There is a small car park on site with a loose gravel surface.

There is a £2 charge for non-members. We recommend you pay in advance of your visit by visiting our parking payment service website. Payment can also be made on site by text, but please note that phone signal is very poor.

Parking is free for members with a valid English Heritage car sticker on display.

You are welcome to bring a picnic to eat in our spacious grounds. 

Tucked away in the peaceful surroundings of Bayham Old Abbey, our secondhand bookshop is a delightful stop for visitors looking to browse, unwind, and uncover their next read. Stocked and maintained with the help of our wonderful volunteers, the shop offers a wide range of pre-loved books—from fiction and history to children’s stories and travel guides.

We’ve outlined suggested donation amounts for the books, but visitors are welcome to give as much or as little as they are able via donation box or contactless card reader. Every contribution helps support English Heritage’s work to care for Bayham Old Abbey and other historic sites across the country.

Come and explore – you never know what stories you’ll take home!

Opening times:
The bookshop is open during site opening hours.

Book donations welcome:
We also welcome donations of good-quality books. If you’d like to contribute, please email SouthVolunteerEngagementTeam@english-heritage.org.uk.

Volunteers wanted:

Would you like to help care for this special space and share your love of books with others? We’re always looking for friendly, enthusiastic volunteers to support the secondhand bookshop at Bayham Old Abbey.

Whether you can spare a few hours a month or want to get more involved, we’d love to hear from you. Visit the Volunteering section of our website to learn more, or contact the team directly at SouthVolunteerEngagementTeam@english-heritage.org.uk.

Your time and passion can make a real difference!

Dogs on leads are welcome. Assistance dogs welcome across the site.

The abbey is set in a landscape designed by Humphry Repton, the famous landscape gardener, who also planned the grounds of Kenwood House in London. There is plenty of room to run and play in our large open areas, hide and seek around the ruins is very popular.

Play Areas / Adventure Playground

There is plenty of room to run and play in our large open areas.

English Heritage welcomes amateur photographers to our sites and we hope you will share your pictures of your visit with us on social media.

If you are looking to use one of our sites for commercial, corporate or professional photography or as a filming location, please contact our filming team as soon as possible to check availability and acquire the relevant permissions and paperwork.

Due to the delicate nature of our sites, English Heritage does not permit drone flying from or over sites in our care, except by contractors or partners undertaking flights for a specific purpose, who satisfy stringent CAA criteria, have the correct insurances and permissions, and are operating under controlled conditions.