Yorkshire Easby Abbey and St Agatha’s Church, North Yorkshire

The ruins of Easby Abbey occupy a lovely setting along the banks of the River Swale just south of Richmond. With only the church and Easby Hall to keep them company, it has a timeless feel. It is a lovely place and well worth a visit.

Not only are the ruins one of the best examples in Britain of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian Order (the White Canons), it is also one of the largest of their monasteries with an extensive range of buildings.

The Abbey was founded in around 1150 by Roald Constable of Richmond Castle. It was next to the site of a Saxon Minster, which was probably absorbed into the new abbey.

The initial endowment was probably only enough for church and temporary buildings. Further endowments in the C12th and C13th resulted in further buildings replacing the original buildings and an increase in the number of canons. Most of their wealth came from sheep farming.

The abbey was laid out with a cloister with communal buildings round three sides and the abbey church on the fourth side, with additional buildings beyond. It was surrounded by a large walled precinct entered by a massive gatehouse.

In the C14th, the abbey came under the patronage of the Scrope Family of Bolton Castle in Wensleydale, who enlarged the abbey church for use as their burial vault. After the Dissolution, the Scropes took over the abbey and its land. Its history after Dissolution is poorly documented. Buildings were stripped of their lead and were partially demolished. Unlike many other abbeys, they were not reused as a family home. Only the gatehouse (which was used as a granary) and mill were left.

The abbey estate passed through several different owners before passing to Reverend William Smith who was rector at the nearby parish of Melsonby. He was responsible for building the early C18th, Easby Hall overlooking the Abbey ruins. By the late C18th and C19th the ‘romantic’ ruins were attracting the attention of antiquarians, artists and tourists. They passed into State ownership in 1930 and are now cared for by English Heritage.

Visiting the Abbey

The Abbey is reached down an unclassified road off the B627 out of Richmond, which takes you past the splendid and now roofless gatehouse and St Agatha’s Church. The Abbey ruins are entered through a small gateway round the corner from the church.

Ahead is the refectory, the most impressive part of the abbey ruins and still stands to its original height. The first floor was the dining room for the canons with an arched vault beneath that was probably used for storage.

Next to it is the dormitory with stairs leading to the dormitory on the first floor. The niche beside the doorway would have contained a basin (levado) for washing hands before entering the refectory.

Only the foundations of the cloister survive in the grass and little is left of the chapter house and sacristy or abbey church, next to the refectory.

The large group of buildings to the north was the infirmary. The kitchen still has the remains of a large fireplace and a servery hatch linked this to the infirmary hall. There are several other buildings in the complex which may have included the Abbot’s private chamber and accommodation for important guests.

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[Eleanor]

St Agatha’s Church

St Agatha’s Church was built in the precinct of Easby Abbey for use by the lay brothers. It receives few visitors, which is a shame as the chancel has one of the most complete set of wall paintings in England.

The church was built on the site of an C8th Saxon minster. The nave and chancel date from the early C13th and the south aisle is C15th. It is a long, low building with a simple bell cote at the west end and was restored by George Gilbert Scott in 1869.

Entry is through the south porch which has a priest’s room above it.

Just inside the door is an old stoup for Holy water.

Inside the church, an arcade of octagonal pillars with pointed arches separates nave and south aisle. These are painted with dark red chevrons.

At the back of the nave is the C12th font, although the stem is later. Round the base of the wall is the original stone bench used by the sick or infirm before churches had pews.

At the end of the south aisle is a small chapel with a wooden parclose screen round it. At the back is the remains of a painted inscription.

By the altar rail in the chancel is a replica of the Easby Cross, which was found in the wall during the C19th restoration of the church. F_Dating from th4e early C9th, it is carved with Celtic interlace patterns on the sides and Biblical scenes on the front and rear faces. At the top is Christ in Majesty and at the bottom are the Apostles. It was described by Pevsner as"the finest piece of Anglo Saxon sculpture in the county". The original C8th carved cross is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. This is a very poor plaster copy. Even the paint is the wrong colour and is beginning to chip off. Quite frankly it looks naff.

The chancel has a lovely barrel roof and there are fragments of medieval glass in the east window

The wooden reredos beneath the east window has a painting of the Annunciation in the centre.

The highlight though are the C13th wall paintings which were covered with whitewash at the Reformation and only discovered during the Gilbert Scott restoration of the church. They have been carefully restored and are wonderful. On the north wall, the frieze depicts the Creation of Eve from the rib of Adam to the tempting by the serpent and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

On the window reveals are agricultural scenes representing the different seasons of the agricultural year with a sower sowing seeds with a raven waiting beside him, a man on horseback out hawking and finally spinning and digging.

On the south wall are scenes from the New Testament beginning with the Annunciation, Nativity with a very laid back Mary and Joseph fast asleep. Above Mary is the swaddled baby Jesus with an ox and a sheep watching. The angels are telling the shepherds and the three wise men are bringing their gifts. Below are scenes of the Crucifixion with Christ’s body being taken down from the cross, burial and discovery of the empty tomb.

The back walls of the sedilia are painted with images of bishops.

The paintings are most attractive with simple lines and are in predominant shades of red, cream and blue black. They are some of the best and most complete early medieval wall paintings in the country.

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