Recall a time when rooks were not just birds. Here at Godstow Abbey, local lore says they are the spirits of nuns. These nuns once inhabited this very nunnery.
Godstow Abbey stands about 2.5 miles northwest of Oxford’s city center. It sits peacefully on the River Thames’s bank, between Wolvercote and Wytham. The abbey ruins whisper tales of Benedictine nuns and royal secrets.
Construction of Godstow Abbey began in 1133. Edith de Launceline founded it after a vision. She was told to build a house for 24 gentlewomen where heaven’s light touched the ground. King Henry I supported her vision and helped build the nunnery. It was dedicated to St Mary and St John the Baptist.
Godstow Abbey became the final resting place of Rosamund Clifford. She was King Henry II’s mistress. Her story adds romance and intrigue to the abbey’s history. Henry’s affair became public, and Rosamund retired to Godstow in 1176. She died shortly after. Henry II paid for her tomb in the abbey’s choir. He also gave money for the nuns to care for it.
Rosamund’s tomb became a local shrine. People prayed there until 1191. Bishop Hugh of Lincoln found the tomb in front of the high altar. He called Rosamund a harlot and ordered her remains removed. Her tomb was moved to the cemetery. It was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII.
The abbey expanded between 1176 and 1188. Henry II donated timber and money. He favored the abbey because of Rosamund’s burial there. He gained patronal rights from the nuns.
Godstow Abbey faced challenges. In 1432, reports claimed Oxford scholars were having illicit encounters with the nuns. Rules were set to prevent nuns from going into Oxford. They were not allowed to exchange letters or tokens with scholars. One nun even eloped with a monk from Eynsham.
Katherine Bulkeley was the last abbess. She was elected in 1535. Her brother had strong ties to Thomas Cromwell. John Tregonwell commended the abbey in 1535. He said all was well and in good order.
But in 1538, Dr. John London tried to force the nuns to leave. Lady Katherine resisted. She claimed Dr. London threatened her and her sisters. Despite her efforts, Godstow Abbey was suppressed in 1539. Cromwell ensured Lady Katherine received a generous pension.
After the Dissolution, George Owen converted the abbey into Godstow House. His family lived there until 1645. The house was badly damaged during the English Civil War. Locals used the ruins as a stone source for their buildings.
Today, only ruins remain. A stone bridge existed in 1692. It may have been held by Royalists against Parliamentarians in 1644. The current bridge was built in 1792. Godstow Lock was built in 1790.
Even Lewis Carroll visited Godstow. He brought Alice Liddell and her sisters for picnics. These trips inspired “Alice in Wonderland”. More recently, Godstow Abbey’s ruins appeared in the film “Mamma Mia. Here We Go Again”.
Godstow Abbey consisted of a guest house and a nunnery. It had an outer court, a priest’s lodging, and St. Thomas’s chapel. The abbey church included cloisters. The main gatehouse faced the Wolvercote–Wytham road.
Take a moment to appreciate the silent stones around you. They echo with tales of faith, love, and royal drama. Godstow Abbey’s story is etched in every stone. It invites us to remember its past.