The Abbot's Fish House

The Abbot's Fish House is a rectangular stone building in Meare that was originally built for processing and storing fish. The walls are made of blue Lias limestone and contain several specialized rooms with facilities for preserving fish.

The building was constructed between 1322 and 1335 and served Glastonbury Abbey as a center for managing fish resources. It connected the Abbey to the nearby Meare Pool and River Brue, which provided abundant fish supplies.

The building shows how monks used fish as food, especially during fasting periods when it was an important protein source. You can still see how the rooms were arranged for storage and processing.

Visitors must collect access keys from Manor House Farm before entering the building. Parking is restricted to designated areas near the farm house.

This is the only surviving monastic fish processing building in England and still displays original elements of medieval processing techniques. The construction shows how efficiently monks managed and preserved their fish supplies.

Location: England

Architectural style: Gothic architecture

Part of: The Abbot's Fish House and fishponds

Website: https://english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/meare-fish-house

GPS coordinates: 51.17180,-2.77600

Latest update: December 13, 2025 12:25