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Egglestone Abbey is a ruined
Image of the abbey ruins from above in 1947
Egglestone Abbey: English Heritage
{{authority control Monasteries in County Durham Premonstratensian monasteries in England River Tees English Heritage sites in County Durham Ruins in County Durham Tourist attractions in County Durham English Heritage sites in Yorkshire Grade I listed buildings in County Durham Christian monasteries established in the 12th century 12th-century establishments in England Grade I listed monasteries Grade I listed ruins Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation
Egglestone Abbey is a ruined Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...
abbey in County Durham
County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
, England. It is located south-east of Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle (, ) is a market town on the north bank of the River Tees, in County Durham, England. The town is named after and built around a medieval castle ruin. The town's Bowes Museum has an 18th-century Silver Swan automaton exhibit ...
, on the south bank of the River Tees
The River Tees (), in England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for to reach the North Sea in the North East of England. The modern-day history of the river has been tied with the industries ...
, and was historically within the North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at .
From the Restoration it was used as a lieutenancy area, having b ...
.
The site buildings are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
and maintained by English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
; admission is free.
History
The Abbey was founded in the late 12th century at some point between 1168 and 1198 most likely by a member of the Multon family; the oldest document about the abbey dated to 1198 mentions a fine by the overlord Ralph Lenham to Ralph Multon in regard to alienated land. The founders were the Premonstratensians who wore a white habit and became known as the White Canons. They followed a code of austerity similar to that ofCistercian
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monks, unlike monks of other orders, they were exempt from the strict Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United States ...
discipline. They undertook preaching and pastoral work in the region (such as distributing meat and drink). They chose the site for the abbey because of its isolation, close proximity to a river and the supply of local stone for its construction.
In common with many early monasteries, the original church at Egglestone Abbey was enlarged, and partly rebuilt, about one hundred years later. It is this later church that survives today.
The abbey was always poor and at times had difficulty maintaining the required number of canons (twelve – from the Twelve Apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
).
Egglestone Abbey was to suffer at the hands of Scottish invaders and the rowdy English army who were billeted there in 1346 on their way to the Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place during the Second War of Scottish Independence on 17 October 1346, half a mile (800 m) to the west of Durham, England. An invading Scottish army of 12,000 led by King David II was defeated with heavy lo ...
outside Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England
**County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States
Durham may also refer to:
Places
...
.
The Abbey was dissolved in 1540 by King Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. The lands were granted in 1548 to Robert Strelley, who converted some of the buildings into a great private house that was abandoned in the mid-19th century.
Eventually, much of the abbey was pulled down and some of the stonework was used to pave the stable yard at the nearby Rokeby Park
Rokeby Park is a country house in the Palladian style in the civil parish of Rokeby, County Durham, Rokeby, in Northern England. It is close to the confluence of the River Tees and River Greta, Durham, River Greta, near Greta Bridge in what is n ...
in the 19th century. The ruins were Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
in 1987.
See also
Other Premonstratensian Abbeys include: *Shap Abbey
Shap Abbey was a religious house of the Premonstratensian order of Canons regular situated on the western bank of the River Lowther in the civil parish of Shap Rural, around from the village of Shap, in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England ...
in Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
*Easby Abbey
Easby Abbey, or the Abbey of St Agatha, is a ruined Premonstratensian abbey on the eastern bank of the River Swale on the outskirts of Richmond in the county of North Yorkshire, England. The site is privately owned but maintained by English Heri ...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
References
Sources
*External links
Image of the abbey ruins from above in 1947
Egglestone Abbey: English Heritage
{{authority control Monasteries in County Durham Premonstratensian monasteries in England River Tees English Heritage sites in County Durham Ruins in County Durham Tourist attractions in County Durham English Heritage sites in Yorkshire Grade I listed buildings in County Durham Christian monasteries established in the 12th century 12th-century establishments in England Grade I listed monasteries Grade I listed ruins Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation