Dorchester Abbey

Recommended by

Overview

The abbey in this small village dates to Norman times, with decorative additions including the chancel added in the 14th century, but the site has older links to the earliest Christians. In AD 635 Cynegils, the Saxon King of Wessex, was baptised here by the missionary bishop Birinus. The bishop’s remains were interred here in a wooden church, but later moved to Winchester for safe-keeping. An Augustinian abbey was established in the 12th century, with supposed relics of Birinus making it a popular pilgrimage site. The remarkable Tree of Jesse window, with its ‘bent’ stone mullions, on the chancel’s north wall dates from this wealthy time. After the Dissolution, the building remained as a parish church, gaining a tower in 1602, and then undergoing restoration by William Butterfield in the 19th century. Further notable features include the Norman lead font, the 14th-century frescoes, and the Victorian Great East Window with its medieval glass. You can find out more about the history of the building in the Cloister Gallery, a modern extension constructed in 2001. The church celebrates its US connections, and owes much of its 20th-century restoration to the efforts of Edith Gratia Stedman and the American Friends of Dorchester Abbey. A museum in the Cloister Gallery tells the history of the church through its carved stonework (free, open daily May–Sep, 2–5).

Features

Opening Times
Open all year
Opening Times: Open daily all year, 8am to dusk

Facilities
Parking nearby

Location

High Street, DORCHESTER-ON-THAMES, OX10 7HH

About the area

Located at the heart of England, Oxfordshire enjoys a rich heritage and varied scenery, with Oxford’s elegant streets a highlight for visitors. The landscape encompasses open chalk downland, picturesque rivers and attractive villages, while northwest of Oxfordshire is home to the sleepy backwaters of Abingdon, Wallingford, Wantage, Watlington and Witney that reveal how Oxfordshire’s old towns evolved over the centuries.