Cholsey Abbey was an Anglo-Saxon nunnery in

Cholsey Cholsey is a village and civil parish south of Wallingford in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded Cho ...

in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

county of Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), which was founded in 986.

History

After King

Edward the Martyr Edward ( ang, Eadweard, ; 18 March 978), often called the Martyr, was King of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but was not his father's acknowledged heir. On Edgar's death, the leader ...

was murdered, his stepmother, Ælfthryth, was implicated in the crime. Edward's death had allowed Ælfthryth's son,

Æthelred the Unready Æthelred II ( ang, Æþelræd, ;Different spellings of this king’s name most commonly found in modern texts are "Ethelred" and "Æthelred" (or "Aethelred"), the latter being closer to the original Old English form . Compare the modern diale ...

, to become King of England. Both Ælfthryth and Æthelred were instrumental in establishing Cholsey Abbey: an act of expiation for Edward's death. Following the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

attack on Wallingford in 1006, it is thought that the invaders burnt the nunnery to the ground. However, some ruins may have survived to be rebuilt as St Mary's Church, Cholsey (the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

), where Anglo-Saxon masonry survives in the tower.

Location

The site, nothing of which remains on the ground, lies immediately north-west of large village with its many amenities.

References

Royal Berkshire History: CholseyBritish History Online: Victoria County History of Berkshire: The Abbey of Reading
(mentioning Cholsey Abbey) 986 establishments Anglo-Saxon monastic houses Christian monasteries established in the 10th century 1006 disestablishments in Europe Monasteries in Berkshire Monasteries in Oxfordshire Church of England church buildings in Oxfordshire 10th-century establishments in England {{Berkshire-struct-stub