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ST OSWALDS PRIORY

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The New Minster of St Oswald was the last minster to be built in Gloucestershire. It was traditionally founded in the 7th century by a son of Penda of Mercia, but certainly refounded in 909 by Aethelflaeda and Aethelred of Mercia. They successfully brought the bones of St Oswald, the Northumbrian King and saint, from East Anglia in the raid of 909, and placed them in the minster. Aethelflaeda and Aethelred were both buried there and the minster was for a short time the major minster of the Mercian royal household. It was endowed with land from the older minster of St Peter. After Wessex took the Saxon ascendancy, the minster never regained its early pre-eminence.
The monks abandoned the priory during the Danish wars and were replaced by secular canons. The minster remained unreformed until 1153 when it was reformed to the Augustinian Order. The monastery was under the See of York and never prosperous, and was suppressed in 1536.
After the Dissolution, the priory church became the parish church of St Catherine, but this was destroyed in the siege of 1643. The sole remains are parts of the North arcade and adjoining West wall of the North transept.
Excavation has recovered the plan of the Saxon church. It was cruciform, but unusually had an apsidal West end, very much a continental fashion of the early 10th century. (1.2)

25 fragments of Saxon stonework have been located in the vinity of the Priory:

1. Two parts of a late 8th century cross-shaft found in the precinct wall in 1966.

2. Part of a cross-shaft of late 8th century date found in excavations in 1978 at the junctions of walla 1 and phase in peiod I.

3. Part of a cross shaft dating to the first quarter of the 9th century found in the precinct wall in 1890.

4. Part of a mid 9th century cross shaft found in the 1983 excavations reused in walls 1 and 55.

5. Early 10th century carved grave cover found in the 1975-83 excavation, reused in period IVA, the 11th century foundatuions of W71.

6. Fragment from a carved grave-cover of early 10th century date found in the 1975-1983 excavations, reused in the period III late 10th century foundation of W48.

7. Fragment from a carved grave-cover of early 10th century date found in an unstratified context of the 1975-1983 excavations.

8. Fragment from a carved grave-cover of early 10th century date found in the 1975-1983 excavations, reused in the period IVA 11th century foundations of Wall 71.

9a-d. Fragments from a carved grave-cover of early-mid 10th century date found in the 1975-1983 excavations, reused in period III, Wall 48.

10. Fragment from a grave-cover of early-mid 10th century date found in the 1975-1983 excavations, reused in the period III foundations of the late 10th century Wall 49.

11. Fragment of a carved panel of early 10th-11th century date found in the 1975-1983 excavations, residual in period XII, 80, of the 18th century.

12. Fragment of a carved panel of early 10th century date, or possibly Roman) found in the 1975-1983 excavations, reused in period III, late 10th century foundations of W48.

13 and 14. Two decorative imposts or frieze fragments of early-mid 10th century date found in an unstratified context of the 1975-83 excavations.

15. Fragment of decorated engaged column of early 10th century date found in 19th century garden wall W58.

16. Part of the head of a decorated opening of early-mid 10th century date found in an unstratifed context of the 1975-83 excavations.

17. Part of a decorated window (?) head of late 10th century date found in excavations of 1975-83, in the late 10th century foundation for W48.

18. Small animal-headed label-stop of 10th century date found during the 1975-83 excavations, reused in a 17th century context.

19. Part of a 10th century abacus found during the 1975-83 exacations, reused in a 19th century context.

20. Part of a 10th century abacus found during the 1975-83 exacations, reused inperiod VIIA, in the ca. 1120 foundations of F602.

21. Part of a 10th century abacus found in an unstratified contrext during the 1975-83 exacations.

22. Impost or capital fragment of 10th century date found in the 1975-83 excavations, residual in the 11th century period IVA, phase 12.

23. 10th century baluster shaft found in 1867 rebuilt in the west wall of the north transept. Now entirely weatherd away.

24. Early-mid 10th century residual fragment found in Period VIIA, 26, context during the 1975-83 excavations.

25. 10th century fragment found during the 1975-83 excavations reused in period III, in the late 10th century foundations for W48.

26. 10th century fragment found during the 1975-83 excavations , reused in period III, late 10th century foundations.

Three fragments of animal head stop, also found during the 1975-1983 excavations, are of the Saxo-Norman overlap peiod.

All of the above fragments are now in Gloucester Museum. (3)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) by Carolyn Heighway 1987 Anglo-Saxon Gloucestershire

Page(s)115-9

(2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)157,473,425-6

(3) Richard Bryant 2012 Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Vol.X, The Western Midlands

There are several illustrations too. See also plates 470-76. Page(s)207-221,260-1

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Fragments of Anglo Saxon cross-shaft and baluster shaft, 8th-11th century, and possibly associated with St Oswald's Priory.

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During excavations for a house at 144 London Road, Wotton Pitch in 1889, a fragment of mid 9th century cross-shaft was found. This probably came from ...

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