Name: Kirkham Priory
Rating: 5.0

Kirkham Priory

Whitwell on the Hill, Malton Ln, York, North Yorkshire YO60 7JS, UK

1-99 Years

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Visit Kirkham Priory and explore the beautiful ruins of an Augustinian priory dating from the 1120s set in gorgeous countryside by the river Derwent. Today its greatest glory is its gatehouse, decorated with the heraldry of the lords of Helmsley Castle along with worn figures of St George and the Dragon and David and Goliath.

During the Second World War Kirkham Priory ruins became a focus of training for the D-Day invasion. Tanks bound for the Normandy beaches tested their waterproofing in a pool created between ruins and river, while soldiers tried out scrambling nets hung on the priory walls. Winston Churchill and King George VI paid a top-secret visit to Kirkham to view the exercises.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

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Features

History of Kirkham Priory: Located on the banks of the river Derwent, Kirkham Priory was founded 900 years ago, during an era of monastic reform. For over 400 years it was home to a community of Augustinian canons who were embedded in the religious, social, political and economic structures of the medieval north.
Monastic life at Kirkham came to an end in 1539 during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. The priory’s picturesque ruins became a tourist destination in the 19th century, and during the Second World War secret military research was conducted in the monastery’s grounds.
Augustinian canons: Kirkham was a monastery – or house – of regular canons, that is to say priests who lived together as a community following a monastic timetable. The regular canons played a very important part in the revival and reform of monasticism in the 11th century.
The Foundation of Kirkham: Communities of Augustinian canons were founded across Europe. Their first monastery in England was established at Colchester, Essex, in 1100. Kirkham was one of a number of Augustinian houses founded in Yorkshire during the early 12th century.
The impact of the Cistercians: In 1132, Espec founded Rievaulx Abbey, about 20 miles from Kirkham and close to his castle at Helmsley, for monks from the austere Cistercian order. The arrival of the Cistercians sent shockwaves through the monasteries of northern England, leading to a clamour for the reform of their communities. Kirkham was swept up in this fervour. Between 1135 and 1140 there was an attempt to transform the priory into a Cistercian monastery as a daughter house of Rievaulx.
A thriving community: Despite these events, Kirkham seems to have had good relations with Rievaulx. Surviving books from its library have decorated initials which have close affinities to those found in Rievaulx manuscripts.
The great gatehouse: The priory’s great gatehouse was built in around 1300. The sculpted decoration includes the coats of arms of the de Roos family and several other powerful northern aristocratic families, showing that Kirkham could call upon influential supporters.
Internal troubles and the impact of war: The monastery was soon to face significant challenges. There are signs that the behaviour of the canons did not always meet the high standards demanded by the Rule of St Augustine. In 1280 Archbishop Wickwane of York criticised the canons’ chant during their religious services, and censured the presence of lay people within the monastic precincts, as well as the admission of jesters and fools into the refectory to entertain the community. The canons were also admonished for leaving the monastery at night to visit friends and relations, and for drinking and other ‘indecent pleasures’.
The priory and the local community: Other evidence, however, paints a much more positive picture of life within the priory and shows that it recovered from its misfortunes.
Dissolution: Kirkham’s community continued to flourish. Two of its priors were admitted to the prestigious Corpus Christi Guild at York and the priory was still receiving generous bequests well into the 1530s.
Recent history: Rediscovery of the priory started in the 19th century. Sir William St John Hope, a leading authority on medieval monasticism, excavated the east end of the church. The site was then in private hands, and photographs show the ruins overgrown with ivy, and the cloister laid out as a tennis court.

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Parking: Free parking for about 50 vehicles outside gate, not managed by English Heritage.

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Price: Paid

Price Details

Free Entry.

Pricing URL: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kirkham-priory/opening-times/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Whitwell on the Hill, Malton Ln, York, North Yorkshire YO60 7JS, UK

Post Code: YO60 7JS

Council: North Yorkshire

County: North Yorkshire

Road Access: 5 miles south-west of Malton and 12 ½ miles north-east of York on a minor road off A64.
Bus Access: Ryecat 184 & 185 to Kirkham Priory village (Tue, Fri, Sat); otherwise Yorkshire Coastliner X40, 840, 843 & 845 (pass York and Malton railway station) to Whitwell On The Hill then 3⁄4 mile walk.
Train Access: Malton station 6 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find your cycling route to Kirkham Priory at sustrans.org.uk, the National Cycle Network.
Parking: Free parking for about 50 vehicles outside gate, not managed by English Heritage.