Mottisfont Abbey

History

The property began as an Augustinian priory founded in 1201. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries it passed into private hands and was converted into a country house, with the priory fabric absorbed into the domestic structure. The National Trust took on the property in the twentieth century.

Architecture

The building reflects its layered past, with medieval priory fabric incorporated into what became a country house over successive centuries. Elements of the original monastic structure remain visible within the later domestic building.

Worth knowing

Artist Rex Whistler painted a celebrated trompe l'oeil mural in the drawing room during the 1930s, and it remains one of the most admired examples of his decorative work.

Gardens & grounds

The walled garden holds a nationally significant collection of old-fashioned and species roses, at its peak in early summer.