Ankerwycke Priory

Ankerwycke Priory is a monastic ruin standing on the riverbank in Wraysbury, with stone and chalk walls spread across the site from different periods. Visitors can see preserved arches, foundations of monastic buildings, and the overall layout of what once stood here.

A Benedictine nunnery was founded here in 1160 and grew into a significant religious community along the Thames. Monastic life ended when the monastery was dissolved during the 1530s upheaval under Henry VIII.

This was a community of women religious who shaped life along the Thames for hundreds of years and left their mark on the landscape. The visible remains today tell the story of daily work and spiritual practice that once defined this place.

The National Trust manages this site with designated pathways for visitors, though parking nearby is limited. Come during daylight hours with sturdy shoes, as the ground is uneven and the ruins can be tricky to navigate among the riverside vegetation.

Archaeologists uncovered a silver coin from the time of King Henry III and evidence that the nuns had the right to let their pigs forage in Windsor Forest. This practical freedom reveals the community was not cut off but deeply linked to royal lands and local resources.

Location: Wraysbury

Inception: 1160s

GPS coordinates: 51.44360,-0.55657

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:06