It was founded in 1203–1204 by King John[1] and (uniquely in Britain)[2] populated by 30 monks sent from the abbey of Cîteaux in France, the mother house of the Cistercian order.

[4] The first Abbot of Beaulieu was Hugh,[1] who stood high in the king's favour, often served in important diplomatic missions and was later to become Bishop of Carlisle.

[1] The king granted the new abbey a rich endowment, including numerous manors spread across southern England (particularly in Berkshire), land in the New Forest, corn, large amounts of money, building materials, 120 cows, 12 bulls, a golden chalice, and an annual tun of wine.

[1] John's son and successor, King Henry III was equally generous to Beaulieu, with the result that the abbey became very wealthy,[1] though it was far from the richest English Cistercian house.

The building took more than four decades to complete and was finally dedicated in 1246,[6] in the presence of King Henry III and his queen, of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, and of many prelates and nobles.

South of the church stood a cloister, ranged around which were the chapter house, refectory, kitchens, storehouse and quarters for the monks, lay brothers and the abbot.

[1] Beaulieu was also invested by the same Pope with special privileges of sanctuary,[1] much stronger than usual and covering not only the abbey itself but all the 23.5 hectare precinct around as included in the original grant made by King John.

As Beaulieu was the only abbey in its region with such large and strongly enforced sanctuary rights, it soon became a refuge for fugitives, both ordinary criminals and debtors and also political enemies of the government.

[1] In 1535 the abbey's income was assessed in the Valor Ecclesiasticus, Henry VIII's general survey of church finances prior to the expropriation, at £428 gross, £326 net.

Lord Southampton preserved the monks' refectory, which he gave to the people of Beaulieu village to be their parish church,[6] a function it still serves today.

It is a fine 13th century building, with elaborate shafted lancet windows and an intact reader's pulpit, for reading biblical passages at mealtimes.

Visitors can view a series of modern embroidered wall hangings made by Belinda, Lady Montagu,[9] depicting scenes from medieval monastic life and the history of the abbey since 1204.

The Abbey is open to the public as part of the visitor attraction known as "Beaulieu", which includes: The Domus is regularly used for events, dining and corporate hospitality.

[15][page needed] Beaulieu, according to the official website, is one of the most haunted places in Britain, with reported sightings going back over a hundred years.

[14][16][17][18][failed verification] The sound of Gregorian chant, considered an omen by local tradition, have been reported by Mrs Elizabeth Varley, daughter of John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, and Michael C. Sedgwick, former curator of the National Motor Museum, amongst others.

[13][22] The eccentric Reverend Robert Frazer Powles, Vicar of Beaulieu (1886–1939), claimed to have gone so far as to converse with ghostly monks whom he knew by name, and even to have celebrated candlelit midnight mass every Christmas Eve for them.