Two gateways, the fratry, and a porch are the principal portions remaining of the abbey. The frater, which has a fine portico, is now used as a Unitarian chapel. This Benedictine house of Tavistock was fortunate in gaining (among other benefactions) the goodwill and support of King Ethelred, Leving, Bishop of Worcester, and of Henry I. A school for the study of Saxon was founded in connection with the abbey soon after its re-establishment, and later, after the introduction of printing into England, a press was set up there and many books, including a Saxon grammar, were published. History and legend combine with exceptional interest in connection with the foundation of Tavistock--attributed to Ordgarus, whose good work was carried on by his son Ordulph, father and brother respectively of Queen Elfrida, who so treacherously and cruelly connived at the murder of her stepson. Ordulph is said to have been of such gigantic stature as to be able to break the bars of gates and to stride a river 10 feet wide. Huge bones, said to be his, may still be seen in Tavistock church. Ordulph endowed the abbey with many lands, which bounties, added to the benefactions of King Ethelred, were the cause of the institution becoming both wealthy and flourishing. After total destruction by the Danes, the abbey was rebuilt only to become more prosperous than ever. There are still evidences of its former grandeur and of the sumptuous manner in which the dignitaries lived. Risdon relates the following curious circumstance, from which we can gather the unexpectedness of some of the many sources from which wealth accrued to the abbey. “It is lefte us by tradition,” says he, “that one Childe, of Plimstocke, a man of faire possessions, havinge noe issue, ordained, that wherever he shoulde happen to be buried, to that churche his land should belong. It so fortuned that he, ridinge to hunt in the forest of Dartmoor, casually lost his companye, and his waye; likewise the season beinge so colde and he so benumbed therewithe, that he was enforced to kill his horse, and havinge so killed him, to creepe into his bellye to gett heat; which not beinge able to preserve him, he was there frozen to deathe; and so founde was carried by Tavystokemen to be buried in the churche of the Abbeye; which was not so secretlye done, but the inhabitants got knowledge thereof, which to prevent, they resorted to hinder the carryinge of the corpse on the bridge where they concluded necessitye compelled them to passe. But they were deceived by a guile, for the Tavystokemen forthwith builded a slyghte bridge and passed at another place without resistance, buried the bodye, and enjoyed the lands. In memory whereof, the bridge beareth the name of Gylebridge to this daye.”