More information : [SE 36105609] St. Robert's Cave [G.T.] (1)
"St. Robert's Cave; a rock-shelter, with inner room, remains
of wall, chapel, and pit, of uncertain date. Said to be
St. Robert's hermitage...." (2)
Robert Flower .... temp. Richard I, ... settled as a hermit on
the banks of the R. Nidd near Knaresborough.... He died in 1218 ..
formally canonized before 1252." (3) and buried in the Monastery
[St. Roberts Monastery - SE 35 NE 14]. (2-3)
St. Robert's Cave is an artificially made exit cave hollowed out
of a limestone cliff on the north bank of the River Nidd. The
cave comprises a small plain L. shaped chamber, devoid of
ornament. The entrance is now barred by a modern iron gate.
Outside, on a narrow ledge between the entrance and the river bank
are the foundations of a small oratory. These foundations have an
average height of 0.3 m. and are aligned NE - SW. The deviation
from the normal E-W alignment is probably due to the restricted
building space beside the river bank. GPs.
AO. 62. 94.6 and AO. 62. 94.7 show the S and N.E. aspects of the
chapel and cave entrance respectively. (4)
St Robert's Cave grade 2. (5)
6/8 II St. Robert's Cave or Chapel, Abbey Road
Saint Robert was born about 1160 and died 1218. This small
hermitage and chapel are excavated in the limestone cliff facing
the river. It does not possess any fine architectural details
like the Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag. (SE 35 NE 7) Eugene Aram
was hanged for the murder of Daniel Clarke whose body was
found in this cave. The story of that murder was made use of by
the novelist Lord Lytton, and the poet Tom Hood.
Authority 6 is the full text of Authority 5. (6)
Additional bibliogrpahy. (7-12)
St Roberts Cave (name verified) is generally as described by
Lewis (authority 4) but the entrance gate has been removed and
the walls defaced. The floor of the cave was flooded at the time
of investigation. At the entrance there is a dry-stone wall
surviving to a maximum height of 0.5m which, with the sheer
cliff on either side of the cave, forms a sub-rectangular enclosure
described as an oratory by Lewis. it measures internally 10.6m
NE - SW, 3.7m wide at the NE end and 2.8m wide in the SW. The
enclosed area is on two levels with a step, 0.4m high between the
lower SW and the upper NE levels; the floor of the latter is of
flat rock and cut into it is a wedge-shaped hole. It measures
2.0m in length NE-SW, 0.5m wide in the SW and 0.35m wide in the
NE, with a depth of 0.4m. At the broader SW end are two wings ,
0.1 deep, possibly to accommodate the hinge of a lid now missing.
There is a rock-cut bench at the base of the cliff to the SW of
the cave. Access is gained to the cove and enclosure by steps cut
into the rock from the NE against the cliffd. A niche has been
carved into the rock midway up the steps.
The date of contruction is unknown. (13)
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