Finchale Priory
Encyclopedia
Finchale Priory was a 13th century Benedictine priory. The remains are sited by the River Wear
, four miles from Durham
. It is a Grade I listed building.
's burial, built some time around the end of Godric's life. Some of the temporary buildings, erected for the first prior and his monks sent to establish the Priory some twenty years after Godric's death, still exist. The monastic complex was built in the latter half of the 13th century with alterations and additions continuing for the following three hundred years.
There are many excellent examples of heavily decorated capitals on the original arcade columns, tracery in the filled-in nave arches of the church, and on the south wall is a double piscina
and two carved seats of the sedilia
.
The buildings and immediate grounds are now managed by English Heritage
, with the surrounds converted into Finchale Abbey Caravan Park - an award-winning eco village project set up to sustainably manage development in the area.
The site and immediate area is one of significant juxtaposition between traditional and modern. Entry to the site is through an automated barrier (closed at 5:30pm). The caravan site has many modern luxuries and the southern approaches are a working farm - facts much lamented by some. Yet, this is still an isolated site, with its dead-end road (the site is blocked to the north by steep hills on the far banks of the Wear) and distance from any current homebuilding projects.
came to live on the eventual site of Finchale Priory in the early twelfth century, creating a hermitage
dedicated to St John the Baptist. Godric’s biographers recorded that he lived an ascetic life on this site for 50 years, living and sleeping outside and rejecting expensive cloth and plentiful food. It is said that Godric slept on the ground with only stones and branches as his furniture. Godric’s life was first recorded by a monk of Durham, thought to be named either Nicholas or Reginald. Godric’s last years were marred by extreme sickness, perhaps a result of his difficult life-style. For almost a decade before his death on 21 May 1170 Godric was confined to his bed and cared for by monks of Durham. He was initially buried in Durham but his remains were eventually moved to the church at Finchale.
The church remained in various stages of construction for over a century after 1196. The most significant change following its completion was the narrowing of the nave and the chancel during the 1360s and 1370s through the removal of the aisles. Various construction projects lasted at Finchale through the mid-15th century as the church dates in part from around 1200 and in others from the late 14th century. The Hospitium
(guest house) and a part of the prior’s house date from the mid-15th century.
Finchale remained a priory until the dissolution of the lesser monasteries
in 1535. During this time Finchale had 52 priors and accounting records still exist for much of the period 1303-1535. During much of its history the priory served as a rest facility for the monks at Durham as four Durham monks would travel to Finchale for a three-week period to join the four monks in residence. During these periods of rest the Durham monks would alternate between fulfilling their religious services as usual and exercising more freedoms (in terms of leaving the monastery) than they usually enjoyed.
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
, four miles from Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. It is a Grade I listed building.
Current Situation
There are some remains of the early 12th century stone chapel of St John the Baptist, the site of Godric of FinchaleGodric of Finchale
Saint Godric of Finchale was an English hermit, merchant and popular medieval saint, although he was never formally canonized. He was born in Walpole in Norfolk and died in Finchale in County Durham, England....
's burial, built some time around the end of Godric's life. Some of the temporary buildings, erected for the first prior and his monks sent to establish the Priory some twenty years after Godric's death, still exist. The monastic complex was built in the latter half of the 13th century with alterations and additions continuing for the following three hundred years.
There are many excellent examples of heavily decorated capitals on the original arcade columns, tracery in the filled-in nave arches of the church, and on the south wall is a double piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and two carved seats of the sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
.
The buildings and immediate grounds are now managed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, with the surrounds converted into Finchale Abbey Caravan Park - an award-winning eco village project set up to sustainably manage development in the area.
The site and immediate area is one of significant juxtaposition between traditional and modern. Entry to the site is through an automated barrier (closed at 5:30pm). The caravan site has many modern luxuries and the southern approaches are a working farm - facts much lamented by some. Yet, this is still an isolated site, with its dead-end road (the site is blocked to the north by steep hills on the far banks of the Wear) and distance from any current homebuilding projects.
