Document Actions
The Cumberland Monastery
last modified
January 10, 2011
The Cumberland Monastery
Cumberland Monastery
No
No
Cistercian Monks established a 550-acre monastery here at the turn of the last century, using the land for orchards, woodlots and farming, even quarrying. After a fire destroyed the abbey buildings in 1950, the Town of Cumberland purchased the land for public use. A variety of successional habitats and wetlands now exist on the property, including meadows, old fields, streams, ponds, vernal pools, and rich woods. We seek out such interesting plants as nodding trillium, perfoliate bellwort, and white baneberry. This walk is appropriate for beginners.