History

The abbey was founded by Edith of Winchester, the widow of Sir William Launceline, in 1133, after seeing a vision in which a ‘light from heaven’ directed her to the site.She was granted land on an island in the Thames by John of St John, a local landowner, and established a Benedictine nunnery dedicated to St Mary and St John the Baptist,with the church complete by 1139.

King Stephen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and several bishops were present at its dedication, and it continued to attract patronage from the royal family and leading nobles. It became known as  a nunnery for aristocratic ladies, attracting women from many noble families.  

At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, 16 nuns were living under the abbess at Godstow. They were pensioned off, and the site given to Goerge Owen, Henry VIII’s physician. He demolished the abbey church and built a mansion, which was badly damaged in the Civil War. The ruined site passed to the Earl of Abingdon in 1702 before eventually being given to Oxford University in trust for the nation in 1924,

Today, the ruins feature a large rectangular area enclosed by rubble walls. The best-preserved section is an early 16th century chapel in the south-eastern corner. This may have been part of the abbess’ lodging and features a large window with fine tracery to the east.

The OGE team work to protect Godstow’s biodiversity as well as its historical features. For example, a recent project helped conserve the rare plant Birthwort (Aristolochia clematitis) by cutting back scrub that was encroaching on the Abbey’s drainage ditch, its main habitat at the site.

Visiting the site

Godstow Abbey is easily accessible via the Thames Path, and a public car park is available a short walk away at the western end of Wolvercote.

Members of the public are welcome to visit, but please do not disturb the ruins in any way, and be aware that there may be animals grazing there.

The historic site is of interest to archaeologists as well as historians; researchers have studied the abbey's main walls to understand subjects including the impact of different methods of preservation.

If you are interested in conducting research on this site, please contact: OGE@admin.ox.ac.uk.