Early history
GodricGodric of Finchale
Saint Godric of Finchale was an English hermit, merchant and popular medieval saint, although he was never formally canonized. He was born in Walpole in Norfolk and died in Finchale in County Durham, England....
came to live on the eventual site of Finchale Priory in the early twelfth century, creating a hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
dedicated to St John the Baptist. Godric’s biographers recorded that he lived an ascetic life on this site for 50 years, living and sleeping outside and rejecting expensive cloth and plentiful food. It is said that Godric slept on the ground with only stones and branches as his furniture. Godric’s life was first recorded by a monk of Durham, thought to be named either Nicholas or Reginald. Godric’s last years were marred by extreme sickness, perhaps a result of his difficult life-style. For almost a decade before his death on 21 May 1170 Godric was confined to his bed and cared for by monks of Durham. He was initially buried in Durham but his remains were eventually moved to the church at Finchale.
Foundation of Finchale Priory
After Godric’s death, two monks of Durham moved to Finchale, where there was already a church, mill, dam and fish pond. The site has been a dependency of Durham Cathedral since 1196, the year in which the chapel hermitage became known as Finchale Priory. In this year it was endowed by Bishop Hugh Pudsey and his son Henry in order to support the priory’s eight monks and prior. Bishop Pudsey appointed Thomas, formerly sacrist of Durham, as prior. While Finchale was never to become a wealthy house, it was the richest of Durham’s dependencies by the mid-15th century.The church remained in various stages of construction for over a century after 1196. The most significant change following its completion was the narrowing of the nave and the chancel during the 1360s and 1370s through the removal of the aisles. Various construction projects lasted at Finchale through the mid-15th century as the church dates in part from around 1200 and in others from the late 14th century. The Hospitium
Hospitium
Hospitium , hospitality, among the Greeks and Romans, was of a twofold character: private and public.-Private:In Homeric times all strangers without exception, were regarded as being under the protection of Zeus Xenios, the god of strangers and suppliants...
(guest house) and a part of the prior’s house date from the mid-15th century.
Finchale remained a priory until the dissolution of the lesser monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1535. During this time Finchale had 52 priors and accounting records still exist for much of the period 1303-1535. During much of its history the priory served as a rest facility for the monks at Durham as four Durham monks would travel to Finchale for a three-week period to join the four monks in residence. During these periods of rest the Durham monks would alternate between fulfilling their religious services as usual and exercising more freedoms (in terms of leaving the monastery) than they usually enjoyed.
List of the Priors of Finchale
- Thomas (appointed 1196)
- John
- Ralph
- Robert of Stitchil (later Bishop of Durham)
- Robert de Insula (later Bishop of Durham)
- Robert de Eskerick
- Henry de Tesdale (appears 1295)
- Walter de Swinburne
- Galfrid de Burdon (1303, 1307; later Prior of Durham)
- Richard
- Adam de Boyville
- Henry de Stamford (1312; elected—but not confirmed as—Bishop of Durham, 1316)
- Walter de Scaresbreck
- John de Laton (1317)
- Henry de Novo Castello (1318)
- Richard of Aslacby (1324–1331)
- Thomas de Lund, D.T. (1333)
- Emeric de Lumley (1341-2)
- John de Beverlaco
- John Barnaby (1345)
- Nicholas de Luceby (1346-9)
- John Wawayne
- John de Norton
- Thomas Graystanes (1354)
- William de Goldisburgh (1354–60)
- John de Neuton (1360-3)
- John de Tykhill (1363)
- Uhtred de BoldonUhtred (Benedictine theologian)Uhtred was an English Benedictine monk, theologian and writer, born at Boldon, North Durham, about 1315; died at Finchale Abbey, 24 January 1396....
(1367) - Richard de Birtley (1372)
- John de Normandby (1373)
- Uhtred de Boldon (1375)
- John de Beryngton (1384)
- Uhtred de Boldon (1390)
- Roger Maynsforth
- Robert Rypon (1397)
- Thomas d'Autre (1405–1411)
- William de Poklyngton (1411–23)
- William Barry (1423)
- Henry Feriby (1439–50)
- John Oll (1450-1)
- Thomas Ayer (1451-7)
- Richard BellRichard Bell (bishop)Richard Bell was a Bishop of Carlisle. He was selected 11 February 1478, and consecrated 26 April 1478. He resigned the see on 4 September 1495, and died in 1496. He served as Prior of Finchale from 1457 to 1464.-References:...
(1457–64; later Bishop of CarlisleBishop of CarlisleThe Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
) - Thomas Ayre (1464)
- Thomas de Hexham (1465)
- William Byrden (1466–79)
- Robert Werdale (1479–91)
- John Swan (1491)
- Richard Caley (1502)
- William Cathorne (1506, 1514, 1519, 1520)
- Richard Caley (1525-7)
- John Halywell (1528)
- William Bennett (1536)