Murder and Intrigue on the Thames

Friday, 25 March 2011 21:44

Godstow Nunnery, or Abbey, was erected in 1133 for the nuns of the Benedictine Order. The ruin stands between Godstow Lock and Godstow Bridge and is now owned by Oxford University. Only some of the walls and St. Leonard's Chapel remain.

Godstow Bridge

Legend has it that Henry II's mistress, Rosamund the Fair, was murdered by Henry's jealous wife with poison. Apparently Henry found his beautiful mistress  in a local brothel - now the Trout Inn!

Some of the old walls

However, it is likely that she escaped to Godstow, became a nun, died and was buried there. Rosamund was buried in the Choir, right in front of the altar but the Bishop of Lincoln took exception to this, calling her a "harlot". He had her tomb moved outside the Abbey Church to the cemetery at the nuns Chapter House.

The church was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. The Abbey was converted into Godstow House by Henry VIII's Physician and then badly damaged by Cromwell's Commander, Colonel Fairfax in the Civil War in 1635. It fell into disrepair and the stone was used by the locals for building houses. It is believed to be haunted.

Inside St Leonard's Chapel

In more recent times the ruins were used to herd cattle and sheep together inside the ancient walls during the annual round up on Port Meadow, just downstream of Godstow Lock.

St Leonard's Chapel and more old walls

Hey - guess what, there is another Lewis Carroll link. Apparently Rev. Dodgson brought Alice Liddell (aka Alice in Wonderland) and her sisters to Godstow for river trips and picnics. In fact, the ruins still make a good sheltered picnic place - there were a group of students enjoying themselves when we visited - I managed to leave them out of the shot above!