Douai Abbey Church

Douai Abbey Church in Woolhampton, West Berkshire, is the abbey church of a Benedictine community whose roots go back to seventeenth-century Paris. Built in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it is a Gothic Revival building and a Grade II* listed landmark of the Berkshire countryside.

What is Douai Abbey Church?

The church stands at Upper Woolhampton, near Thatcham, in the Kennet valley between Reading and Newbury. It serves the monks of Douai Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, and it is also open to visitors and to worshippers who come for services and retreats.

Why is it called Douai?

The name comes from the community's long journey. The monks were first formed in Paris in 1615 by Dom Gabriel Gifford. In 1818 they settled in the French town of Douai, which gave the abbey its name. In 1903, as anti-clerical legislation made life in France difficult for religious orders, the community moved to England and arrived in Woolhampton. Sources give slightly different dates for the purchase of the property, with 1909 mentioned in the listed-building records.

Who designed the church and what does it look like?

The abbey church was designed by the architect J. Arnold Crush in a free, curvilinear Gothic Revival style. It is built of red brick with Bath stone dressings, and construction took place between 1928 and 1933. Only about a third of Crush's plan was completed in 1933. The building was finished much later, in 1993, with an addition designed by Michael Blee. Historic England lists the church at Grade II*, a status given to particularly important buildings.

The west front is the part many visitors remember, an impressive and slightly unconventional composition. Inside, the long nave gives the church a calm, spacious character.

Music and acoustics

The church has two organs, one by Tamburini dating from 1978 and one by Kenneth Tickell from 1994. Its acoustics are well regarded, and the building has become a popular venue for recordings.

The earlier church and the monastery

Before the new abbey church was built, the community worshipped in the nearby church of St Mary, a parish church with a simple Gothic chapel dating from 1832. That building has since been altered considerably. In the 1960s a new monastery for the community was built to a design by Sir Frederick Gibberd, the architect also known for other major twentieth-century projects in England.

Visiting

The abbey lies in a quiet rural setting and is easiest to reach by car from Thatcham, Reading or Newbury. As the church belongs to a working monastery, it is best to check opening times and the service schedule before travelling, and to behave as in any place of worship. Lovers of church architecture, organ music and monastic history will find it a rewarding stop in this part of Berkshire.

Frequently asked questions

Is Douai Abbey Church listed? Yes, it is Grade II* listed.

Who was the architect? J. Arnold Crush designed it, and Michael Blee completed the plan in 1993.

Why does an English abbey have a French name? The community lived in Douai, France, from 1818 until 1903, when it moved to Woolhampton.