Leiston Abbey (1)

The history of Leiston Abbey dates back to the 14th century when it was first built and occupied by a group of Augustinian Canons, who sought to live away from the mainstream of medieval life. Their first Abbey had been built at nearby Minsmere in the 12th century. However, this site was prone to frequent flooding and in 1360 they moved down the coast to Leiston. They took much of the building materials from the original site for re-use but a small fragment of the original Abbey buildings can still be seen in what is now the RSPB nature reserve at Minsmere.

It seems they lived an unremarkable life here as there is little mention of the Abbey until the suppression of the monasteries in 1530.