Ellerton Priory (Swaledale)

Ellerton Priory was a priory of Cistercian nuns in Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England.[1] Its ruins lie in the civil parish of Ellerton Abbey.[2]

Not to be confused with Ellerton-on-Swale.

The Priory ruins

History

There is uncertainty over the establishment of the priory. It was probably founded in the late 12th century, either by the Egglescliffe family, or by Warnerus, chief steward to the Earl of Richmond, or by Wymerus of the Aske family.[3] In 1342 it suffered badly at the hands of marauding Scots, who are described as having razed and despoiled the Priory.[4]

In 1536 Thomas Cromwell's commissioners arrived to inspect the convent as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The prioress Joan Harkey had to admit that one of her nuns, Cecily Swale, was asking to leave the convent. She wanted to leave after being released from her vows, but she had already given birth to a child. Not every monastery was to be closed in this phase,[5] but the priory was formally surrendered to the Crown in August that year and dissolved in the following year. The site is a scheduled Ancient Monument and parts of the priory are grade II listed.[6]

The Priory ruins stand close to the Richmond to Reeth road, just a mile downstream from the former Benedictine Priory of Marrick.[3] The ruins include the remains of the priory church built in the 15th century. The church tower appears to have been rebuilt as a romantic ruin in the 19th century. There is no public access to the ruins.[7]

Ellerton Abbey House
Ellerton Abbey House
Main article: Ellerton Abbey (building)

References
  1. 'Houses of Cistercians nuns: Ellerton in Swaledale', in W. Page (ed.), A History of the County of York, Vol. 3 (V.C.H., London 1974), pp. 160–61 (British History Online).
  2. Historic England. "ELLERTON PRIORY (48742)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  3. Watson, Emma (2014). Ellerton Priory; a study of a monastic landscape (1 ed.). Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-291-77259-3.
  4. Bailey, Jonathon (1975). A History of Marrick Priory (PDF). Marrick Priory. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  5. "Harkey, Joan (d. 1550), prioress of Ellerton". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74102. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  6. Historic England. "Ellerton Priory: a Cistercian nunnery including fishponds, water management system, mill, field systems and Ellerton medieval settlement (1019154)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  7. Kingsbury, Hannah (2017). "Ellerton Priory". Yorkshire Dales National Park. Retrieved 29 April 2020.

54°22′18.8″N 1°52′45.1″W

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