Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust

This article is from Current Archaeology issue 439

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On 9 February 1538, Abbot Thomas Rowland signed a Deed of Surrender, formally handing over his monastery to Henry VIII, and the 1,000-year history of Abingdon Abbey came to an end. As a reward for giving up their property voluntarily, the 24 monks and the abbey servants all received pensions, while the abbot was allowed to retire to Cumnor Place for life, also with a generous pension.

Within just a few weeks, the valuable lead and stone had been removed from the abbey church and transported by river to London to be used for other buildings. What could not be erased, however, was impact of the ancient monastic institution on the development of the town. There is much still visible in Abingdon today that reminds us of the influence of monastic lordship, including parts of the precinct wall and the abbey gateway, the leat that once brought water to power the abbey mill, the names of streets (The Vineyard was indeed the abbey vineyard), and a large public park where the plan of the abbey church is marked out in the grass.

Several monastic buildings survive along the north bank of the millstream; these were condemned as slums in 1944 but were rescued by the Friends of Abingdon Abbey, who have just embarked on a three-year enhancement programme costing £5.4m, supported by a £4.2m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Sitting side by side, the Long Gallery and the Checker (the former abbey’s counting house and business centre) are the two main surviving structures. The Long Gallery, which is used for community events, weddings, and conferences, has a fine timber roof that has been dated to 1454/1455.

The Checker, meanwhile, still has parts that date from 1260. It is also reached by an external staircase that dates from 1992 but which stands on the site of its medieval predecessor. In 1952, the adjacent hall was converted into a 92-seat theatre specialising in plays of the Elizabethan and Restoration periods. Between 1959 and 1974, it saw the first performances since Handel’s lifetime of 12 of his Italian operas. Today the theatre, with its medieval roof, continues to be a much-loved community asset, hosting musical performances, amateur dramatics, and even an annual adults-only burlesque pantomime – what would the abbot have made of that?

As a teenager, J M W Turner made a watercolour sketch of the Checker in about 1793. He was attracted to the picturesque ensemble with its buttressed stone walls, lancet windows, and tall chimney, which is described in *The Buildings of England* as ‘the most interesting of its date in England’.

These ‘ruins’ are known as ‘Trendell’s Folly’ after the 19th-century mayor Edwin James Trendell, who once owned the Abbey Gardens. Abingdon Town Council purchased the abbey site in 1923 from his descendants in order to form today’s public park.

The interior of the Long Gallery, with painted decoration within one of the trusses featuring vines and pomegranates.

Further information: www.abingdonabbeybuildings.co.uk

Images: Christopher Catling

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