Andersey Island

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle of the Rhae; Abingdon

In the civil parish of Culham.
In the historic county of Oxfordshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

The island of Andersey was the site of a royal residence from an early period. In his great charter of 993, Aethelred II refers to the `royal buuilding' on the `estate called Abingdon'. Shortly before the Conquest, Andersey was granted by Abingdon Abbey to a wealthy secular priest named Blacheman, who built a church dedicated to St Andrew, and an elaborate house built around a cloister. After the Conquest, Blacheman, who had attached his fortunes to those of Gytha, Earl Godwin's widow, and fled the country after the siege of Exeter. His estates were siezed by King William, who converted Andersey to a royal residence. However, in 1101-2 the buildings were ruinous, and Henry I granted permission to the Abbot of Abingdon to demolish the buildings and use the materials to rebuild his monastery. According to Leland the buildings were fortified, and in C16 the site was still known as the `Castle of the Rhae'. He says the site was almost in the middle, between the old and new bottom of the Isis, and that an old barn stood on the site. Leland placed this in Berkshire.

This site has been described as a;
Palace
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU501963

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; 1393651