Memorials & monuments · South East England
Douai Abbey
In or near Woolhampton.
Douai Abbey is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 15 min–45 min
- Nearest railway station
- Midgham · 1.6 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
Douai Abbey is located in West Berkshire, with the postcode RG7 5TQ. The nearest railway station is Midgham, which is 1.6 km away. Entry to the Abbey is free.
About
Douai Abbey is a public memorial in South-East England, recording local sacrifice and named in the parish register of war and civic monuments. The site is within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB). It sits within the Reading West and Mid Berkshire parliamentary constituency. The nearest railway station is Midgham, about 1.6 km away. Postcode area RG7.
Photo gallery
Official information
Douai Abbey is a Roman Catholic monastery located in Woolhampton, Berkshire, founded in 1615. It serves as a place for prayer, retreats, and quiet days, welcoming guests who seek stillness and spiritual study.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Wessex Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Douai Abbey is a Benedictine Abbey at Upper Woolhampton, near Thatcham, in the English county of Berkshire, situated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. Monks from the monastery of St. Edmund's, in Douai, France, came to Woolhampton in 1903 when the community left France as a result of anti-clerical legislation. The abbey church is listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The community of St. Edmund was formed in Paris in 1615 by Dom Gabriel Gifford, later Archbishop of Rheims and primate of France. With his backing the community flourished. Expelled from Paris during the Revolution, the community took over the vacant buildings of the community of St Gregory's in Douai in 1818. Amid the political upheavals caused by the Dreyfus affair around the turn of the 19th century, the French prime minister Waldeck-Rousseau introduced an anti-clerical Law of Associations (1901) that "severely curbed the influence of religious orders in France". This led to the community being given the minor seminary of St Mary in Woolhampton by Bishop Cahill of Portsmouth, moving from…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4098, -1.1715
- District
- West Berkshire
- Parish
- Woolhampton
- Postcode
- RG7 5TQ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Reading West and Mid Berkshire
- Established
- 1615
- Nearest railway station
- Midgham — 1.6 km
- Official site
- www.douaiabbey.org.uk
Sources
- osm: n514781309 (ODbL)
- commons: Douai Abbey by Edmund Shaw Geograph 3900102.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- wikipedia: Douai Abbey (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Douai Abbey?
- Douai Abbey is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RG7 5TQ), in the parish of Woolhampton.
- What is Douai Abbey?
- Douai Abbey is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Douai Abbey?
- The nearest railway station is Midgham, about 1.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode RG7 5TQ.
- When was Douai Abbey built?
- Built or established in 1615.
- Is Douai Abbey a protected site?
- Yes — Douai Abbey is part of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Douai Abbey free to visit?
- Yes, Douai Abbey is free to enter.
- How do I get to Douai Abbey?
- The nearest railway station is Midgham, about 1.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RG7 5TQ.