Rewley Abbey facts for kids
The Cistercian Abbey of Rewley was a special kind of monastery located in Oxford, England. It was built in the 1200s by a powerful person named Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall.
Edmund's father, Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, had planned to create a place for three priests to pray for him. But Edmund changed this plan. He decided to have six Cistercian monks instead, because he trusted them more. Cistercian monks follow a strict way of life focused on prayer and hard work.
In 1280, Edmund offered to create a special college in Oxford just for Cistercian monks to study. The Cistercian leaders agreed! They decided this new college should have the same special rules as a famous Cistercian college in Paris. It would be looked after by the head monk (Abbot) of Thame Abbey. The next year, they made sure that a special prayer would be said daily for Edmund's father at the college.
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What Land Did Rewley Abbey Own?
Rewley Abbey received many gifts of land and property from its founder, Edmund. These gifts helped the Abbey support itself and its monks.
- The Manor of Yarnton
- Mills in Cassington
- A small village called Wyllanston in Mixbury
- Two parks in Nettlebed called Great and Little Hymer (now Highmore)
- Buildings in London
- The right to choose the priest for St. Wendron church in Cornwall (now called Wendron)
Later, Edward the Black Prince gave the Abbey the right to choose the priest for St. Stithians church in Cornwall too. By 1535, the Abbey also had rents from properties in Coventry. They didn't gain much more land after their first gifts. In 1396, the Abbot of Rewley Abbey even had to accuse some men of stealing goods from their lands in Cornwall.
Who Lived at Rewley Abbey?
When Rewley Abbey first opened, there were fifteen monks living there. By 1294, this number grew to sixteen.
In 1292, the head of the Cistercian order, the Abbot of Cîteaux, ordered that Cistercian monasteries in the area of Canterbury should send students to Rewley Abbey. Each monastery with twenty monks was supposed to send one student. This shows that Rewley Abbey was an important place for Cistercian monks to get an education.
It's not completely clear how long Rewley Abbey stayed a place for study. However, we know that in 1300, there was a discussion about where the Rewley monks should stand in university parades. This proves they were still students then. Also, a document from 1315 about damage at Rewley mentioned that "the monks residing there are scholars."
A monk named John was recorded as the abbot of "Loco Regali" (another name for Rewley Abbey) in 1401.
Rewley Abbey likely stopped being a main study center when another college, Bernard College, was built. Later, King Henry VIII, who was a supporter of the Abbey, seemed to order that a grammar teacher should be kept at Rewley. He also wanted one or two monks from Rewley to be supported at Bernard College for their studies.
The End of Rewley Abbey
Rewley Abbey closed down in 1539 during a time known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was when King Henry VIII closed many monasteries across England.
In 1536, the Abbot of Rewley, Nicholaus Austen, tried to save the monastery. He offered a large sum of money to a powerful government official, Thomas Cromwell, hoping to turn the Abbey into a college instead. But it didn't work. Abbot Nicholas was given a pension (money to live on) and went to study at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Today, there is still a Catholic Priest who holds the honorary title of Abbot of Rewley Abbey.
What Remains of Rewley Abbey Today?
Most of Rewley Abbey was taken apart after it closed. Some of its stones were even used to make the tower of St Mary Magdalen's Church, Oxford stronger.
In 1851, the Oxford Rewley Road railway station was built right on the Abbey's old site. This railway station was used until 1984.
Today, the only part of the Abbey you can still see is a small piece of a wall and a gate. These are located near the end of the Oxford Canal. For many years, this gate marked the edge of the rail yard near Oxford railway station. Now, a neighborhood of houses stands on the land where Rewley Abbey once proudly stood.
Images for kids
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An artist's impression of Rewley Abbey.
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The approximate location of Rewley Abbey at the back of the Said Business School.
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The only remaining gate of the Abbey, along the Oxford Canal
