Summary : The site of Shap Abbey, a Premonstratensian abbey first founded at Preston Patrick in circa 1191 by Thomas, son of Gospatrick. The establishment moved to Shap in 1199 and was dedicated to St Mary Magdalen. The abbey was surrendered in 1540 and fell into disrepair. It was sold to Sir Thomas Wharton in 1544 but was later forfeited by a Jacobite Duke of Wharton in 1732 and subsequently became part of the Lowther estate. From 1948 the ruins were placed under state guardianship ; it became an English Heritage property in 1999. The site was partly excavated 1886-8. Between 1949-61 limited excavated and consolidation work was undertaken at the site. There are extensive foundations, and the 16th century West Tower still survives to first storey height. The earliest standing remains at Shap are the western half of the presbytery which dates to the late 12th/early 13th century. This was followed by the south transept, the north transept, the crossing and the east part of the nave of the abbey church, and then the east and south ranges of the cloister. The nave was then completed and the west range of the cloister was built at a later date. The infirmary was built in the late 13th century. Early in the 15th century the presbytery was extended to the east and a chapel added. Soon after the west tower was added the walls of the nave were heightened. Earthworks either side of the road to Shap Abbey Farm include the raised causeway of an earlier road, the approach to the former bridge, and the remains of ancillary buildings. In Abbey Wood are the remains of a rectangular walled enclosure, and areas of quarrying from which some of the abbey stone was extracted. Running along the cliff top, east of Abbey Wood, is the precinct wall. Foundations of wall run continue to the river adjacent to the site of the former bridge. South of the abbey are the remains of Abbey Mill and associated structures. To the north of Abbey Mill lie two fishponds. |
More information : (NY 548152) Remains of (NAT) Shap Abbey (NR) (Premonstratensian) (NAT) (NY 5415 - 5414) Dyke (NR). (1)
Founded circa 1200. Dissolved 1540. See attached MPBW Guide for details. (2)
Published survey (1:2500) revised. (3)
Remains of Shap Abbey grade 1. (4)
The Premonstratensian Abbey of St Mary Magdalene was first located at Preston Patrick in c1192, but was moved to Shap in c1201; it was dissolved in 1540. (5)
Shap Abbey, grade 1. (6)
Shap Premonstratensian Abbey, including the precinct wall, abbey mill, mill race and two fishponds. There are the remains of the church and buildings around the cloister; scheduled. (7)
Medieval dyke system and shieling west of Shap Abbey. Fragments of a dyke system indicating an area of landholding associated with Shap Abbey and a single-roomed shieling. Where the boundary remains visible it takes the form of an earthen bank up to a maximum of 4.5m wide and 1.5m high that is flanked by a ditch up to 1.3m wide on at least one and frequently both sides; scheduled. (8)
Additional reference. (9)
An archaeological watching brief in 1999 found remains related to the precinct wall of the medieval Abbey to the west of Shap village. (10)
A brief history and description. (11)
Source 12 is an unpublished typescript dated 2011, of research utilising records of Shap Abbey, presented by the author to English Heritage. The research examines the motivation for the move of the Canons from Cockersand (a monastic hospital) or Preston Patrick to Shap. Potentially this may have been due to ongoing disputes between monastic houses in their previous location, and to an increasing lack of seclusion. The move may have also been driven by aristocratic competition for land, which would have been solved by Thomas, Son of Gospatrick arranging the move to Shap. Thomas provided the new site with a cattle ranch or dairy farm (vaccary), pasture, horses, grazing land for sheep, access to wood for building and fuel and two quarries for stone building materials. Notes of gifts to the re-founded abbey also show local networks of local families supporting it. After the death of Thomas, patronage of the abbey changed to the Vetriponte family, for 3 generations and thereafter to the Cliffords. In the 14th century the abbey also had economic interests in a fishery (at Hawsewater/ Haweswater Beck) and a coal pit (at Reagill). Over time the Abbey also gained some incomes from local churches, from their lands and mills. The abbey also had a deer park. However from the 14th century, the effect of cross-border warfare, local instability and the Black Death would have probably impacted on their rents. There is no record that the Abbey was attacked by the Scots; however there are records of incidents with local men attacking monastic facilities in the 1360s and 1390s, possibly due to tensions over emparkment of land for deer. The typescript includes an overview of the Abbotts of Shap, the effects of the plague, and the final years leading up to the dissolution. Shap is thought to have been one of the last Abbeys to be dissolved; it was handed over in 1540. It was sold to Sir Thomas Wharton in 1544 but was later forfeited by a Jacobite Duke of Wharton in 1732 and subsequently became part of the Lowther estate. From 1948 the ruins were placed under the Guardianship of a sequence of state bodies, initially the Ministry of Works, the Lake District National Park Authority; and in 1999, English Heritage. The typescript includes lists of original manuscripts and their locations, and other records that were later copied or quoted. The author also has compiled maps and a list of people and places noted in the documents. (12)
At the time of amending this record in 2011, online access to the relevant scheduling information is available through the National Heritage List for England. (13-14) |