Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 237518
Hob Uid: 237518
Location : Oxfordshire South Oxfordshire Cholsey
Grid Ref : SU5811085980
Summary : Possible site of Saxon Benedictine abbey and moats. A Benedictine Abbey founded at Cholsey circa 986 was destroyed by the Danes circa 1006. Henry I 1100-1135 granted the manor to Reading Abbey and an important grange and abbot's residence was established here [SU 58 NE 40].
More information : [SU 5807 8597] Site of Monastery [G.T.] [SU 5814 8592] Moat [G.T.] (1) [SU 5812 8600] Site of Grange [G.T.] (2) A Benedictine Abbey founded at Cholsey c.986 was destroyed by the Danes c. 1006. Henry I 1100-1135 granted the manor to Reading Abbey and an important grange and abbot's residence was established here [SU 58 NE 42]. The site of the Abbey at Cholsey can be traced near the Railway Station by certain mounds and a long moat with a branch leaving it at right angles near the centre. (3-5) There are no structural remains in the area. There appear to have been two moats, with one side common to both but neither can be traced completely. Resurveyed at 25". No evidence was discovered to substantiate the assumption by authorities 4 & 5 that this moat was connected with the pre-Conquest Abbey. It is unlikely that it represents the site of a grange (vide authority 2) which seems to have been much further north, nearer the church. (See SU 58 NE 40 & 34). (6) An `L' shaped section of earthwork ditch with an angular bend,thought probably to be part of a Medieval moated enclosure at SU 5802 8606, refered to in sources 3-6 above. The site appears to be the north-eastern corner of a possible rectilinear enclosure measuring 50m east-west and 30m north-south. The site is part of the remains of Cholsey Abbey. This feature was mapped from good quality air photographs. This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (7) (See SU58NE34 for the minster succeeding this monastery).

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : OS 6" 1960
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : OS 25"
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Source Number : 3
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Source Number : 4
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Source Number : 5
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : F1 JP 25-JUL-63
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : Fiona Small/03-DEC-1992/RCHME: Thames Valley NMP
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Source Number : 8
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Page(s) : 62,470
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Early Medieval
Display Date :
Monument End Date : 1006
Monument Start Date : 986
Monument Type : Benedictine Monastery
Evidence : Earthwork

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Medieval
Monument End Date : 1540
Monument Start Date : 1066
Monument Type : Moat, Ditch
Evidence : Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Oxfordshire)
External Cross Reference Number : 2708
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : MORPH2
External Cross Reference Number : TG.31.3
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SU 58 NE 32
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1963-07-25
End Date : 1963-07-25

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 237518