Ruins Of Lesnes Abbey

The ruins of Lesnes Abbey are located on Abbey Road in Abbey Wood. This site was originally the Abbey of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr, founded by Richard de Lucy, Chief Justiciar of England, for Augustinian Canons in 1178. The abbey was suppressed by Cardinal Wolsey in 1524, and a mansion built from the abbey's materials was demolished in 1844. Excavations of the ruins were carried out by the Woolwich Antiquarian Society in 1909, and later by Sir Alfred Clapham until 1930, and by E C Elliston Erwood for the London County Council from 1939 to 1951. The ruins include the footings of walls and sections of wall reaching up to approximately 8 feet high, constructed from Kentish ragstone, flint, and chalk. They consist of the remains of the abbey church and the monastic buildings to the north. Notable features include one pointed stone doorway and several lancet windows. The site is scheduled as an Ancient monument.