The Elusive Abbey
 

Hiya, i am new to the site and am from Manchester, my family are originally from Accrington.

I have recently read a book called "Accrington" in which it talks about an abbey founded by the Kirkstall monks. Does anybody have any more information about the abbey or it founders or no where i can obtain it without having to travel to Accrington Library.

Re: The Elusive Abbey
 

kirkstall monks, originated in the Leeds area but as the following links show, they settled for a while at the grange in accrington
Early history - News - Accrington Observer

Townships - Old and New Accrington | British History Online

hope that helps you a bit

Re: The Elusive Abbey
 

Thanks for the links, its really odd to think that a monastery once stood in Accrington.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

This could be the area that it refers to in one of those links.

Unknown Tunnel - Accrington - REPORT - 10-08-07 - UK Urban Exploration Forums

Re: The Elusive Abbey
 

WHY my son?:D

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

apparently shortly after the abbey was opened in 1200 3 monks were murdered:eek: and we say accys bad now!;)

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Well there are people who regularly carry on the tradision:D

Re: The Elusive Abbey
 

Hi Mitchells.

There NEVER was an Abbey in Accrington. It was a Manorial Grange.
All the details can be found in the Coucher Book of Kirkstall Abbey, which is held at the Public Record Office at Kew.
The monks were granted some lands in Accrington by Robert de Laci cica 1190, and by the usual threats of eternal damnation managed to aquire more and more, however it never really paid them much, for they went broke circa 1280 and sold the lands back to the de Laci's, who then appointed a steward called de Riley, to over see the lands and farms, then called vacaries, of which there were 7., de Riley was based at what is called High Riley Farm. The Grange was situated from Hargreaves St, across Abbey St and part way down Black Abbey St. Why it was called Black Abbey St is unknown, for the monks of Kirkstall wore white habits.
It may have something to do with the fact that the displaced residents of Accrington burnt the first grange down and killed 3 of the monks.

Retlaw

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

That tunnel is one of the early myths surrounding the so called Black Abbey, it was supposed to be an escape route for the monks, so the could get to Whalley Abbey, in case the residents of Accrington got uppety again. That was impossible as Whalley Abbey is 5 miles away, and wasn't built until after the monks of Kirkstall had left Accrington, and how would they get through all that solid rock without explosives, just think back some years when they were installing new sewers under Accrington, every evening about 6-30, you could hear the charges going off from the days drilling, there were surveyors all over the place, checking bench marks, photographing the slightest cracks in buildings an searching for signs of subsidence.

Retlaw

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

All the info is on the 28DL thred.

Its behind where PC Tubes was.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

I had been told the story of the monks tunnel, but I cannot see it being true either.

Would be great if it was though.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

There was supposedly a tunnel between the cellar of the Stag Inn and the Dunkenhalgh.
Since the Stag was originally a hunting lodge in the Dunkenhalgh estate, it might well be true...anybody know?

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

The so called Unknown Tunnel, is nothing more than what was known back in the mid 1800's as Cow Houses. It is off Jacob St and is not a tunnel, it is a Cow House existing from the 1700's. In 1984 a member of the local Historical Society and Myself drew up detailed plans of the whole site from Abbey St to Jacob St, we also went inside and took several photographs. The presnt day entrance is not the original, it was extended some seven feet to provide footings for another building which was for stables for the old Red Lion Inn.
Retlaw

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Thanks for that insite/photos.

I to from research was told that, but having been inside, myself I find it hard to believe it was for cows or does cow house have a different meaning?, seems a bit to small. but agree it's no tunnel.