The Cosener’s House

The Cosener’s House is the conference & accommodation centre of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. It stands south of the site of Abingdon Abbey, divided from the abbey precincts by the millstream. The oldest part of the present building is the central portion, which dates from the mid eighteenth century. The east wing dates back to the nineteenth century while the rest is modern. The house itself is thought to have occupied the site of the Cuisinier’s Inn, mentioned in sixteenth and seventeenth century documents. This stood near the Cosener’s Bridge & Gatehouse. The garden seems to have been an orchard and the site of the purpose built conference suite is referred to as the mill garden & mill orchard.