Kirklees Priory
Encyclopedia
Kirklees Priory was a Cistercian nunnery whose site is in the present-day Kirklees Park, Clifton
near Brighouse
, West Yorkshire
, England. It was originally in the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Dewsbury
. The priory dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St James was founded by Reiner le Fleming, Lord of the manor of Wath upon Dearne, in 1155 during the reign of Henry II
.
Nuns from the priory were involved in scandals between 1306 and 1315. Archbishop of York
William Greenfield
wrote to the prioress about rumours concerning Alice Raggid, Elizabeth Hopton, and Joan Heton. Rumours implied they had been seeing religious and secular men in the nunnery and their behaviour led to the house being considered one of disrepute.
The priory was not dissolved by the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act
in 1535, but continued for worship and hospitality. Cecilia Topcliffe was the prioress, and the convent consisted of the nuns who had been there on 4 February 1536, who continued as before the passing of the Act. In 1539, after the Second Act of Dissolution
, Joan Kyppes surrendered the priory, which had eight inmates. At the date of surrender the whole property was worth £29 18s. 9d. The site was granted to John Tasburgh and Nicholas Savill and the church and priory buildings demolished and the stone used to build Kirklees Hall
. It was extended in the 18th century by architects Robert Adam
and John Carr.
A local inn, The Three Nuns was named after Cecilia Topclife, Joan Leverthorpe, and Katherine Grace who sought refuge at the site of a guest house of the priory and ran it as a hostelry. The present inn was built in 1939 and the site of the guest house is buried under the car park.
All that remains of Kirklees Priory are the long double aisled barn, parts of Old Farm House, calf house and the gatehouse, all are still standing and form the residence of Old Farm (formerly Low Hall). They are all Grade I Listed building.
The priory is connected with the medieval legend of Robin Hood
. A monument in the woods near the River Calder
claims to be Robin Hood's grave.
Clifton, West Yorkshire
Clifton is a small village, near Brighouse, in the Metropolitan borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England.-Governance:Clifton Civil Parish merged with the neighbouring Borough of Brighouse in 1937...
near Brighouse
Brighouse
Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, east of Halifax in the Pennines. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway and Brighouse railway station on the Caldervale Line and Huddersfield Line. In the...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England. It was originally in the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
. The priory dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St James was founded by Reiner le Fleming, Lord of the manor of Wath upon Dearne, in 1155 during the reign of Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
.
Nuns from the priory were involved in scandals between 1306 and 1315. Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
William Greenfield
William Greenfield
William Greenfield served as both the Lord Chancellor of England and the Archbishop of York. He was also known as William of Greenfield.-Life:...
wrote to the prioress about rumours concerning Alice Raggid, Elizabeth Hopton, and Joan Heton. Rumours implied they had been seeing religious and secular men in the nunnery and their behaviour led to the house being considered one of disrepute.
The priory was not dissolved by the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act
Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act
The Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries – was an Act of the English Reformation Parliament of 1535/36, the beginning of the legal process by which King Henry VIII set about the Dissolution of the Monasteries...
in 1535, but continued for worship and hospitality. Cecilia Topcliffe was the prioress, and the convent consisted of the nuns who had been there on 4 February 1536, who continued as before the passing of the Act. In 1539, after the Second Act of Dissolution
Second Act of Dissolution
The Second Act of Dissolution , also known as the Act for the Dissolution of the Greater Monasteries, was an Act of the Parliament of England passed in 1539 in the reign of Henry VIII which provided for the dissolution of 552 Catholic monasteries and houses remaining after the Dissolution of the...
, Joan Kyppes surrendered the priory, which had eight inmates. At the date of surrender the whole property was worth £29 18s. 9d. The site was granted to John Tasburgh and Nicholas Savill and the church and priory buildings demolished and the stone used to build Kirklees Hall
Kirklees Hall
Kirklees Hall is a 16th century Grade I listed Jacobean hall, close to the English village of Clifton in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. The first evidence of a hall constructed at Kirklees was that of Sir Thomas Gargrave, who conveyed the property to the Pilkington family. Lady Armytage, sold the...
. It was extended in the 18th century by architects Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
and John Carr.
A local inn, The Three Nuns was named after Cecilia Topclife, Joan Leverthorpe, and Katherine Grace who sought refuge at the site of a guest house of the priory and ran it as a hostelry. The present inn was built in 1939 and the site of the guest house is buried under the car park.
All that remains of Kirklees Priory are the long double aisled barn, parts of Old Farm House, calf house and the gatehouse, all are still standing and form the residence of Old Farm (formerly Low Hall). They are all Grade I Listed building.
The priory is connected with the medieval legend of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. A monument in the woods near the River Calder
River Calder, West Yorkshire
The River Calder is a river in West Yorkshire, in Northern England.The Calder rises on the green eastern slopes of the Pennines flows through alternating green countryside, former woollen-mill villages, and large and small towns before joining the River Aire near Castleford.The river's valley is...
claims to be Robin Hood's grave.