First thing, we pop into Penistone Market where I acquire free veg for my lovely bunny. Next we are off to visit C's old Mum, who has recovered well from her trials earlier this year.
We lunch at the Tea Room, Kirkstall Abbey.
What a lovely pair of ladies. The Mum is taken to podiatry and I have a free half hour to explore the Abbey.
The lovely Norman arch below owes it's existence to Henry de Lacy (1070 - 1123), Lord of the manor of Pontefract, 2nd Lord of Bowland, who promised to dedicate an abbey to the Virgin Mary should he survive a serious illness. He recovered and agreed to give the Abbot of Fountains Abbey land at Barnoldswick in the West Riding of Yorkshire (now in Lancashire) on which to found a daughter abbey. Abbot Alexander with twelve Cistercian monks from Fountains went to Barnoldswick and after demolishing the existing church attempted to build the abbey on Henry's land. They stayed for six years but found the place inhospitable. Abbot Alexander set about finding a more suitable place for the abbey and came across a site in the heavily wooded Aire Valley occupied by hermits. And the rest is history!
Alexander sought help from de Lacy who was sympathetic and helped acquire the land from William de Poitou. The monks moved from Barnoldswick to Kirkstall displacing the hermits, some of whom joined the abbey, the rest were paid to move. The buildings were mostly completed between 1152 when the monks arrived in Kirkstall and the end of Alexander's abbacy in 1182.
Set in wonderful parkland along the banks of the River Aire, today Kirkstall is one of the finest remaining medieval Cistercian abbeys in Britain.
The picturesque ruins have been drawn and painted by artists such as my hero, J M W Turner, and his friend who sadly died young, Thomas Girtin.
The English Cistercian houses were mainly arranged after the same plan, with slight local variations. Kirkstall Abbey is one of the best preserved. There are also remains at Fountains, Rievaulx, (which I visited in my youth), Kirkstall, Tintern and Netley (which, unusually is in the South and was visited by my art historian and I a couple of years ago).
On 22 November 1539 the abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII's commissioners in the Dissolution of the monasteries. It was awarded to Thomas Cramner in 1542, but reverted to the crown when Cranmer was executed in 1556. Sir Robert Savile purchased the estate in 1584, and it remained in his family's hands for almost a hundred years. In 1671 it passed into the hands of the Brudenell family. Much of the stone was removed for re-use in other buildings in the area, including the steps leading to Leeds Bridge.
In 1889 the abbey was sold to Colonel John North, who presented it to Leeds County Council. The Council undertook a major restoration project and the abbey was opened to the public in 1895.
The abbey is a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument. After a £5.5 million renovation programme there is a new visitor centre with interactive exhibits which illustrates the history of the abbey and the lives of the monks.
On the other side of the main road, the grade II* listed former abbey gatehouse now forms the mueum and tea room.
Nice to see some bunnies!
Cistercian Abbots are supposed to be egalitarian and share the monks's dormitory. By 1230 the Abbot not only had his own bedroom, he had his own house! Power corrupts.
As soon as the Abbey was closed, the main road ran straight through it and this persisted till the Victorian era.
See below!
And nowadays tourists and visitors push babies on the same route.
The part of the Abbey above was restored in the nineteenth century. The architect, J Micklethwaite was criticised and I can only agree that it does look a little out of place.
I leave Penistone at 16.50 after a nice cuppa and chocolate flapjack. I am not really in my comfort zone leaving at this time for a journey longer than I am used to these days but it was worth it to catch up with the old lady after 28 years!
Four hours later I am home and in a man free zone (it's quiz night!) cooking pasta and having a well earned beer! Knackered! Thanks to all for a lovely time
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