| Description | Daughter house of Fountains Abbey, founded in 1152 after an abortive attempt to settle in Barnoldswick. Laid out to typical Cistercian pattern on the north bank of the River Aire. Generous donations in the 13th century made the Abbey a major landholder in Airedale and a thriving producer of wool. After the Dissolution, the Abbey passed into private hands; the structure remained relatively intact. In 1891 the Abbey and its immediate grounds became the property of Leeds City Council. Conservation work was carried out in the 1890s and again in the 1920s and 1980s. Partial excavation on the Abbey proper was carried out from 1950 1964 (vide WYAS, 1987) and on the Abbey Guesthouse from 1980 1988 (vide WYAS, in preparation). Two resistivity surveys have been carried out: in 1981 adjacent to the Guesthouse and in 1987 in the precinct between Morris Lane and Abbey Road. Additional excavation required. Parts of the precinct boundary still need confirmation/investigation; see, for example, AP WY 101/8A showing several negative linear features in the sports field at SE 256363 and ?whether any of these might reflect a former precinct wall/boundary. c. 736 flints including micro and blade cores / microliths / microburins / scrapers / blades / notched pieces / debitage, found during excavation mainly of Guest House. Location on terrace? by river points to another of the few known lowland Mesolithic sites in the county. Miscellaneous flints from excavations of 1950 1964 are held by Leeds City Museum (acc.no. D.467.1964). The curator of the Abbey House Museum reported recent vandalism of the Vesper Gate remains in July 1996. SMC 1/5/1997 for replacement of paving stones in the nave of the abbey church.
Scheduled Monument Record 18/02/1998: The monument includes the standing and below ground remains of Kirkstall Abbey. The site lies in a valley on the north bank of the River Aire and straddles the A65 (Abbey Road) which was cut through the precinct in 1827. The key monastic buildings which have been identified include the church, cloister, infirmary, chapel, abbots lodging, refectory, Guest House, pantry, buttery and other associated buildings. The monument also includes the abbey precinct and its perimeter wall, inner and outer gatehouses, The Vesper Gate and the earthwork remains of the water management system. A prehistoric cup and ring marked rockwhich lies within the precinct is also included in the scheduling.
Kirkstall Abbey, a grade I listed building, was a daughter house of Fountains Abbey and was founded in 1152 by a community of Cistercian monks, led by Abbot Alexander. The monks originally left Fountains Abbey to found a monastery on the lands Henry de Lacy in the village of Barnoldswick. The climate and hostility of the local people made life difficult, so the monastery was relocated to Kirkstall. The church, cloister and surrounding buildings were completed in 1182 when Abbot Alexander died. Generous donations in the 13th century made the abbey a major landowner in Airedale and a thriving producer of wool. Medieval monasteries were essentially self contained and self sustained institutions depending on income from agricultural and industrial estates, and Kirkstall was no exception. Although the community depended heavily on the production of wool a reference to two mills and a forge demonstrates the overall diversity of the economy at Kirkstall. Monastic life came to an end in 1539 when Abbot John Ripley surrendered the abbey to Henry VIII's commisioners. |