Fodor's Expert Review Dorchester Abbey

In addition to secluded cloisters and gardens, the abbey has a spacious church dating from 1170, with a rare lead baptismal font from the Norman period. There are two unique items from the 14th century: a sculptured stone Tree of Jesse window and a wall painting of the Crucifixion with an unusual cross design. The great tower was rebuilt in 1602, but incorporated the old 14th-century spiral staircase. The Sanctuary has unusual carved wooden niches, depicting figures representing the Seven Deadly Sins. In the Lady Chapel, you can see the so-called "Swaggering Knight" effigy, one of the best-preserved knight's effigies in England, which has faint traces of its original 13th-century coloring (extremely rare for statuary of this age). Be sure to check out the People's Chapel for its rare and beautiful fragments of 14th-century wall paintings. Dorchester Abbey is about 9 miles south of Oxford, on A4074.