Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 1543371
Hob Uid: 1543371
Location : North Yorkshire Ryedale Byland with Wass
Grid Ref : SE5520078922
Summary : Leat built by the monks of Byland Abbey (1147-1538) to bring water to buildings on the east side of the cloister. The course of the feature within the Guardianship area is known from the Office of Works' clearance work in the 1920s and can be traced for circa 300m to the east as an earthwork channel, now largely infilled, but is ploughed out beyond. Its source is therefore unknown, but as with another leat to the north (UID 927304) it was probably fed by springs or streams in the area of Wass. Scheduled.
More information : A section of water channel was excavated by the Office of Works on the east side of the cloister of Byland Abbey. This fed a cistern which was used to flush drains in the abbot's lodging and monks' reredorter. It was itself fed with water from a very large lake which occupied the area east of the monastic complex and immediately south of the modern Byland to Wass road. (1) The course of the leat or aqueduct can be traced as an earthwork, lying at the base of a plough lynchet and now largely infilled, for c 300m due east of the abbey church, centred at SE 5517 7898. Its course beyond that point is ploughed out and its source therefore unknown, but in all probability, as with another leat to the north (SE 57 NE 27), it originally brought water to the precinct from springs or streams in the vicinity of Wass. It most definitely was not fed by a lake in the position described by authority 1, the existence of which is extremely doubtful: this is rather an area of former marsh which the monks tried to drain but which no doubt periodically flooded then as it still does today. The surviving part of the leat lies within the area of RSM 13279 (2a). Surveyed at 1:1000 scale as part of the EH: Byland Abbey Survey (leat LT3). See plans and report (2b) in the NMR for further information. (2)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : S A Harrison
Page(s) : 27-Sep
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) : 13

Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : Marcus Jecock/25-OCT-2010/EH: Byland Abbey Survey
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 2A
Source :
Source details : 20-Jul-92
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 2B
Source :
Source details : Jecock, M, Burn, A, Brown, G and Oswald, A 2011, Byland Abbey, Ryedale, North Yorkshire: Archaeological Survey and Investigation of Part of the Precinct and Extra-Mural Area (RDRS 4-2011), 59, 61 and 80-3
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Monument Types:

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : NY1
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 13279
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SE 57 NE 140
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 2008-01-01
End Date : 2010-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 1543371