Newstead Abbey

Newstead Abbey, originally an Augustinian foundation, is now best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. The abbey was founded in the 12th century by King Henry II of England, as one of many penances he paid following the murder of Thomas Becket. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, it was, like many others, converted into a house. It is now publicly owned, and houses a museum containing Byron memorabilia.