Abbey or priory · Stratton-on-the-Fosse · Somerset

Downside Abbey

Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery. Stratton-on-the-Fosse has it inside its built-up area. Officially, it is a Grade II* listed building.

Photo: Downside Abbey, Downside_abbey2.jpg: D.O.G.A. derivative work: Rabanus Flavus (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Where

In Stratton-on-the-Fosse

inside the built-up area

How well known

Top 8%

#682 of 8,556 places we list

Warmest months

Jun–Sep

highs of 18–21°C

In brief

Abbey or priory in Stratton-on-the-Fosse

One of the best-known places to visit in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

#682 of the 8,556 museums, castles, gardens and other attractions we list, by how widely it is covered (10 Wikipedias). About ↓

Inside Stratton-on-the-Fosse

Downside Abbey is inside Stratton-on-the-Fosse’s built-up area. Towns near it ↓

Grade II* listed building

On the official list of protected heritage; Stratton-on-the-Fosse has 16 listed buildings in all, on its History page. About ↓

Written from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, the ONS built-up areas and Met Office 1991–2020 averages.

When to go

The seasons here

For warmth, aim for June to September (18–21°C highs in Stratton-on-the-Fosse).

Jan7° / 2°121 mm

Feb8° / 2°95 mm

Mar10° / 3°81 mm

Apr13° / 4°79 mm

May16° / 7°77 mm

Jun19° / 10°71 mm

Jul21° / 12°77 mm

Aug20° / 12°98 mm

Sep18° / 10°83 mm

Oct14° / 8°128 mm

Nov10° / 5°130 mm

Dec8° / 2°131 mm

Green months are the warmest. Typical afternoon highs and night lows in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, and rain in a month. Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for Stratton-on-the-Fosse. Opening times change through the year: check before you go. Stratton-on-the-Fosse’s full climate →

About

Downside Abbey

Readers can find it on Wikipedia in 10 languages. Close by, Wells Cathedral is 12 km away, one of 21 within 15 km.

Stratton-on-the-Fosse’s listed buildings and monuments →

Type: Abbey or priory
Listed: Grade II* listed building
Wikipedias: Covered in 10 languages
Town: in Stratton-on-the-Fosse
Official site: downsideabbey.co.uk

Facts: Wikidata (CC0) and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

The map

Locating Downside Abbey

Spot Downside Abbey in orange, then follow the numbers to the places below.

Towns near it

Where people come from

The 8 towns are led in size by Midsomer Norton, with 13,749 people. They run in order of distance, starting where it stands.

1 · It’s in town

Stratton-on-the-Fosse

841 people · 2 places to visit

2 · 500 m northwest of it

Chilcompton

1,857 people · 2 places to visit

3 · 1.4 km southeast of it

Holcombe

960 people · 1 place to visit

4 · 2.1 km north of it

Midsomer Norton

13,749 people · 2 places to visit

Compare the 8 towns

Town	Where Downside Abbey is	People	Places to visit
Stratton-on-the-Fosse	It’s in town	841	2
Chilcompton	500 m northwest of it	1,857	2
Holcombe	1.4 km southeast of it	960	1
Midsomer Norton	2.1 km north of it	13,749	2
Coleford	2.6 km southeast of it	2,235	3
Gurney Slade	2.8 km southwest of it	301	1
Radstock	2.9 km northeast of it	9,983	2
Stoke St Michael	3.4 km south of it	755	3

Make a day of it

Other places close by

Of the 21 within 15 km, look for 3 museums, 2 castles and a cathedral.

CathedralWells Cathedral12 km away 2

Castle · English HeritageNunney Castle9.4 km away 3

AttractionWookey Hole Caves And Mill13 km away 4

PalaceThe Bishop's Palace12 km away 5

MuseumRadstock Museum5.3 km away 6

CastleNewton St Loe Castle14 km away 7

MuseumWells Museum12 km away 8

MuseumFrome Museum12 km away

Within 15 km, close and well known first. Numbers match the map.

Questions about Downside Abbey

Where is Downside Abbey?

Downside Abbey is in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, inside the town’s built-up area.

What is Downside Abbey?

Benedictine monastery in Somerset, England, UK.

When is the best time to visit Downside Abbey?

June to September are the warmest months in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, with afternoon highs of 18–21°C (Met Office 1991–2020 averages).

Is Downside Abbey a listed building?

Yes: Grade II* listed building.

What else is there to see near Downside Abbey?

Within 15 km: Wells Cathedral (12 km), Nunney Castle (9.4 km), Wookey Hole Caves And Mill (13 km) and The Bishop's Palace (12 km).

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (9)

Downside Abbey: Downside_abbey2.jpg: D.O.G.A. derivative work: Rabanus Flavus, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wells Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Nunney Castle: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wookey Hole Caves And Mill: Pierre Terre, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Bishop's Palace: Original uploader was Rodw at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Radstock Museum: Wayland Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Newton St Loe Castle: Rwendland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wells Museum: Rodw, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Frome Museum: The original uploader was Nabokov at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.