Bolton Abbey

Last updated
The graveyard by the Priory Bolton Priory Graveyard.jpg
The graveyard by the Priory

Bolton Hall Bolton Abbey (6891987209).jpg
Bolton Hall
Kite aerial photo of Bolton Priory Kite aerial photo of Bolton Abbey.jpg
Kite aerial photo of Bolton Priory
Bolton Priory BoltonPriory.jpg
Bolton Priory
Bolton Priory windows Bolton Abbey 7.jpg
Bolton Priory windows

Bolton Abbey Estate in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, takes its name from a 12th-century Augustinian monastery of canons regular, now known as Bolton Priory. The priory, which was closed in the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by King Henry VIII, is in the Yorkshire Dales, which lies next to the village of Bolton Abbey.

Contents

The estate is open to visitors, and includes many miles of all-weather walking routes. The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway terminates at Bolton Abbey station one and a half miles/2.5 km from Bolton Priory.

Bolton Priory

1850s Albumen print by Roger Fenton Bolton Abbey by Roger Fenton, 1850s.png
1850s Albumen print by Roger Fenton

The monastery was founded at Embsay in 1120. Led by a prior, Bolton Abbey was technically a priory, despite its name. It was founded in 1154 by the Augustinian order, on the banks of the River Wharfe. The land at Bolton, as well as other resources, were given to the order by Lady Alice de Romille of Skipton Castle in 1154. [1] In the early 14th century Scottish raiders caused the temporary abandonment of the site and serious structural damage to the priory. [2] The seal of the priory featured the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child and the phrase sigillum sancte Marie de Bolton. [3]

The nave of the abbey church was in use as a parish church from about 1170 onwards, and survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Building work was still going on at the abbey when the Dissolution of the Monasteries resulted in the termination of the priory in January 1540. The east end remains in ruins. A tower, begun in 1520, was left half-standing, and its base was later given a bell-turret and converted into an entrance porch. Most of the remaining church is in the Gothic style of architecture, but more work was done in the Victorian era, including windows by August Pugin. It still functions as a church today, holding services on Sundays and religious holidays.

Bolton Abbey churchyard contains the war grave of a Royal Flying Corps officer of the First World War. [4] The churchyard also has the grave of cricketer Fred Trueman. [5]

Bolton Abbey Estate

The Craven Heifer Craven Heifer portrait.jpg
The Craven Heifer

The Domesday Book lists Bolton Abbey as the caput manor of a multiple estate including 77 carucates of ploughland (around 9240 acres/3850 ha) belonging to Edwin, Earl of Mercia. The estate then comprised Bolton Abbey, Halton East, Embsay, Draughton; Skibeden, Skipton, Low Snaygill, Thorlby; Addingham, Beamsley, Holme, Gargrave; Stainton, Otterburn, Scosthrop, Malham, Anley; Coniston Cold, Hellifield and Hanlith. They were all laid waste in the Harrying of the North after the defeat of the rebellion of Edwin, Earl of Mercia and classified as the Clamores (disputed land) of Yorkshire [6] until around 1090, when they were transferred to Robert de Romille, who moved its administrative centre to Skipton Castle. The Romille line died out around 1310, and Edward II granted the estates to Robert Clifford. [7]

In 1748 Baroness Clifford married William Cavendish and Bolton Abbey Estate thereafter belonged to the Dukes of Devonshire, until a trust was set up by the 11th Duke of Devonshire turning it over to the Chatsworth Settlement Trustees to steward.

Today, the 33,000 acre (134 km2) estate contains six areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including Strid Wood, an ancient woodland (mainly oak), which contains the length of the River Wharfe known as The Strid, and a marine fossil quarry. The estate encompasses 8 miles (13 km) of river, 84 farms, 84 buildings of architectural interest, and four Grade I listed buildings; and is currently home to 27 businesses from tearooms to bookshops. The iconic stepping stones cross the River Wharfe near the Abbey ruins. The estate includes extensive grouse moors, including Barden Moor on the west side of Wharfedale and Barden Fell on the east side of the dale. There is also a pheasant shoot. Apart from people employed within these businesses, the estate employs about 120 staff to work on the upkeep of the estate. Much of the estate is open to the public. A charge is made for car parking.

The Dales Way passes through the estate on a permissive path. Barden Moor and Barden Fell, which includes the prominent crag of Simon's Seat, are on access land, and permissive paths, including a route called the Valley of Desolation, lead up to the moors. [8] Access to the moors may be closed to the public during the shooting season. [8]

Bolton Abbey Hall, originally the gatehouse of the priory, was converted into a house by the Cavendish family. The hall is a Grade II* listed building. [9]

As well as Bolton Abbey, the Cavendish family also own the Chatsworth (Derbyshire, England) and Lismore Castle (Waterford, in the Republic of Ireland) estates.

