Hailes Abbey

Hailes Abbey was a place of prayer and a place of pilgrimage. Built in the 13th century, it belonged to the Cistercian order, which favoured a simple and disciplined style of worship.

The church’s east end was rebuilt early in its history to house its holy relic: the Holy Blood of Hailes. The relic brought fame to Hailes Abbey and Geoffrey Chaucer even referred to the monastery by name in The Canterbury Tales. Following excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries, Hailes Abbey now stands as a monument to English monastic history.