St Michael's Abbey, Farnborough

St Michael's Abbey is a Catholic abbey and church in Farnborough, Hampshire, housing a monastery and an imperial burial chamber beneath its Gothic revival structure. The design by French architect Hippolyte Destailleur follows late Gothic lines, with pointed arches, tall windows and pale stone walls that echo the flamboyant style of 15th-century France.

Empress Eugénie founded the abbey in 1881 as a burial place for her husband Napoleon III and their son, both of whom died in exile in England. French Benedictine monks from Solesmes settled here in 1895 and have cared for the mausoleum and monastery ever since.

The monastery maintains traditional Latin liturgical services and Gregorian chants, continuing the musical practices established by the Solesmes congregation.

Guided tours of the church and burial chamber take place every Saturday at 3 PM (15:00), showing the building layout and the three stone sarcophagi in the crypt. Visitors enter through the main church door, which opens during service hours and scheduled tour times.

A Cavaillé-Coll organ from 1904 stands in the church and is played during monthly recitals from May through October. The instrument was built by the famous French organ workshop and is one of the few examples of its maker in England.

Location: Farnborough

Inception: 1881

Founders: Eugénie de Montijo

Architects: Hippolyte Destailleur

Architectural style: Gothic architecture

Website: http://farnboroughabbey.org

GPS coordinates: 51.29667,-0.74972

Latest update: December 20, 2025 12:52