The Abbot's Fish House, Meare
Encyclopedia
The Abbot's Fish House in Meare
, Somerset
, England was built in the 14th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
It was built between 1322 and 1335 when Adam of Sodbury was the abbot of Glastonbury Abbey
. The upper floor was the abode of the chief fisherman and the ground floor was used for storing nets and the salting and preparing fish.
The fish were caught in Meare Pool
which was drained after the dissolution of the monasteries
and the fish house fell into disrepair. It suffered a fire in the 19th century which destroyed the roof and gutted the interior. It was re roofed by the Ministry of Works and is now in the care of English Heritage
.
It is the only surviving monastic fishery building in England.
Meare
Meare is a village and civil parish north west of Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the village of Westhay.-History:...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England was built in the 14th century and has been designated as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
It was built between 1322 and 1335 when Adam of Sodbury was the abbot of Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
. The upper floor was the abode of the chief fisherman and the ground floor was used for storing nets and the salting and preparing fish.
The fish were caught in Meare Pool
Meare Pool
Meare Pool was a lake in the Somerset Levels in South West England....
which was drained after the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and the fish house fell into disrepair. It suffered a fire in the 19th century which destroyed the roof and gutted the interior. It was re roofed by the Ministry of Works and is now in the care of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
It is the only surviving monastic fishery building in England.