page_title: Sutton Courtenay
section_title: The Abbey
hierarchical_section_title: Sutton Courtenay / Buildings / The Abbey
caption_attribution_description: English: The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, England
context_page_description: Sutton Courtenay is a village and civil parish on the River Thames 2 miles south of Abingdon-on-Thames and 3 miles northwest of Didcot. Historically part of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of Oxfordshire since the 1974 boundary changes. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 2,421.
  Sutton Courtenay is home to some important structures, such as The Abbey, the Manor House, the All Saints' Church, a twelfth-century Norman Hall and the Sutton Bridge.
context_section_description: The Abbey is a medieval courtyard house, across the road from the Norman Hall and the Manor House. The Abbey has been recognised by the Historic Building Council for England (now Historic England) as a building of outstanding historic and architectural interest. It is considered to be a ‘textbook’ example of the English medieval manor house, and is a Grade I-listed building.
  The Abbey has its origins in the thirteenth century as a rectory of Abingdon Abbey. Several construction phases took place during the Middle Ages, carried out by prominent figures like Solomon of Rochester, Thomas Beckington and William Say, but it wasn't until the seventeenth century that the current plan was completed. It was probably during the Victorian era that the house acquired the name 'The Abbey'. From 1495 to 1867, The Abbey was in possession of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, who leased the estate among others to John Fettiplace.
  After being inhabited by Evelyn St. Croix Fleming, the estate was bought by David Astor in 1958, who leased it to the Ockenden Venture which offered sanctuary to refugees and displaced children. In the 70s, The Abbey was lent to the exiled Bishop Colin Winter to house the Namibia International Peace Centre. In 1978, the Astor family sold the house and in 1980 it came into possession of The New Era Centre, a non-profit charity led by Dr. Fred Blum and Bishop Stephen Verney. The New Era Centre used The Abbey as a spiritual retreat and conference centre, and changed its name to 'The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay' in the 1990s.
  The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay is a residential centre in which a spiritual community offers hospitality to people seeking personal growth, spiritual refreshment and healing. The Abbey also runs a programme of events for the public in the areas of spirituality, personal development, education, and music and the arts.
caption: The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, a medieval courtyard house and former rectory
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