In the early nineteenth century, a cow known as the Craven Heifer was bred on the Bolton Abbey estate. Weighing 312 stones (1.98 tonnes), and measuring 11 ft 4ins in length and over 7 ft in height, she remains to this day Britain's largest ever cow.

The Priory Church

The Priory Church of St. Mary and St. Cuthbert, Bolton Abbey, is an active Church of England church, serving the village and parish of Bolton Abbey, with a full calendar of liturgical events, and a full-time rector who lives in the adjacent Rectory. The current church is the surviving part of the otherwise ruined 12th-century Augustinian religious community originally known as Bolton. It is situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, within the Bolton Abbey estate.

Bolton Abbey in culture

The views and setting of the priory's remains have been immortalised in painting and poetry.

Most notably a painting by Edwin Landseer and several watercolours by J. M. W. Turner one of which, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire (1809), is held at the British Museum. [10] The young Brontë sisters are believed to have visited the estate while Landseer was in residence. [11] (Researching for his painting Bolton Abbey in Olden Times, the young authors were escorted on an exclusive guided tour by an unnamed 'E'.) The following year Charlotte Brontë exhibited a drawing 'Bolton Abbey' alongside stars of the day at the Royal Northern Festival of Arts, Leeds. When first discovered by Jane Sellars and Christine Alexander in 1994, [12] it was thought based on Turner's view of 1809, but further research, and detail of a drifting heron relates the drawing more closely to Landseer's oil-sketch of the same scene, which shows a heron drifting toward Charlotte's reciprocal bird, as if to embrace. Landseer's sketch was never exhibited or reproduced, it reiterates therefore that the Brontës met the influential artist in 1833. William Wordsworth's poem The White Doe of Rylstone was inspired by a visit to Bolton Abbey in 1807. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway</span> Heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England

The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway (E&BASR) is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England, formed in 1979 and opened in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Wharfe</span> River in Yorkshire, England

The River Wharfe is a river in Yorkshire, England originating within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. For much of its middle course it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. Its valley is known as Wharfedale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craven District</span> Former local government district in North Yorkshire, England

Craven was a non-metropolitan district in the west of North Yorkshire, centred on the market town of Skipton. The name Craven is much older than the modern district and encompassed a larger area. This history is also reflected in the way the term is still commonly used, such as by the Church of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grassington</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Grassington is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The population of the parish at the 2011 Census was 1,126. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and now in the lieutenancy area of North Yorkshire, the village is situated in Wharfedale, about 8 miles (10 km) north-west from Bolton Abbey, and is surrounded by limestone scenery. Nearby villages include Linton, Threshfield, Hebden, Conistone and Kilnsey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilnsey</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone. The village is 12 miles (19 km) north of Skipton and 3 miles (5 km) south of Kettlewell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wharfedale line</span> Railway line in England

The Wharfedale line is one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service connects Ilkley with Leeds and Bradford, and is operated by Northern Trains. West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for use on the line, covering Zones 3–5. The line is served predominantly by four-coach Class 333 electric multiple units.

Kildwick, or Kildwick-in-Craven, is a village and civil parish of the district of Craven in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Skipton and Keighley and had a population of 191 in 2001, rising slightly to 194 at the 2011 census. Kildwick is a landmark as where the major road from Keighley to Skipton crosses the River Aire. The village's amenities include a primary school, church and public house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appletreewick</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Appletreewick is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-east of Skipton, 7 miles (11 km) from Skipton railway station and 16 miles (25.7 km) from Leeds Bradford International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barden, Craven</span> Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Barden is a civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It consists of the hamlet of Drebley and a few scattered houses in Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales. The parish also includes two areas of moorland, Barden Fell to the east of the River Wharfe and Barden Moor to the west of the river. Both moorlands are access land, and are popular with walkers. Barden Fell rises to the prominent peak of Simon's Seat, and Barden Moor includes two scenic 19th century reservoirs. Much of the parish is on the Bolton Abbey estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embsay</span> Village in North Yorkshire, England

Embsay is a village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is paired with the neighbouring hamlet of Eastby to form the civil parish of Embsay with Eastby. The parish population as of the 2011 census was 1,871.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolton Priory</span> Church in North Yorkshire, England

Bolton Priory, whose full title is The Priory Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert, Bolton Abbey, is a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England in the village of Bolton Abbey, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park in North Yorkshire, England. There has been continuous worship on the site since 1154, when a group of Augustinian canons moved from their original community in nearby village of Embsay and started construction of the present building, which is now situated within a scheduled monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Despite the loss of most of the Priory buildings during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the western half of the original nave was preserved so that the local parish could continue its worship there. There is today a full liturgical calendar, although a programme of other events, which formerly included the spring Blessing of the Lambs, the Bolton Priory Celebrity Organ Recitals, the Bolton Priory Mystery Play and the Bolton Priory Live Nativity, now only comprises the Bolton Priory Concert Series and the annual St Cuthbert lecture. The Priory is a member of the Greater Churches Network, and pre-Covid welcomed more than 160,000 visitors a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hebden, North Yorkshire</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Hebden is a village and civil parish in the Craven District of North Yorkshire, England, and one of four villages in the ecclesiastical parish of Linton. It lies near Grimwith Reservoir and Grassington, in Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. In 2011 it had a population of 246.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire Dales Railway</span> Railway line in North Yorkshire, England

