| Summary : The Augustinian Abbey at Notley was founded around 1162 by Walter Giffard, 2nd Earl of Biskingham, and his wife Ermengard. It was dissolved in 1540. The abbey church and the majority of the original abbey buildings survive only as buried remains, although portions of the claustral range were retained within the house and outbuildings of a post-Dissolution farm - now Notley Abbey House. The house was adapted from the abbot's lodging and guest house, which were constructed in the 15th and early 16th centuries, and stood toward the north west corner of the claustral range. The attached western arm of the cloisters has been rebuilt as a service wing. The south wing, formerly the refectory, kitchens, warming house and reredorter was demolished and rebuilt as a barn in the late 18th century. Fragments of the original architecture remain, most notably a section of 13th century bling arcading against the east wall. The barn is Listed Grade I. The remains of the eastern arm of the cloisters, which contained the chapter house and dormitory, lie beneath a modern range of outbuildings and were partly revealed by excavations in the 1930s. Of the abbey church only a few fragments of the church foundations, such as a pier base from the south aisle of the nave, remain visible. The remainder lies partly beneath a walled garden to the north of the present house. Excavations revealed that the transepts and crossing were constructed around 1160, and that the aisled nave was completed some 40 years later. The chancel was extended to the east around 1300, at which time the crossing was remodelled. The boundary of the abbey precinct is believed to have followed the River Thame to the south east, whilst the north western boundary can be traced in a series of aerial photographs which record the imprint of a partly buried ditch. A series of four fishponds occupies the eastern corner of the precinct. Scheduled. |
More information : (SP 715 091) Notley Abbey (NR) (Augustinian) (1) (SP 7140 0931) Dovecote (NR)
An Augustinian Abbey founded before 1164, possibly 1162, and
dissolved in 1540. (2)
(General layout, see plan). (3)
Excavated in 1937 by Oxford University Archaeological Society.
Visible remains comprise the Abbot's House (the present dwelling
house 15th and 16th century; much restored) and considerable
remains of the western and southern claustral buildings.
The ground plan of the church, about 1160 to 1400, was recovered
mainly in the form of robber tranches (see plan). Four short
parallel channels to the east (see air photo) may have been
fishponds. (4+5)
The stone-built rectangular dovecote is an unusually large
example. Probably 14th century; Grade I. (6)
Notley Abbey, a private residence, incorporates the Abbot's
house and the W range, both much restored and retaining few
original features. The s range was converted into a barn after
the Dissolution, and, apart from a length of fine 12th century
arcading high up on the internal face of the E wall, retains
little of the original fabric. The dovecote is in excellent
condition.
Of the remainder of the abbey, there are no visible remains
except for the base of one large stone column at SP 7157 0923 which is on the site of the church (a).
Four fishponds, centred at SP 7167 0927, are much silted-up and reduced to marshy areas alongside the leet which was cut to
feed them from the nearby river, but there are remains of
intervening retaining banks.
Published 1:2500 survey revised. See GPs. (7)
Notley Abbey House. C13th,C15th and C16th, remodelled C19th/C20th. The present L shaped house is formed from the west range of the cloisters and Abbot's lodging. The Abbey was founded c1162 by Walter Gifford, Earl of Buckingham for Augustinian Canons. Parts of the gorounds are scheduled. Grade 1 (8)
A rapid examination of air photography (9a) shows a number of earthwork features visible around Notley Abbey:- a faint hollow way leads from the Abbey to the dovecote, a second extends from SP 715 093 to SP 716 095 (and possibly beyond), while a third extends from Notley Abbey to Notley Farm and a double row of trees continues this line beyond the farm (SP 714 091 to SP 711 092). The date of these features is uncertain, they possibly relate to the original abbey or the secular use that took over the site.
Other features include earthworks around SP 717 094 consisting of a series of rectangular enclosures, bounded by slight hollow ways, and laid out symmetrically on either side of a straight hollow way that leads to Notley Abbey. These may represent a Post Medieval (possibly C16-17) formal garden with paths between possible flower beds. The path to the abbey runs along side the extended depression leading from the abbey complex to the fish ponds; this depression may represent some form of water feature (possibly an ornamental canal) linked to the garden. Two other possible canals extend for c.150m flanking the 'garden' itself (one is marked as a water-filled feature on OS maps from SP 717 093 to SP 718 094 (10) and the second is visible on APs as a ditch (tree-filled) extending from SP 716 093 running parallel to the first).
Also visible are faint indications of an earthwork extending along the northwest side of the abbey complex, apparently then turning southeast; this may represent a boundary enclosure/wall. A level, rectangular feature south of this may also relate to the 'garden'.
Either side of the hollow way between the abbey and the farm are indications of building platforms/sites.
Also, on the southeast side of the modern track from the abbey to the farm are earthworks, however, the AP coverage does not indicate what they may represent. (9)
The stone rubble wall to the north-east of Notley Abbey follows the line of the former abbey chapel and east range of the dorter, and incorporates carved stones, possibly of 13th century origin. (10) |