Rewley Abbey

Rewley Abbey was a Cistercian house on the western edge of medieval Oxford, and one of the city's earliest university colleges. Almost nothing of it stands today, yet its story says a lot about how monks, money and scholarship shaped Oxford in the 13th century.

What was Rewley Abbey?

The abbey was founded in 1281 by Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall. It was both a monastery and a studium, a house of study where Cistercian monks could live while attending lectures at the university. For travellers interested in Oxford's academic roots, it is a reminder that the university grew not only from secular colleges but also from religious orders that sent their brightest members to study there.

Why was it founded?

The idea began with Edmund's father, Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, who also founded Hailes Abbey. Richard had intended a modest foundation: a college or chantry of three secular priests who would pray for his soul. Edmund changed the plan and chose six Cistercian monks instead, because he had more confidence in them. The scheme grew further. In 1280 Edmund offered the general chapter of the Cistercian order a college for the order's students at Oxford. The chapter accepted and gave the new college the same privileges as the college of St. Bernard in Paris.

Who ran it?

The Oxford house was placed under the Abbot of Thame, just as the Paris college was under the Abbot of Clairvaux. In the following year the chapter decided, out of respect for the Earl of Cornwall, that the Abbot of Thame could appoint an abbot of his choice for the Oxford house. It also ordered a daily commemoration of the late Earl of Cornwall at Mass. Rewley therefore combined a scholarly purpose with the prayers for a founder's soul that Richard had wanted from the start.

What happened to it?

Rewley did not remain a place of study for long. It ceased to function as a studium at some point before 1398. It was dissolved in 1536 together with the smaller monasteries, when its net annual income was valued at £174.

What can you see today?

Little survives above ground, so do not expect ruins. Archaeological work on the site, including excavations connected with the Saïd Business School in 2010-11, found traces of medieval farm buildings and works: a barn, a system of ditches for drainage or boundaries, and the remains of two fishponds. Part of the site lies within a Scheduled Monument.

The area later changed completely. In 1851 Rewley Road railway station opened on the former abbey grounds, with a design that followed that of the Crystal Palace. The station was listed at Grade II but was taken down in 1999.

Practical tips

• The site lies in Oxford, near the western edge of the centre, so you can include it in a walk through the city.
• Come for the history rather than for visible remains. Reading about the abbey beforehand will make the visit much more rewarding.
• Pair it with a visit to the university's medieval colleges to see the contrast between what survived and what vanished.

Frequently asked questions

When was Rewley Abbey founded? In 1281, by Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall.

Who was it intended for? Cistercian monks, who lived there while studying at the University of Oxford.

Does anything of the abbey remain? Very little is visible above ground. Excavations have found medieval features such as a barn and fishponds.

What stands on the site now? The Rewley Road railway station once stood on the grounds, but it was demolished in 1999.