This remnant of vaulting from Eynsham Abbey – a Benedictine monastery founded in 1005 – was discovered in a garden in Abbey Street, Eynsham in 2019. Eynsham Abbey replaced a church or minster that is known to have been in existence by the mid-9th century.
A vault is a self-supporting arch or series of arches used in the construction of ceilings and roofs, especially in religious buildings. The earliest vaults, as found, for example, in ancient Egypt, were simply deep arches. Over time, the design of vaults evolved considerably into much more complex and ornate structures. Vaults could be made using wood, brick or stone. This example of the Eynsham Abbey vaulting is made of stone.