Ramsey Abbey

Ramsey Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cambridgeshire, with stone walls and a porch still visible on a gravel peninsula called Bodey Island. The remaining structures show how such religious communities were built during the medieval period.

Founded in 969 by Saint Oswald, the monastery began as a small wooden chapel and gradually developed into a substantial stone building. During the 1140s, a military leader seized control and used it as a fortress, which caused lasting damage to the structures.

The monastery maintained a collection of manuscripts, including the Ramsey Psalter from 1310 and texts authored by scholar Abbo of Fleury.

The site is now protected as a scheduled monument and can be visited in a peaceful location near the parish church. Good footwear is helpful for walking around the gravel peninsula and examining the stone remains.

The monastery held a valuable collection of handwritten manuscripts, including a psalter from the 1300s and texts by the scholar Abbo of Fleury. These works reflect the intellectual importance of the community in medieval learning.

Location: Ramsey

Inception: 969

Founders: Oswald of Worcester

GPS coordinates: 52.44820,-0.10124

Latest update: December 8, 2025 13:40