Quarr Abbey is one of the many places you can visit on the Isle of Wight with your dog. It is a beautiful site which oozes history. Whether you’re religious or not, Quarr Abbey is the perfect place to spend a few hours whilst on the Isle of Wight.
The public are welcome to enter the church and use the space to pray or to light a candle. It is also a lovely place to just sit and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Masses are open to the public. The times of which are displayed at the abbey, or on the Quarr Abbey website.
The visitor’s centre was really informative. The displays tell the history and the story of the monastery.
It was very interactive. My 8-year-old really enjoyed it.
In addition to the gift shop, there is a farm shop which sells all sorts of delicious foodstuff, including bread, cheese and honey. Many of the products are made by the monks on site.
Quarr Abbey has a beautiful gift shop. Naturally, they stock lots of religious items, including rosary beads, prayer books and candles. As well as new books, the shop also stocks some second-hand books.
A Quick Bite to Eat
Quarr Abbey has a wonderful cafe. They offer an impressive selection of food. We really enjoyed our cheese and ham sandwich on Foccacia bread.
The cakes on offer were absolutely delicious!
I had read reviews about just how good the cakes are. It was incredibly difficult to choose!
What makes the food even more delicious is the atmosphere. You can enjoy your food in the beautiful surroundings of the abbey’s garden. Luckily, we visited on a warm and sunny day so we could make the most of the food and the nice weather!
The Pigs
One of the highlights of the visit was feeding the pigs. Pig food can be bought in the abbey farm shop or in the cafe. The piglets were adorable!
My daughter and I spend lots of time with the animals ensuring we visited all the pigs and that they all had a share of the food!
Planning your Visit
When I say dogs are welcome at Quarr Abbey, I really mean they are catered for! They are permitted to wander around the grounds as long as they are on a lead. And at the cafe, you can even find water bowls for your pooch!
It is free to enter the abbey grounds. Donations are naturally, always welcome. You can even donate using a card machine!
We spent a couple of hours at the abbey. Parking was free and close to the grounds making it easily accessible for disabled visitors or those with mobility issues.
The next time we are on the Isle of Wight, we will certainly be visiting again. The food was incredible and makes a second visit even more appealing!
For another post on our adventures on the Isle of Wight, see my post on Osborne House.
I’ve heard lots of good things about the Isle of Wight this year, although it’s not somewhere I’ve ever visited. Might have to look into that for 2023, and if we do go, Quarr Abbey will be on the list, it’s stunning!
I definitely need to visit this place sometime! I was in awe of the inside of the abbey and then I spotted that they do gluten-free & dairy-free cakes and there’s more than one option! 😀
This looks like a lovely place to spend a day out exploring with some delicious food too! I would enjoy going to Quarr Abbey!