Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey
4.4
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
565 within 3 miles
Attractions
300 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.4
73 reviews
Excellent
45
Very good
21
Average
3
Poor
2
Terrible
2
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
LeanneR102
Sidcup, UK223 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Love it here! The kids spend hours playing around the abbey ruins and the woods as well as the play park. The little cafe by the ruins is such a good price- so reasonable and staff are friendly. Toilets are always clean!
Written 25 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ellenc661
Bexley, United Kingdom26 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
These ancient woodlands and the Abbey are beautiful to visit at this time of the year. The wild daffodils, followed by swathes of English bluebells are very pretty. Information boards around the site document the history of the Abbey. The arboretum contains many different trees which are described on an information board. There are also great views of the London skyline. Chestnuts cafe, near The Lodge, provide a range of food and drinks. Toilets also nearby.
What’s not to like?
What’s not to like?
Written 28 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
German_Addick
Muenster, Germany753 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
The ruins are located in the middle of a beautiful park and forest. Around the ruins, information boards are erected explaining the history and buildings. The facilities looked very well maintained during my visit. In the forest, however, the signs to the interesting points could be better.
Automatically translated
Written 17 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VinnieLondon
London, UK12,768 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
Woods and abbey located few minutes walk from Abbeywood main line station (South East trains and new Queen Elizabeth line) and street parking. Great historical site and perfect to visit in spring to see the woodland displays of spring flowers. There is also a farmers market once a month and lots of planned activities included guided tours explaining the abbey and woodland history. There are also some interesting natural wood carvings and fossil sites in the woods sling with a cafe by the abbey ruins.
Written 25 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris Hawkins
1 contribution
Nov 2021
Lesnes Abbey was founded in 1178 by Richard de Luci. It was closed in 1525 by Cardinal Wolsey and all its assets taken, even its walls. Excavated between 1909 and 1913 it revealed much of how it had been including a remarkably well preserved tomb effigy of a knight which is now a centre piece of a display in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The woods that run up the South East London escarpment have a unique display of wild daffodils in the spring followed by a beautiful carpet of bluebells. Considering its location in a suburban area it feels very wild, with ponds and a piece of heathland with a bronze age burial mound. There are plenty of woodpeckers and butterflies to be seen in season, and you can even go searching for fossilised sharks teeth in a special area that has been set aside.
For the last three years the site has been improved considerably with a new popular cafe (Chestnuts) and frequent events. These can be found by searching for "lesnes abbey woods" on google, or #lesnes on twitter.
There is a regular farmers market on the second Sunday of each month, and during this the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods provide guided tours of the ruins explaining their history, their link with Thomas Becket, how the canons in the abbey lived and why the abbey was a very popular spot for pilgrims.
The woods that run up the South East London escarpment have a unique display of wild daffodils in the spring followed by a beautiful carpet of bluebells. Considering its location in a suburban area it feels very wild, with ponds and a piece of heathland with a bronze age burial mound. There are plenty of woodpeckers and butterflies to be seen in season, and you can even go searching for fossilised sharks teeth in a special area that has been set aside.
For the last three years the site has been improved considerably with a new popular cafe (Chestnuts) and frequent events. These can be found by searching for "lesnes abbey woods" on google, or #lesnes on twitter.
There is a regular farmers market on the second Sunday of each month, and during this the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods provide guided tours of the ruins explaining their history, their link with Thomas Becket, how the canons in the abbey lived and why the abbey was a very popular spot for pilgrims.
Written 2 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chrisdodd4
London, UK794 contributions
Mar 2021 • Solo
I had been planning this day for a couple of weeks, before finally, we made the pilgrimage,to this 12th Century Abbey and it’s surrounding woodland.
The Abbey is very accessible by train,bus,car, we chose to take the train, and arrived at the nearby Abbey Wood Station, one day this will connect with the Crossrail project, so this can be easily visited from further afield.
On leaving the station, walk until you enter the Lesnes Abbey Woods, continue up the wooded paths see my pictures below, before you finally enter the clearing, where the Abbey Ruins once graced this part of the woodland.
There is a App to upload or download, whatever is the the correct way now, LOL,
Laugh of Loud, stick with me ☺️.
This will give you a lot of information about your visit, and as you are walking around you can listen 🎧 to its content, there is also a handy map, I think it enhances the experience.
The App advises you to start at the Lodge, which is where you can find loads about the woodland, and is a great place to grab a bite to eat or drink, and where the toilet facilities are located, on my visit we had some refreshments which was reasonably priced.
I would say on your visit, it’s up to you what you want to explore, and don’t want to, but there was more than I was expecting, our highlights were to see the City of London skyline,from a different angle see my picture below.
The Abbey Ruins, shows you just how grand this place once was, as you wander or roam,among the ruins,this gives you a sense of what it would have been like way back when,you can see by my picture of one of the archways, I captured a great view showing the viewpoint which I recently viewed get my drift.
After that we decided to leave the Abbey Ruins, and entered the woodland, as we did we passed the Green Man Tree see my picture below,
This tree was carved by a local woodcarver who lived nearby in Abbey Wood.
If you have the app, there is a piece on the Green Man Tree so I won’t spoil it, if you want to find out more and don’t have the app,you can always search online for it.
So we then walked through the wonderful peaceful woodland, be careful to use your map,as the signs can send you the longer way around, until finally we exited on our onward journey.
We continued through Bostall Woods pass Plumstead Cemetery, which had a wonderful entrance see my picture below,before walking through East Wickham Open Space, before taking several footpaths between the houses, back to Welling Train station 🚉 before making our way back home.
