“Get Thee to a Nunnery” – William Shakespeare

While I could not ever be likened to Hamlet’s Ophelia, I did get me to a nunnery while on a work trip to Oxford in the early 2000’s. I took the photo above of Godstow Nunnery or Godstow Abbey on one of my daily walks to “work” at Oxford University Press during a lovely week in June. You can read about my adventures in Oxford here.

All that remains of Godstow Abbey is a rough foundation and this wall. The wondrous ruins can be found not far outside of the village of Wolvercote and a short walk from the city of Oxford.  The historian in me led to an unearthing of the origins of the abbey, and I was surprised to learn it has quite a storied, and mythical past!

Built and consecrated in 1139 (!), the abbey’s dedication was attended by the who’s who in royalty at the time: King Henry II, the Queen, and the Archbishop of Canterbury to name a few. Soon after, the abbey became the final resting place for Henry II’s mistress, known as “Fair Rosamund.“ Many odes and poems followed the burial as Rosamund Clifford was a local favourite and legend tells that the Queen, Eleanor of Aquitane, having learned of Henry’s indiscretion, asked Rosamund to choose between a dagger and poison, Rosamund choosing the latter. Her burial place was soon moved outside the walls of the abbey into a nearby field where now a hazelnut tree grows, along with rumours of Rosamund’s ghost inhabiting the local Trout Inn (also known as my most favourite location for a barley sandwich EVER!).

Sounds fantastical doesn’t it? Downton Abbey has nothing on Godstow!! This, of course, is the shortened, pulled-from-the-headlines mythical version of a much longer, more complicated and less fantastical tale that you can learn about here, here, and here. History has proven that much of the story of Rosamund Clifford and Henry II is the work of pure fiction, but it does make for a good story on a Saturday doesn’t it? If I were not heading home for a birthday celebration (I am quite old now!), this post would have broken all records and best practices for scrolling! I promise a longer version on another less busy weekend!

Until then, have a wonderful weekend dear readers!