Worth Abbey has been a Benedictine Monastery since 1933, in which year Abbot John Chapman of Downside bought the property, then called Paddockhurst, from Viscount Cowdray. Worth was a dependent Priory of Downside from 1933 to 1957, and the monks established a preparatory School. In 1957, Worth became an independent Priory, and an Abbey in 1965. The first Prior of the independent House, the Very Rev. Dom Victor Farwell, was elected first Abbot in 1965, and re-elected in 1973 and 1981. Abbot Victor retired from office on 11th April 1988 and Dom Dominic Gaisford was elected to succeed him. Abbot Dominic died in April 1994 and was succeeded on 6th July of the same year by Dom Stephen Ortiger. Abbot Christopher Jamison was elected the fourth Abbot on 3rd July 2002.

In 1959 a senior School was started; this, combined with the former preparatory school now numbers 440 students..

The Parish, served from Worth, was started in 1965 and serves the locality. Much building has been carried out; a new Abbey Church, designed to accommodate congregations of over a thousand persons, was consecrated on July 13th, 1975. A Piazza, designed by the Architect was added in 1993 and all structural work was completed and listed as Grade II in 2002.

The Lay Community began in 1971. It consists of members who share in the Monastic Prayer whilst continuing their life in the world.

Worth established a monastic pastoral foundation in Peru in 1968. The Monks gained enormously from working with the oppressed. In 1983 Worth also established a small ecumenical Monastery and house of prayer in East Dulwich where again they benefited greatly. The two small communities returned to Worth in 1990 to enrich the monastic life there.

In recent years the Community has established the Centre for Spirituality; through its day and residential events it provides different opportunities for prayer and reflection in the Benedictine tradition..