Quarr Abbey

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Quarrera

In the civil parish of Ryde.
In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Isle of Wight, 1974 county of Isle of Wight).

Fortified monastery. Precinct walls has circular gunloops. Roughly square enclosure. licensed 1365.
Edward III 24 Oct. 1365 Westminster
Licence for William, abbot of Quarr, in the Isle of Wight, and the convent of the same place, in the lifetime of the said William, to enclose with a wall and crenellate as many plots of land and of such precinct as they please on their own soil in the island, as well in the place called "Fisshehous" on the coast as elsewhere where it shall be expedient, and make castles or fortalices of these.
[C 66/272 Part 2, 39 Edw. III; or Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1216-1553, p.168.]
40 Edward III 12 June 1366 Westminster
Whereas the King lately granted licence for William, abbot, and the convent of Quarr in the Isle of Wight to enclose and crenellate divers plots of land on their own soil and castles or fortalices thereon in a place called Fisshehous on the sea coast and elsewhere on the island; he has now learned on the abbot's behalf that, whereas he has caused certain fortalices to be constructed at Fisshehous and at the abbot's mill and elsewhere on the island by virtue of the said licence, certain men of those parts are scheming to hinder those works and often set themselves to lay low and destroy the works begun by the abbot at his mill, the King has therefore taken the abbot, monks and fellow brethren, and the workmen and works of the abbey into his special protection, and has appointed Richard de Pembrugg and Theobald de Gorges, and deputies whom at the request of the abbot they shall appoint to survey the works, maintain and defend the abbot, monks and workmen and works, and arrest all contrariants during pleasure.
[C 66/273 Part 1, 40 Edw III ; or Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1216-1553, p. 253.]

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Ecclesiastical site.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1365 Oct 24.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SZ56629266

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 461626

• Web site links
  • http://www.quarrabbey.co.uk/
    http://www.arch.soton.ac.uk/Fieldwork/isle_of_wight/isle_of_wight.html
    http://www.btinternet.com/~rob.martin1/fort/home.htm#fis
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p67
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p197
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p536
    Kightly, C., 1979, Strongholds of the Realm (London: Thames and Hudson)
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p123
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p416
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100
    Renn, D.F., 1980, ‘The enciente wall of Quarr Abbey' Fort Vol8 p5-6
    1977, Fort Vol4 p83
    Renn, D.F., 1968 Archaeological Journal Vol 125 p301-3
    Renn, D.F., 1954, Proceedings of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol4 p350-1
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1364-67) p168. see also p253
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#wight3]