The Yorkshire Dales Railway was a branch line linking the town of Skipton with the villages of Rylstone, Threshfield and Grassington in North Yorkshire, England. There were two stations on the line - Grassington & Threshfield and Rylstone - and a connection via the Skipton to Ilkley Line to Skipton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skipton–Ilkley line</span>

The Skipton–Ilkley line is the route that the Midland Railway took to link the towns of Skipton and Ilkley via the villages of Embsay, Bolton Abbey and Addingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embsay Priory</span> Medieval monastic house in North Yorkshire, England

Embsay Priory was a medieval monastic house in North Yorkshire, England.

Robert de Romille was an adventurer from Brittany who joined the Normans in their Conquest of Britain. After 1086 King William I made him lord of the estates of Bolton Abbey. Romille built the first Skipton Castle in 1090 to repel the expansions of Malcolm III of Scotland. In 1102 Romille's lands were greatly increased by Henry I of England to include all of upper Wharfedale and upper Airedale. His male line died out before 1310; but by his daughters he has many descendants today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon's Seat</span>

Simon's Seat is a peak in the Yorkshire Dales in northern England. It is a prominent outcrop of millstone grit on the eastern side of Wharfedale. Although only 485 metres (1,591 ft) high, the extensive views from the summit make it a popular destination for walkers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barden Tower</span> Medieval building in North Yorkshire, England

Barden Tower is a ruined building in the Parish of Barden, in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. The tower was used as a hunting lodge in the 15th and 16th centuries, and despite a renovation in the 1650s, it fell into disrepair in the 18th century. The tower is now part of the Bolton Estate and is listed as a medieval fortified tower. Along with other buildings on the Bolton Estate, it is a focal point and many people visit the tower. It is also a way marker on the 100-mile (160 km) Lady Anne's Way long distance path.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Barden Reservoir</span> Freshwater reservoir in North Yorkshire, England

Upper Barden Reservoir is an upland fresh water reservoir, one of two reservoirs that collect water from Barden Moor, and dam Barden Beck, a tributary of the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England. The reservoir was opened in 1882 and also supplies fresh water to the Nidd Aqueduct, which transports it to Bradford. Upper Barden Reservoir was the second of the reservoirs to be built,.

References

  1. ↑ "Bolton Abbey – Priory Ruins".
  2. ↑ Brabbs, Derry: "Abbeys & Monasteries", pages 82–83, Weildenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.
  3. ↑ "Houses of Austin canons: Priory of Bolton – British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk.
  4. ↑ "Second Lieutenant William Sutton Smeeth – War Casualty Details – CWGC".
  5. ↑ "Final farewells to hero Trueman". BBC News. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
  6. ↑ Dr. Anne Williams and Prof. G H Martin, ed. (1992). Domesday Book a Complete Translation. Penguin Books. ISBN   978-0-14-143994-5.
  7. ↑ Whitaker, Thomas Dunham (2012) [1805]. The History and Antiquities of the Deanery of Craven in the County of York (new ed.). London: British Library. pp. 8. ISBN   9781241342692.
  8. 1 2 "Valley of Desolation & Simon's Seat". Bolton Abbey Estate. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  9. ↑ Historic England. "Bolton Abbey Hall (1131774)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "Gallery – Bolton Abbey Yorkshire by The British Museum Images stock photo and image search". British Museum Images.
  11. ↑ Knights, David (11 February 2019). "New research into Brontes and Duke". Keighley News. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Alexander, Christine; Sellars, Jane (23 February 1995). The Art of the Brontës. Cambridge University Press. ASIN   0521438411.
  13. ↑ "Rare Wordsworth Manuscript Secured By Wordsworth Trust – Culture24". www.culture24.org.uk.
  14. ↑ Holman, Tom (14 October 2010). A Yorkshire Miscellany. Frances Lincoln. ISBN   9781907666353 – via Google Books.
  15. ↑ Spracklen, K. (7 May 2009). The Meaning and Purpose of Leisure: Habermas and Leisure at the End of Modernity. Springer. ISBN   9780230239500 – via Google Books.
  16. ↑ ""The Trip" The Angel at Hetton (TV Episode 2010)" – via www.imdb.com.
  17. ↑ Hordley, Chris (20 October 2017). "Where was BBC's Gunpowder Filmed?". Creative England. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2017.


53°58′57″N1°53′14″W / 53.98250°N 1.88722°W / 53.98250; -1.88722

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.