You approach the ruins of Mount Grace Priory via a quick turn off the motorway (the former medieval York to Durham road), up the same narrow track you would have travelled in the 15th century. Yet intrusions from the modern world make it hard today to imagine the priory as it was originally, in a secluded position. Because, today, its calm serenity is constantly accompanied by the distant rumble of the A170, and on my visit, the heavy duty whine of a loud lawn strimmer fizzing in your ears.
These ruins, nevertheless, are truly unique. The best remaining example of a Carthusian monastery left in the UK. Only nine were founded, so a Carthusian Charterhouse was a rare style of monasticism, even in the time when they were built.
Mount Grace's layout is typical of a Carthusian monastery. A substantial high boundary wall surrounding a large Great Cloister. With its trapezoid courtyard, which once had a semi enclosed walkway. The walls pierced by a succession of doorways and side hatches. Through these hatches plates of food were once delivered to monks living their largely solitary life. Behind this wall was a small dwelling with two floors. The ground floor divided into three, a bedroom, a study and oratory, and a living area to sit or eat in. Upstairs a workshop, where a monk might spin wool, weave cloth, make furniture or carve tools for general use in the monastery. Surrounding this dwelling a short covered glazed walkway that over looked an L shaped garden, producing herbs for cooking, medicine, and flowers to decorate the church.
At its height Mount Grace could house twenty five monks and lay novitiates. All purposefully inhabiting semi isolated lives. Most of their waking day spent alone in devotional ritual, prayer or study, interspersed with work periods. Mattins and Vespers the only daily communal services in the church. More collective practice would take place on a Sunday. Including a regular meeting in the Chapter House, to discuss theology, practical day to day issues, raising any difficulties they'd encountered, or disciplinary measures required.
These 'cells' were supplied with their own spring water taps and seperate latrine, though their furnishings were sparse. Nothing superfluous was permitted. In these 'cells' you were alone with yourself, in mind and body, your daily life consistently and constantly dedicated to the fullest blossoming possible of religious devotional practice.
The Carthusian style of extreme monasticism, began to flourish rapidly in the aftermath of the existential crisis that consumed Europe, in the decimating famines and plagues of the 14th century. Of the nine Carthusian Charterhouses in the UK, seven were founded at this time. Extreme times calling for extreme spiritual measures in response. It also marked a return to the spirit of The Desert Fathers, out of whose example Christian Monasticism in Europe had originally emerged in the first place.
So in a Charterhouse only your most basic of needs are met. Something few peasents in medieval England could not so easily guarantee. But the stability with which your daily needs were met, gave you the liberty to focus more diligently upon your spiritual endeavours. Though living as a hermit, with long periods of solitary devotion and little human intimacy or conversation, was undoubtedly an immense strain on a monks emotional and psychological well being. The unspoken down side of spiritual depletion was always a possibility. Not many, even today, could take this on, to meet the sort of challenges that arose.
Mount Grace Priory was founded in 1398 under the auspices of Thomas de Holand, Richard 2nd's nephew. At this time monasteries needed patrons, and more importantly royal endowments. Despite all their efforts to be self sufficient, they frequently required outside finance in order to be viable, and to be able to develop the fabric of the monastery.
The cellular cloister layout was initially built of wood. So gradual was its replacement with stone, that the final cells weren't completed til the 16th century, shortly before its dissolution. Similarly the structure of a simple rectangular Chapel, developed a Chancel, Nave and transepts over a hundred year period. Everything in a Carthusian monastery appears to have been executed in a measured and unhurried manner.
When we reach the turbulent reign of Henry 8th, he chose to make the Carthusian Order an example, of what happens to those who refuse to submit to his will, as the newly created spiritual leader of the church. The Prior and monks of the London Carthusian Charterhouse were tortured and executed, and subsequently became Catholic martyrs. By the time we first hear of Mount Grace, the prior has consulted widely over what others thought he should do, and hence quickly submits to the King's will. But this proved to be only the first stage, in what turned out to be the largest money and land grab ever to take place on English soil.
The first monastic dissolutions in 1536 were focused on small foundations with an annual income of under £200. Mount Grace, with an income of £323, was hence spared. A huge revolt kicked off in the North - The Pilgrimage of Grace. This thrust the realm potentially into chaos. The rebels were tricked by Henry 8th into believing he would respond positively to their demands. Instead he commanded the pursuit and execution of all known rebels, and the widespread burning to the ground of homes and villages in the North, anyone thought to have been sympathetic.
Mount Grace managed, by keeping its head down, to escape this vengeful purge of perceived rebels. But the King's commissioners were to arrive there, nonetheless, in December 1539. They closed it down, pensioning off the prior, 16 monks, 3 novices and 5 lay brothers who remained. Mount Grace, stripped of its roofs and ritual possessions, was to face a slow decay in its hard won fabric.
The old Priory guest house, became for a time part of a tenanted farm. Then later on it was converted into a small Manor house. Once Sir Lowthian Bell obtained the house and Priory estate, he began a sensitive exploration and rebuilding of both ruins. An enthusiast for the Arts & Crafts movement, with Phillip Webb and William Morris as close friends, he brought that sensibility to his redevelopment of the house. The remarkable Bell family owned the house until 1944, when it was used as a way to pay off death duties. Eventually handed over to the National Trust, who are largely responsible for the excavation and current state of preservation, of both the house and ruin we see today. Though the site is now managed by English Heritage.
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