After a long christmas and new year break, we decided to carry on with our travels and document them, our next stop was not far from where we left off at Skinfrith, we drove to the calming village of Abbey Dore known as the golden valley for its beautiful landscape alongside the black mountains.

The quiet path but busy road on a one in one out through road leads you outside the Abbey. Dore Abbey was infact one of the greatest medieval monasteries of Herefordshire, founded in 1147, the church is now partly used as a parish church and is over 800 years old in parts.

The church itself stands beautifully and peaceful, and when you wander inside you arnt disappointed with how well they have preserved the abbey. When you first enter the abbey, you dont expect to see how vast and stunning it is. Something worth noting is that just inside they have laid out a information table which also shows you how they have restored it and how the abbey was before the dissolution.

Reading some of the leaflets show that this church is in dire need of donations to be able to fix the roof, they have placed a donation box near the door with other items for sale, considering it is free to enter etc, it’s actually not a bad idea to donate to them to show a sign of gratitude. The abbey is normally un manned and you are able to enter from around 9am – 5pm unless they have any concerts or other prior engagements.

Overall, an overlooked part of history with a beautiful tranquil atmosphere, sometimes it really is these hidden gems of places that make exploring worth it. One of the best things i found about Dore Abbey, was the vast amount of medieval carvings, stained glass, wall paintings and monuments, it really is well worth it in terms of beautiful architecture.