Owston Abbey

Owston Abbey was an Augustinian monastery in Owston, Leicestershire. It stood on the site now occupied by St Andrew’s parish church. The abbey was founded before 1161 by Robert Grimbald. By 1166 it had acquired several churches and manors across Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. The abbey remained small despite its endowments. In 1440 the Bishop of Lincoln described it as poor, with an annual income of only £40. The abbey’s fortunes declined over the centuries. In 1377 it had 17 canons, but by 1536 only six remained. The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 recorded its income as £161.14s. 2d. The abbey was dissolved in 1536. The canons left willingly, and the abbot received an annual pension of £18. By 1556 the abbey was in ruins. Today, fragments of the abbey survive within St Andrew’s church. Earthworks and foundations lie to the south and south-west of the church. Remains of fish-ponds have been studied by archaeologists. The cloister is thought to have been south of the church, with some stonework still underground. The site is a scheduled monument, and the church is Grade I listed.