The Gatehouse website record for Abingdon Abbey

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

Norman and later Benedictine monastery, one of the most important monastic centres in England. Built on the site of an earlier Minster and Benedictine monastery. Following the collapse of the central tower in 1091, the church was rebuilt, and the former monastic buildings demolished and rebuilt. The abbey was suppressed in 1538. Trial excavations located the great church built in the Norman period from 1091-1120. Robbing after the Dissolution had been so extensive that even the foundations were removed. Reconstruction of the plan from the original excavation notes shows the church to have been aisled with transepts and a rectangular chancel. However, much detail is still uncertain. The cloister and monastic buildings were arranged to the South of the church. Abbey buildings extant include the late C13 or early C14 century guest-house, and the late C15 gatehouse. (PastScape)
The abbey was granted licence to crenellate in 1330 but there is nothing to suggest the abbey had anything other than the usual precinct walls and impressive gatehouse, although these would have, undoubtable been crenellated. The existing gatehouse is heavily restored but may have parts which date back to time of this licence but the adjacent guest-house does date back to this period, suggesting the licence was part of a building campaign designed to provide public building for (wealthy) pilgrims.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU50119714

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 237919
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 2901 '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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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.