St. Peders Kloster, later called Skovkloster, was an important early Benedictine house at Næstved, Denmark, active in 1135-1559.
Archbishop Eskild, who was a personal friend of Bernard of Clairvaux, was enthusiastic about the establishment of a religious house at Naestved.
The original monastery and church lay inside the town on the main square of Great Naestved but no trace of it remains.
The prior of St Peder's was also the lord of the city, and the market fees were paid directly to the monastery for the maintenance of the house and its operations.
St. Peter's was moved 2 kilometers outside Naestved about 1200 where the monks built a new and larger complex with its own church (Herlufsholm Kirke) and ranges for dormitories, lay brothers, a hospital, refectory making it one of the larger Benedictine religious houses in Denmark.
Abbot Mathias who died in 1419 was praised for his care of the monks for 28 years and for improving some of the buildings which had fallen into disrepair.
Abbot Jens caused trouble in the abbey when he implemented reforms for a stricter rule, some of the monks rebelled.
The monastery experienced difficulty in keeping enough lay brothers to do the field work on the many farms which supported the Benedictines.
St Peders church was expanded and completely rebuilt by 1375 in the Gothic style out of brick, the most common building material of the age.
With its Hanseatic ties, Naestved's loyalties lay with imprisoned Christian II, Denmark's last Catholic king and his agent, Count Christoffer.
In an unusual move the monks at Skovkloster were permitted to remain in the abbey which passed to the Lutheran superintendent, later Bishop of Aarhus, Ove Bille in 1537.
Herluf Trolle converted the abbey into a manor house and estate, and before he died in 1565, he and his wife, Birgitte Mogensdatter Gøye, who was childless, founded the boarding school Herlufsholm for 'youth of noble and honorable heritage'.
The next morning the pastor went to the table and found a secret compartment containing the Gøye's letter of gift leaving Herlufsholm to the school, thereby securing its future.
Herlufsholm Boarding School (Danish: Herfulsholm Kostskole) was established by the Trolle's and properties attached to the deed ensured it was adequately funded.
The newer Herlufsholm buildings were constructed in the Gothic style out of the same materials to reflect the heritage of the school.