So in Summary,this day out was not totally Ruined, although that what it’s all about sorry ,so go visit Lesnes Abbey, there is a whole lot MORE there than you think.
Abbey Hunting !!!
The Abbey is very accessible by train,bus,car, we chose to take the train, and arrived at the nearby Abbey Wood Station, one day this will connect with the Crossrail project, so this can be easily visited from further afield.
On leaving the station, walk until you enter the Lesnes Abbey Woods, continue up the wooded paths see my pictures below, before you finally enter the clearing, where the Abbey Ruins once graced this part of the woodland.
There is a App to upload or download, whatever is the the correct way now, LOL,
Laugh of Loud, stick with me ☺️.
This will give you a lot of information about your visit, and as you are walking around you can listen 🎧 to its content, there is also a handy map, I think it enhances the experience.
The App advises you to start at the Lodge, which is where you can find loads about the woodland, and is a great place to grab a bite to eat or drink, and where the toilet facilities are located, on my visit we had some refreshments which was reasonably priced.
I would say on your visit, it’s up to you what you want to explore, and don’t want to, but there was more than I was expecting, our highlights were to see the City of London skyline,from a different angle see my picture below.
The Abbey Ruins, shows you just how grand this place once was, as you wander or roam,among the ruins,this gives you a sense of what it would have been like way back when,you can see by my picture of one of the archways, I captured a great view showing the viewpoint which I recently viewed get my drift.
After that we decided to leave the Abbey Ruins, and entered the woodland, as we did we passed the Green Man Tree see my picture below,
This tree was carved by a local woodcarver who lived nearby in Abbey Wood.
If you have the app, there is a piece on the Green Man Tree so I won’t spoil it, if you want to find out more and don’t have the app,you can always search online for it.
So we then walked through the wonderful peaceful woodland, be careful to use your map,as the signs can send you the longer way around, until finally we exited on our onward journey.
We continued through Bostall Woods pass Plumstead Cemetery, which had a wonderful entrance see my picture below,before walking through East Wickham Open Space, before taking several footpaths between the houses, back to Welling Train station 🚉 before making our way back home.
So in Summary,this day out was not totally Ruined, although that what it’s all about sorry ,so go visit Lesnes Abbey, there is a whole lot MORE there than you think.
Abbey Hunting !!!
Written 31 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VinnieLondon
London, UK12,768 contributions
Nov 2021 • Solo
The ruins of this 12th century Abbey are set in the beautiful Lesness Woods right on the SE London/Kent border and only 5 minutes walk from Abbeywood train station. Limited surrounding street parking (more limited weekdays due to proximity of station) The site has been brilliantly renovated and looked after by the local council and an interest group who have really transformed the site in recent years. A visitors centre and cafe have been added as well as updated information boards about the Abbeys history and surrounding woodlands. The woods are a great place for walks or runs and in the spring are massed with Bluebells and Daffodils. There are also great views across SE London and Essex as well ad distant views of central London. This is a really nice green space to relax, exercise and explore some of the local history.
Written 8 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sylvester T
South East11 contributions
Jul 2023
Goes from bad to worse. Now we have bunch of men randomly bashing drums and cans on a Sunday afternoon and ruining the park for everyone. Don't waste your time coming here when there are other much better parks in the Borough.
Written 30 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ste141
Exeter, UK174 contributions
Jul 2020
I took the train to Abbey Wood and took the ten minute walk. I did have to cross a very busy road to get to the path that led me there and I thought it was very well signposted. When I got there, there were a few picnic tables and a cafe there. As it was a hot day, I was surprised to find not many people there. I did see a family playing football amongst the ruins and two boys kicking a ball to each other. A sign, clearly, said not to walk on the ruins and yet parents were allowing their children to do it. There was only one history board, but I thought there really should have been more (especially about each room). At the back, there was a small plaque, which I could just about read, about a female descendant of the abbey's builder being buried there. I would recommend this place, as I found it a good place to have a picnic and I was able to sit at a picnic bench in the shade.
Written 17 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam3314
Derby, UK2,153 contributions
May 2022
This is the Abbey that gave Abbey Wood its name. Still quite a lot of ruins and a lovely big park with woods. A 10 minute walk from Abbey Wood railway station. Good for dogs and wildlife. Well marked paths, cafe.
Written 28 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where my review of lesnes abbey gone
Written 31 March 2021
Sometimes reviews you have written take days to appear on your Tripadvisor feed.
Written 31 March 2021
I have been looking into the best place to start exploring/walking Lesnes Abbey and especially its woodlands. Please could you advise where to begin? Is there a main entrance and a route to follow? I see on my google map there are a few places but which (I am not really familiar with the area) I have never been. Myself and a friend would like to come along and explore it looks great! Parking facilities too. Thanks of any info.
Written 28 July 2020
There is a campsite/motor home site in Abbey wood close by Lesnes I am told it is very nice
Perhaps you could park there
Other than that the parking is on the road, though I think Sainsbury's has a carpark and there is a carpark over by the Thamesmead lake
If you are parking on the road choose carefully, stay on Abbey Wood rather than Thamesmead.
Written 20 March 2019
Can I take a wheelchair bound person to this park and is their toilets there?
Thank you.
Written 23 August 2017
You can take a wheelchair bound person there. There is a building in the centre of the park which has toilet facilities and a coffee shop. This area is particularly flat and pleasant but be advised parts of the park itself and holly and the inclines are quite steep. You may find this challenging for those in wheelchairs. Apart from that, the facilities and surroundings are beautiful.
Written 25 August 2017
Showing results 1-5 of 5
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing