IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Ferry Lane, MARLOW, SL7 2HB

Looking from the Thames Path across the river to Medmenham Abbey

The mansion built in 1595 on the site of a Cistercian abbey. To the right are the ruined folly tower and cloister that were added in 1755 for Sir Francis Dashwood.

Heading upstream past 18th Century Gothic Medmenham Abbey - few of its earlier walls remain. It was notorious for hosting Sir Francis Dashwood's Hellfire Club.

Seen from across the river.

A Cistercian abbey was founded in Medmenham in the 12th century under the ownership of Woburn Abbey, though it was not officially recognised by royal charter until 1200. In 1547, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey was seized and given to the Moore family and then sold privately to the Duffields. The abbey then became infamous as the location of The Hellfire Club, formerly called the Monks of Medmenham. In 1755, when Sir Francis Dashwood acquired the ruins of the ancient abbey from the Duffield family, he and John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich attended a service at St. Peter's parish church in Medmenham where Sandwich released a small monkey in the church. The congregation fled in horror, sure that Satan himself had invaded their place of worship. Today the abbey is a private residence and is not open to the public.

The view of Medmenham Abbey from the bottom of Ferry Lane.

Just visible are the folly tower and cloister added to the original house by Sir Francis Dashwood in 1755.

Not surprisingly this is a massively photographed location, so here's yet another one for the internet collection. Much has been written, said, and invented about The Abbey, the Hell Fire Club, the Mad Monks of Medmenham and all that stuff. For anyone interested, the links in Wikipedia are as good a start as any for getting into the subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medmenham

Part of the abbey on the north bank of the Thames. This is mostly an 18th century creation; there is little left of the original building.