Lanercost Priory

We left Carlisle heading east towards Hadrian's Wall. On the way we stopped at the ruins of Lanercost Priory, founded around 1169 to house Augustinian clerics.

The buildings of the priory contain stones salvaged from earlier Roman construction, including Hadrian's wall. Though most of the structure is in ruins, one small part remains intact and is still in use as a church.

Lanercost's proximity to Scotland inevitably had an effect on the fortunes of the priory, and it was a target of Scots attacks in retaliation for English raids. In 1296 the Scottish army encamped at Lanercost after burning Hexham priory and Lambley nunnery. The Scots were interrupted before the damage could become too great. Edward I made several visits to the priory in the latter part of his reign. In the autumn of 1280 he visited on his way to Newcastle and he stayed there in 1300 on the way to the siege of Calaeverlock Castle. Edward's last visit was in 1306, in the company of his second wife, Queen Margaret of  France. He arrived in late September and stayed through Easter, putting a great strain on the resources of the priory. Edward granted funds to the priory in gratitude and as compensation. He died shortly afterwards at Burgh by Sands in 1307, whille still campaigning against the Scots. In 1311 Robert the Bruce invaded from Scotland making Lanercost his headquarters “committing infinite evils.” That wasn't the end of their troubles, however. In 1346 King David II of Scotland ransacked the buildings and desecrated the church. According to the History of the County of Cumberland, King David  "entered the holy place with haughtiness, threw out the vessels of the temple, stole the treasures, broke the doors, took the jewels, and destroyed everything they could lay hands on." Lancaster priory was dissolved in 1538 by Henry VIII and the buildings were stripped of their roofs in order to sell the lead to enrich Henry's treasuries. In the17th and 18th centuries repairs were made to the church and in the early 20th century the property was put into public ownership. It is now managed by English Heritage.

On the day we visited it was gray and rainy, which seemed the to enhance the experience somehow.

In what would have been the Lady chapel rests the tomb of Elizabeth Dacre Howard (1883), the infant daughter of George and Rosalind Howard of nearby Naworth Castle.

Several other tombs survive and are being restored, though their occupants are not identified.

Outside the priory you can see the foundations of other buildings, including the cloister,

as well as the remains of what is assumed to be a storage building.

This ornamented recess incorporated a line of basins in which the canons would have washed their hands before meals.

Leaving the ruins we visited the one part f the priory still standing, the church.  The fact that there was music playing enhanced the visit.

Though I don't know the story behind how they got there, there are three William Morris stained glass windows in the church.

On our way out we passed this little fence

and this marvelous arch.

We made a quick stop at Steel Rig for our first view of Hadrian's wall. Due to the rain it was quite a muddy walk, but was my first chance to say that I had touched this piece of history.

On through the Cumbrian countryside to our digs for the night, then big history stops tomorrow.