Syon Abbey |
| Hob Uid: 397864 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
Hounslow
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ1729076660 |
| Summary : The site of the Bridgettine double house of Syon Abbey, the only Bridgettine abbey in Medieval England. The abbey belonged to the order established by St Bridget at Vadestena in Sweden in 1346 and was founded in 1415, before moving to Syon from Twickenham in 1431. At the time of its dissolution in 1539 by Henry VIII the abbey was the 10th richest religious house in the country. The abbey's opposition to Henry's religious reform had already been manifested in 1535 when one of the monks, Richard Reynolds, refused to take the Oath of Supremacy. He was executed and his body placed on the abbey gateway. In 1970 he was canonised as a martyr. During the reign of Queen Mary the nuns briefly returned but left again during the reign of Elizabeth. Little remains of the abbey apart from a section of 15th century undercroft. However, excavations and geophysical surveys carried out by the Time Team and Birkbeck college between 2003 and 2008 have revealed remains of the abbey church and other remains of monastic buildings near to the later Syon House. The abbey was demolished and its building materials reused to construct Syon House built by the Protector Somerset in 1547-52 (see record 534736). |
More information : [Centred at TQ 1729 7666] Syon House on site of
SYON MONASTERY [G.T.] (A.D. 1414) (1)
An abbey of Bridgettine Nuns was founded by Henry V at Twickenham in 1415; it was moved to the present site in 1431 and dissolved in 1539. The existing courtyard [of Syon House] no doubt represents the nuns cloister of the abbey and part of the 15th century undercroft of the W. range is incorporated in the W range of the house; how much more if any, of the mediaeval building still survives it is now impossible to determine.
After the dissolution the abbey was granted in succession to Protector Somerset and John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, the nunnery was re-founded for a short time under Queen Mary. (2)
The abbey of St Saviour, St Mary and St Bridget of Syon was moved to the site of Syon House from Twickenham (TQ 17 SE 9) in 1431. The new buildings had begun five years earlier and the men's quarters were quite separate from those of the nuns. Richard Reynolds, one of the priests was executed in 1535 for refusing to take the oath of supremacy and was canonised in 1970. The abbey was re-founded briefly from 1557 until 1558 and is now at South Brent, Devon (SX 76 SW 24) (3)
Syon Abbey was the only Bridgettine abbey in medieval England. It belonged to the order established in Vadestena in Sweden by St Bridget in 1346. At the time of its dissolution it was the 10th richest religious house in the country. The abbey was demolished and its building materials reused to construct Syon House built by the Protector Somerset in 1547-52. From 2003-8, geophysical surveys and excavations by the "Time Team"and Birkbeck college revealed some of the wall foundations of the church and other remains of monastic buildings. (4) |