Rewley Abbey

Rewley Abbey is a medieval monastery ruin in Oxford with surviving stone walls and a fifteenth-century gateway structure. These fragments are located near the terminus of the Oxford Canal and give a sense of the site's former extent.

The monastery was founded in 1281 by Edmund, Earl of Cornwall, as a training center for the Cistercian order. After its closure, the site eventually became associated with the establishment of Bernard College.

The site held meaning for the Cistercian order as a place where monks from across their network came to deepen their knowledge. Today, it stands as a reminder of how religious communities shaped Oxford's scholarly traditions.

The site is publicly accessible on foot from Oxford's city center. The remains are best viewed in daylight, and there is little shelter from rain or wind at the location.

Stones from the demolished monastery were salvaged and reused to reinforce the foundations of St Mary Magdalen's Church nearby. This hidden connection links two religious sites across Oxford's history in an unexpected way.

Location: Oxford

Inception: 13 century

GPS coordinates: 51.75430,-1.26815

Latest update: December 13, 2025 12:25