| Summary : Site of Medieval nunnery of which only the Abbey church remains, now the parish church of Romsey. The church is mainly 12th century but the nunnery was founded in 907AD by Edward the Elder, possibly within a pre-existing collegiate minster. It was dissolved in 1539. Apart from a fragment of wall incorporated into later buildings and King John's Hunting Lodge, which may have been used as the infirmary in the 12th century, there are no visible remains of the nunnery. Excavations have revealed traces of the precinct boundary and wall, graveyard, fishponds, and Saxon and Medieval churches. A possible Roman burial was found in 1839 and Roman masonary has been found incorporated into the fabric of later buildings. |
More information : (SU 35102121) Abbey Church of St. Mary and St.
Ethelflaeda. (N.A.T.)
Remains of (NAT) Romsey Abbey (A.T.) (Benedictine Nuns) (NAT). (1)
The Benedictine Nunnery of Romsey was probably founded in 907 by Edward the Elder and was suppressed in 1539. In 1900 a 10th c. Saxon Church, 100 ft. long and with an eastern apse, was discovered below the present Norman Abbey, built c.1120, and dedicated to St. Mary and St. Ethelfraeda. Apart from a fragment of walling built into dwelling houses to the south, which is thought to be part of the undercroft or cellars, and the projecting corbels of the cloisters on the south aisle, there are no remains of the nunnery, although King John's Hunting Lodge (SU 32 SE 4) is thought to have been used as the infirmary for some time in the 12th c.
A conjectured description for the nunnery layout is given by the Rev. Liveling. A small, possibly Roman, lead coffin was found, lying N-S, in 1839, whilst digging a grave near the Abbess doorway and Ro. coins and masonry have been found below the Saxon Church. (2-7)
The Abbey Church is still in normal use. A part of the eastern apse of the Saxon church may still be seen below the flooring of the present crossing and the other fragments of the nunnery are as described. The sole remains of the possible Ro. burial, a piece of woman's hair, is preserved in the abbey. A conjectural reconstruction of the nunnery has been made from the various authorities. Published 1/2500 correct, except the site of the Abbey Gateway which is thought to have stood at the same site as the present gateway, at SU 35152117. (8)
Reappraisal of the chronology of Romsey Abbey, based on the work of Sir Charles Peers (Auth.2d) and largely confirming his chronology. (9)
Excavations in 1973 on the site of the Lady Chapel of the Benedictine Abbey revealed:
1). A possible boundary ditch of the 10th century abbey running north and south and containing 12th century and earlier material.
2). Between about 1120 and 1150 and the choir and retrochoir, including twin openings for the Lady Chapel, on gravel and flint footings.
3). In the late 12th century the Lady Chapel on mortared flint flootings. Possibly also twin apsidal-ended chapels corresponding with those at the east end of the choir aisles.
4). In the 14th century the Lady Chapel was totally rebuilt on a larger scale. The heavy spine wall was replaced by a central column and light screen. The lowered floor level created a step down from the retrochoir and was covered with a decorated tile floor.
5). In the late 14th and early 15th centuries a new doorway in the north wall of the Lady Chapel probably coincided with the extensions of the north nave aisles in 1401 and the incorporation of the north transept for the use of the parish. The Lady Chapel was demolished at the dissolution. (10)
Excavations on the north side of the Abbey revealed the
footings of the 1403 parish church extension to the north aisle and the very substantial footings of the north porticus of the
Saxon Abbey. The foundations contained large blocks of dressed stone, possibly reused from a Roman civic building. A graveyard contemporary with and aligned with the porticus contained a grave with a charcoal burial. An earlier graveyard contained a number of burials cut by the Saxon porticus. The Saxon church was probably left intact until the Norman choir was completed. (11)
Excavations were carried out in the gardens to the south of the Abbey in an attempt to locate the cloister. Much of the cloister was probably destroyed immediately after the dissolution of the Abbey. The site was occupied by a cellar in the 16th century and subsequently built over in the 18th & 19th centuries. One of the 18th-century structures incorporated re-
used Roman material from the Saxon Abbey, and Roman pottery and building materials were recovered from the site. (12)
Further excavations have revealed three phases of the nunnery:
1. Mid-Saxon chalk structures with a cemetery.
2. Saxon Stone church, and charcoal burials on a different alignment to phase 1.
3. 12th century rebuilding followed by a series of additions. (13)
Abbey Church of St Mary. Probable foundation 907 by Edward the Elder. Reconstituted by Edgar 967 and dedicated to St Mary and St Eldrida. The existing building dates mainly from C12, rebuilding continuing probably until c1230. Built of stone from Chilmark. Romsey Road outside west wall of south transept; C13 wall painting, (see VCH). The churchyard has a broad central walk lined with pollarded trees and forms a pleasant garden space close to the town. Arrangement of the churchyard and approach to the church fron the east are both
excellent. (14)
Renovation work was carried out at Romsey Abbey in 1985. The removal of rendering on the west end of the south side and elsewhere has revealed flint rubble walls. A small blocked late Saxon cupboard was revealed and is now visible. (15-16)
Additional bibliography. (17-19)
A substantial flint rubble wall unearthed by Gas Board officials in 1983 between Abbey Gateway and along the edge of Abbey Water has been interpreted as being as part of the Abbey precinct wall. (20)
The site of the Abbey fishponds, cut by C16 and C19 water channels, was located (in 1986-7) during excavations in advance of the new vicarage. (21)
Period reconstruction of Romsey Abbey compiled from authorities (see plan). (22)
Within the nunnery, the parochial altar in the North aisle was served by a small college of prebendaries until the Reformation. These were responsible not for the service of the nuns, but for the parochial cure of the souls. This fact suggests that the nunnery was founded in a pre-existing collegiate minster. (23)
Listed. (24)
Report on the excavations between 1973-1991. A full description of the phasing from the Saxon period until the present day is given. (25)
Article on the Saxon minster until the Norman Conquest, noting its important links with the Saxon Royal House. (26)
Ful description of the 9th and 10th century crucifixion panels. (27) |