Andersey Island

Has been described as a Certain Palace (Royal), and also as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

NameAndersey Island
Alternative NamesCastle of the Rhae; Abingdon; Isula Andresia
Historic CountryBerkshire
Modern AuthorityOxfordshire
1974 AuthorityOxfordshire
Civil ParishCulham

The island of Andersey was the site of a royal residence from an early period. In his great charter of 993, Aethelred II refers to the 'royal building' on the 'estate called Abingdon'. Shortly before the Conquest, Andersey was granted by Abingdon Abbey to a wealthy secular priest named Blacheman, who built a church dedicated to St Andrew, and an elaborate house built around a cloister. After the Conquest, Blacheman, who had attached his fortunes to those of Gytha, Earl Godwin's widow, and fled the country after the siege of Exeter. His estates were siezed by King William, who converted Andersey to a royal residence. However, in 1101-2 the buildings were ruinous, and Henry I granted permission to the Abbot of Abingdon to demolish the buildings and use the materials to rebuild his monastery. According to Leland the buildings were fortified, and in C16 the site was still known as the 'Castle of the Rhae'. He says the site was almost in the middle, between the old and new bottom of the Isis, and that an old barn stood on the site. (PastScape)

After the Conquest both William I and William II used to stay at the royal hunting lodge on Andersey. The Conqueror in particular delighted in the island's green meadows and recuperated there from blood-letting, (Chron. Abingdon, ii. 49) but Henry I was persuaded by Queen Maud to return the island to Abingdon and to allow the abbot to use the lead from the many houses on the island for the roof of the abbey church. It appears from the chronicler's account that the stone buildings on the island were already in decay, (Ibid. 50–51) but local memory of them was still strong when Leland visited Culham. He says that there was once a 'fortres or pile lyke a castle in Andersey' and that it lay almost exactly between the old and new courses of the Thames. (Leland, Itin. v. 76) (VCH)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSU501963
Latitude51.6632614135742
Longitude-1.27704000473022
Eastings450100
Northings196300
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 895-6
  • Lobel, M. (ed), 1962, VCH Oxfordshire Vol. 7 p. 27-39 online transcription

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 34
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 76 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Stevenson, J. (ed), 1858, Chronicon Monasterii de Abingdon Vol. 2 p. 49 (London; Longman Rolls series) online copy (A newer edition based on the earliest manuscript should be consulted. see Hudson, J. (ed), 2007, Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis The History of the Church of Abingdon (Oxford; Oxford University Press))