The Gatehouse website record for Andersey Island

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle of the Rhae; Abingdon

In the civil parish of Culham. In the historic county of Oxfordshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

The island of Andersey was the site of a royal residence from an early period. In his great charter of 993, Aethelred II refers to the `royal buuilding' on the `estate called Abingdon'. Shortly before the Conquest, Andersey was granted by Abingdon Abbey to a wealthy secular priest named Blacheman, who built a church dedicated to St Andrew, and an elaborate house built around a cloister. After the Conquest, Blacheman, who had attached his fortunes to those of Gytha, Earl Godwin's widow, and fled the country after the siege of Exeter. His estates were siezed by King William, who converted Andersey to a royal residence. However, in 1101-2 the buildings were ruinous, and Henry I granted permission to the Abbot of Abingdon to demolish the buildings and use the materials to rebuild his monastery. According to Leland the buildings were fortified, and in C16 the site was still known as the `Castle of the Rhae'. He says the site was almost in the middle, between the old and new bottom of the Isis, and that an old barn stood on the site. Leland placed this in Berkshire.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU501963

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 1393651
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 4129 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

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