounding fields.

It is built of ashlar with a Cotswold stone-tile roof and has two entrances, one for wheeled traffic and the other for pedestrians.

A canopied niche over the latter entrance once contained a statue of the Virgin Mary, although all that can now be seen is a dove representing the Holy Spirit. Over the main arch is a mullioned window with the figure of God the Father carved into the tracery and below it is a carving of a pot of lilies.

In 1149 William of Berkeley, whose family was rising to prominence in Gloucestershire, persuaded Cistercian monks from Tintern Abbey to found a community at Kingswood.

The site of the 12th century abbey is popularly believed to be Abbey Farm, but there is little evidence to support this claim.