Oxney was once home to a group of monks. The monks were from Peterborough Abbey and would stay there for short spells and then return to the abbey. A chapel was built there in the reign of Henry I, so between 1100 and 1135. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and on occasion known as the Church of St Mary of Oxney.
Six monks would have lived at Oxney in what was known as a small cell. One of the monks took over all control of the site and was known as the warden. The last warden of Oxney was Edward Berney who lost his position in 1538 following the dissolution of the monasteries. The site remained in use as a farm or grange until recent times and several of the present buildings can be dated to the monastic cell.
Archaeological investigations have revealed habitation since the late Bronze Age. Other features include the remains of a considerable moat which once encircled the buildings, still partly intact, a figurine and a cauldron. There are also purportedly several previous inhabitants who never quite left the vicinity... The land is privately owned and not accessible to the general public.
