Please read Important information about Oxfordshire’s Historic Environment Record data on Heritage Gateway

Designations

• Scheduled Monument () 1006309: Abingdon Abbey (remains of)

Monument Type(s):

• MONASTERY (Early Medieval to Medieval - 675 AD to 1332 AD)
• GRANARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CHURCH (Medieval - 1091 AD to 1120 AD)
• ABBEY (Medieval - 1267 AD to 1538 AD)
• GATEHOUSE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1467 AD to 1900 AD)

Summary

Site consists of remains of Abbey buildings, including guesthouse, granary and gatehouse. Saxon monastic site presumed to lie below ground.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

1a) Abbey. Buildings on the S side of the Abbey precincts may represent the guest house: this consists of a square stone block with a long wing extending to the E.
The square block is a late C13th or early C14th building of two storeys with massive gabled buttresses at the angles. The basement has a stone vault resting on a central octagonal column without capital or lease; the vault is quadripartite with chamfered ribs and wall ribs. Upper floor is divided into two rooms. The W room has a fine fireplace; the flue is carried up in a single tall circular shaft, with a conical cap, and a series of vent slits below it. Timber roofs are original. Long wing to E is mainly of C15th date. S side is of stone, but the N face is timber finish, and the ground floor has windows of Elizabethan character in the N wall, and a four-centred fireplace. On the upper floor the timber-framed N wall is open at breast height, each bay being divided into eight lights. There is a line of nine oak posts forming an aisle and supporting the roof timbers.
b) Gatehouse. A late C15th stone structure of three arches, (Southern one is C19th). Above middle arch is a niche with an original statue of the Virgin. Two-light windows, battlements. Vaulting on interior of arches. Both E and W faces of the gatehouse are similar.
C) Abbey. Site of Abbey Church and claustral building is now occupied by public gardens. Possible foundations of Saxon monastic site lie below ground also. Part-excavated in 1922, results unpublished.
D) Granary. Building to W of the Chequer. A lower stone range and then timber-framed gable on a stone base. Roof with two tiers of wind braces. This range was probably the granary. Now used as a theatre. Also the curtilage of the scheduled buildings, the long gallery and Chequer.
2) Benedictine Abbey first founded in 675 AD, re-founded c.954, and dissolved in 1538. Excavations to determine the sites of the two Saxon churches and the Norman church and conventional buildings of 1091-1120 were conducted by A E Preston in 1922. The remains of the Norman church were found immediately east of the gardens of Abbey House and remains of a small Saxon apse were found under the presbytery. The late C15th gatehouse and a square block of late C13th or early C14th date with a long east wing mainly of C15th, which may represent the guest house, are the principal extant remains of the abbey.
4) Excavations carried out by Abingdon Area Arch & Historical Society on a vacant plot due for re-development on the west side of Checker Walk, thought to be on the site of the Abbey Base Court. A cobbled and gravelled surface and some medieval sherds were compatible with this assumption.
6) General discussion of burials and finds in lay cemetery of Abingdon Abbey (SU 499 973).
7) A cobbled layer found may represent the earlier surface of the gateway, and a stone layer may represent a pavement or part of the footings for the Archway. A wall appears to represent the remains of a building demolished in 1962.
8) Medieval walls and burials revealed from postulated area of Abbey infirmary during evaluation.
9) Observation of groundworks relating to the blocking of the road leading to the Abbey Gatehouse revealed a sand & gravel surface thought to be a road leading through the arch, while the cobbling was a footpath to the north arch. No dating evidence available but surfaces are likely to be relatively modern (i.e. Victorian or later) because tarmac was laid directly on them.
10) Watching brief during installation of stairway (as part of SMC) was carried out with recent landscaping activity noted in the north west area of the site and rubble foundations (presumably abbey-related) encountered elsewhere.
11) See for information on early excavations, monastery buildings, Anglo Saxon cemetery.
13) Watching brief undertaken during laying of new services in Abbey Close Car Park, most of the work in disturbed soil. Residual R/B finds indicating high status occupation in the area. One sherd of C10th-11th St Neots ware found. Remains indicate that Abbey buildings lie c.5m below ground level under car park.
14) Plan of Abingdon Abbey buildings, typescript and Spokes correspondence archived at Oxfordshire history Centre.
16) Rectified photographic survey of surviving domestic buildings.
17) Watching brief on dredging of pond revealed a former stream and former channel of the River Stert.
18) Watching brief on services in the Abbey Close car park revealed walls and garden soils associated with the Abbey complex and possible infilling of the Mill Stream.
19) Resistivity survey produced ground plan of abbey church in sufficient detail to confirm the accuracy of plan in 1922 excavations. Magnetometry survey contributed further information concerning the plan of the abbey and located Iron Age and other remains in Area C. Radar survey produced evidence for buildings and other features near the church, in addition to those detected by the resistivity survey.
20) Detailed study based on aerial photos, SMR information and other published/unpublished secondary sources.
21) Discussion of APs, maps and other documentary sources used to study the Abbey precinct.
22) Discussion of location and results of trenching in several areas within overall project area. Trenching has shown that ground surface of paddling pool area was not significantly truncated by landscaping in 1963-4. This area is clearly part of the alluvial floodplain of the Thames, and contains both Roman and Medieval finds. It is possible that a Roman or Med building stood upriver of the test pits and that debris from this was redistributed by flooding.
23) Watching brief revealed former stream course and a former channel of the River Stert, the latter with a rough stone revetting along the E boundary of the Abbey. Paleo environmental samples revealed assemblage characteristic of slow-moving, well-oxygenated water with abundant vegetation.
24) Natural gravel of the terrace was only revealed in the W part of the site, dipping S towards the Abbey Mill Stream, and suggesting that the mill stream may broadly follow the natural edge of the terrace. Radar survey suggested that in the Med period, the N band of the stream was progressively moved southwards, by infilling behind revetments, presumably to produce more space in the S part of the abbey precinct. Artefacts suggest C13 dumping of kitchen waste, creating a rubbish dump during the infilling process. Stone walls exposed are likely to be remains of robbed structures within the abbey precinct. Demolition of the refectory superstructure revealed in layer. Single wall, possibly associated with the monks' cemetery was found. Another fragment of wall may represent part of the infirmary complex.
26-28 & 30) Transferred to Oxon History Centre in 2015.
31) Collection of photographs of loose stone removed, but recorded as part of restoration works to the Abbey Grounds.
32) The purpose of the survey was to extend the resistivity coverage into the ornamental gardens to west of the 1998 survey, which terminated at the Victoria Monument. It was hoped to locate the west front of the church and to test for evidence of any other structures, perhaps including the detached bell tower and a chapel to the north and west of the abbey church.
34) HLF application dealing with SAM consent, assessment of impacts of any proposals and written scheme of investigation for mitigation of any work done in the Abingdon Abbey Grounds park -- see 4 appendices linked to this document.

