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Description: | The Premonstratensian Abbey of St Mary and St John the Baptist was founded between 1195 and 1198. After its Dissolution in 1540, and after a series of secular owners, it was sold in 1770 to John Morritt of Rokeby in whose family it remained until being placed in state care in 1925. The standing remains show that the monastery did not conform to the most common layout. Instead of the abbey church forming the north range of the cloister, it forms the south range and is offset to the east so that the remaining cloister buildings lie in a square to the north west of the nave and north transept. The church's offset position is due to it being rebuilt in the mid-late 13th century. The original late 12th century church was much smaller. In the late 15th century, the roof was altered. In addition to the chapter house, located next to the north transept of the church, the east cloister range included a two-storeyed structure built in the early 13th century. This contained the canons dorter and, on the ground floor, what is believed to be the infirmary. The standing remains of the north clositer are almost of late 12th or early 13th century date and include the canons' frater and warming house. The west cloister range was built in two phases; the early and late 13th century. The late 13th century range includes an undercroft used for storage and cellarage. To the west of the standing abbey remains are a series of earthworks representing the possible sites of ancillary buildings. In 1548 the abbey was granted to Robert Strelley who began its conversion into a secular residence. It does not appear to have been inhabited during the late 18th century but, during the 19th century, it was in use as labourers' cottages. In the early 20th century, large sections were dismantled and the stone removed for use in building work at nearby Rokeby Hall. Enclosures south of the ruins may be post-Dissolution garden compartments or paddocks. | Subjects: | Chapter House Country House Religious Ritual And Funerary Domestic Dormitory Undercroft Garden Infirmary Agriculture And Subsistence Gardens Parks And Urban Spaces Warming House Premonstratensian Monastery Storehouse Refectory Abbey Health And Welfare Ridge And Furrow Church | Source: | English Heritage - Viewfinder | Creator: | National Monuments Record | Identifier: | http://pastscape.english-heritage.org.uk... | Language: | en | Go to resource |
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