Buckfastleigh Town band

The Abbey, on the south eastern edge of Dartmoor, was established as a Benedictine monastery in 1018. It joined the Cistercian Order in the 12th century, and was a thriving community. The dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by Henry VIII saw Buckfast Abbey closed down, and everything of value was removed. In 1882, the site went on the market and was bought by a group of monks. It took over 30 years to complete rebuilding work between 1907 and 1938. Today, it is home to a community of Benedictine monks. This photograph is on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone for rebuilding on July 2nd 1907, which then took 31 years to complete. It must have been quite an occasion involving the brass town band of Buckfastleigh.