<1> English Heritage, Scheduled Ancient Monuments Record, SAM 218 (Scheduling record). SOX283.

<2b> Antiquaries Journal, Vol 2 (1922) pp.386-7 (Serial). SOX358.

<2a> OS Record Card, SU 59 NW 5 (Index). SOX273.

<2> Victoria County History of Berkshire, Vol 4 (1924) pp.430-2 (Serial). SOX6.

<2c> Knowles & Hadcock, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses of England and Wales, p.58 (Bibliographic reference). SOX400.

<3> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XXXIV (1969) p.106 (Serial). SOX284.

<4> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA9 NL 11 (1981) p.112, No 6 (Serial). SOX5.

<5> Victoria County History of Berkshire, Vol II, p.51 (Serial). SOX6.

<6> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XLI (1976) pp.86-9 (Serial). SOX284.

<7> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1995, Abingdon Abbey Gateway Pipeline (Unpublished document). SOX30.

<8> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1994, Children's Playground, The Abbey Grounds, Abingdon (Unpublished document). SOX19.

<9> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1991, Abingdon Abbey Gatehouse (Unpublished document). SOX32.

<10> Tempus Reparatum, 1992, Report on evaluation work at Checker staircase, Abingdon Abbey. (Unpublished document). SOX17.

<11> Medieval Archaeology, Vol 12 (1968) pp.25-69. The Early History of Abingdon and its Abbey by M Biddle; see digital copy (Serial). SOX318.

<12> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1998, The Domestic Buildings of Abingdon Abbey: rectified photographic survey and analysis of S Elevation (Unpublished document). SOX457.

<13> Oxford Archaeology, 2004, Abbey Close Car Park, Abbey Grounds Restoration, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (Unpublished document). SOX667.

<14> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, includes typescript of notes for Lambrick's work (Index). SOX258.

<15> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 30 (2000) p.46 (Serial). SOX5.

<16> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 29 (1999) pp.71-2 (Serial). SOX5.

<17> Oxford Archaeology, 2004, Pond Restoration, The Abbey Grounds, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SOX668.

<18> Oxford Archaeology, 2004, Abbey Close Car Park, Abbey Grounds Restoration, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (Unpublished document). SOX667.

<19> Oxford Archaeology, 1998, Abingdon Abbey Gardens and Abbey Meadows: Historical Restoration Management Plan, Appendix 3: Geophysics Report (Unpublished document). SOX484.

<20> Oxford Archaeology, 1998, Abingdon Abbey Gardens and Abbey Meadows: Historical Restoration Management Plan, Appendix 1: Arch'l Background (Unpublished document). SOX484.

<21> Oxford Archaeology, 1998, Abingdon Abbey Gardens and Abbey Meadows: Historical Restoration Management Plan, Appendix 2: Documentary Sources (Unpublished document). SOX484.

<22> Oxford Archaeology, 1998, Abingdon Abbey Gardens and Abbey Meadows: Historical Restoration Management Plan, Appendix 4: Trial Trenching (Unpublished document). SOX484.

<24> Oxford Archaeology, 1998, Abingdon Abbey Gardens and Abbey Meadows: Historical Restoration Management Plan (Unpublished document). SOX484.

<26> Slide Cabinet, 8: location plans, 1922 excavations, Abbey Estates and The Checker, mills and fishpond (Photograph). SOX303.

<27> Black and White print photographs, 6 Abbey features taken by J M Steane in 1983 (Photograph). SOX315.

<28> HER Map Cabinet, Plans of The Central Estates, Mills and Fishponds and Abbey properties (Graphic material). SOX326.

<29> John Moore Heritage Services, 1999, An archaeological watching brief at Abbey Close Car Park, Abingdon (Unpublished document). SOX53.

<30> C J Bond, 1979, The Reconstruction of the Medieval Landscape: The Estates of Abingdon Abbey (Unpublished document). SOX1510.

<31> IJP Building conservation ltd, 2006, Photgraphic Record of Loose Stone At Abbey Grounds, Abingdon. (Unpublished document). SOX1863.

<32> Bartlett-Clarke Consultancy, 2001, Abingdon Abbey: Report on Resistivity Survey 2001 (Unpublished document). SOX2391.

<33> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 25 (1995) pp.47-8 (Serial). SOX5.

<34> Oxford Archaeology, 2002, Abingdon Abbey Grounds, Heritage Lottery Historic Restoration Management Plan: SM Consent, Assessment of Impacts and Written Scheme of Investigation (Unpublished document). SOX2712.

Sources

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.