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.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Hi Mr D.

It has been called Cow Houses for well over 150 years, the area around there was known as Cow House Post in the early census returns. In the 1828 Survey the lands and buildings in that area were owned by Jacob Lang and William Myers. Lang paid £56-8s & Myers paid £11-11s-10d, in Rates. What is know as Cow Houses later became part of Black Abbey Farm. A woman from up in pudding land (Yorkshire) once did an article on underground shippons, she made a right mess of description of the one in Accrington. When we did our survey, I took particular note of the stone sills between the stalls, there were what appeared to be saw marks an them, I also took several samples of the mortar between the joints, I was going to have them carbon dated, till I found out it couldn't be done on mortar. I'm still of the opinion that they were once the cellars of the old grange, and have been used by numerous people for different purposes over the years.
Retlaw.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Thanks for that.

I have been in to the property above which use to connect and (now sealed) there is a passage way so cellar would be plausable.

The little side windows?? or what ever they where puzzled me.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...tunnel0021.jpg

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

So Did the Priest Hole on Black Abbey St ever exist? I was told that this was under a shop called Scholes or similar.

anyone know?

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

There was no such thing as a Priest hole back in the 12th century, they only came into existence when the catholic religion was banned. Why would monks require a Priest hole?.

Retlaw

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Not necessarily in the 12 thC but as a child growing up in Accrington I was always told that there was such under an old shop. It was suppose to have been use during Henry VIII reign and his fickle views on religion

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

That again is some one pulling you leg.
Henry the 8th riegned from 1509 to 1547. Accrington as such didn't exist, there were two small villages known as Accrington Vetus & Accrington Nova. The earliest known count of the inhabitants was in 1666 when Charles 2, levied taxes on the inhabitants. The tax rolls which are held at the Public Record at Kew in London, list all the inhabitants liable for taxes.
My examination of those rolls shows there were 30 families living in Accrington Vetus and 71 families in Accrington Nova, it also listed the occupations of these people. The first road to be built in Accrington was Abbey St in 1790/91, by blind Jack O Naresborough. Before that the were no proper streets in Accrington and the only cottages were in Grange Lane, Heifer Bank, Heights, High Riley, Lower Hey, Lower Antley, Lower Hollins, Old Laund, Pilling Cottages, Rothwells Cottages & Woolhurst bank.

There were no SHOPS, no running water only about 10 wells for the residents, no toilets or proper sanitation, just the rivers and streams to get rid of your garbage, it was not until the Babbage report in the 1850's that the local board of health was made to start dealing with the problem. There was only two churches in the area at that time. Altham and Church Kirk. the nearest Catholic enclave was some time later at Dunkenhgalgh.

Retlaw.

uote=polly;528756]Not necessarily in the 12 thC but as a child growing up in Accrington I was always told that there was such under an old shop. It was suppose to have been use during Henry VIII reign and his fickle views on religion[/quote]

Re: The Elusive Abbey
 

Just read this after re-activating membership. Yes, you're quite right about the farms being called 'vaccaries' but the exact meaning of the term is more accurately rendered as a 'cattle farm' from the latin for cow 'vacca' (a root from which we derive our modern term 'vaccine'). Occasionally it is still possible to see the outlines of medieval vaccaries (at Brennand near Dunsop Bridge for example) but obviously due to the urban development of Accrington, traces are impossible to find here.
The Black monks or, rather 'Black Friars' is the common designation of the Dominican order or Order of Preachers (OP). Friars did not reside in monasteries or priories. Cistercian habits in the medieval period were of undyed wool so would have appeared greyish in colour.
As a boy living in Accrington I was familiar with the hoary old tales of 'Black Abbey' and the tunnel which supposedly led to Whalley. As I grew older, I learned to discount these myths; the real history of local monasticism is much more interesting.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

please could you email me pictures of tunnels of accrington
and possibly tell me where the entrances are as i have been
looking for them for quite a while
regards
Des

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

wats happend to ur photo

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

We have discussed this subject before, there were never any tunnels, relating to the so called Black Abbey, and the myth about them going to Whalley Abbey, is just that a myth, Whalley Abbey wasn't founded till after the monks of Kirkstall had left Accrington. 10 feet down under most of Accrington in that area is solid rock, how are going to get through that, gunpowder was unknown to them days.
I posted two of the earliest documents relating to the aquisition of Accrington by those monks on another thread.
Retlaw

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Nearly all of them have caved in, or been bricked up.

The only tunnel that's still accessible is in what's now the ladies toilets in the Warner's Arms. Part of the floor lifts up, and there are steps down to the tunnel.

Unfortunately the trapdoor is kept locked, and is hard to see it's position, as it's very well hidden. You can work out where it is though, by stamping your feet, and listening for a hollow sound, unlike the rest of the floor.

Both the owners and brewery aren't keen on letting people down anymore, mainly because of Health and Safety, and them being fearful of being sued if people are injured down there, as the stone steps are very steep, and as the tunnel heads of towards the east, headroom becomes limited indeed, at about four foot high.

It's certainly very interesting down there.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

What I want to know is what are you doing in a ladies lou stamping your feet.
If that cellar is heading East then it won't go far, the river Hyndburn runs under Cross St.
Can't have owt to do with the Black Abbey Grange used by the monks of Kirkstall either, their buildings were around the area between Hargreaves St & Jacob St.
There were a number of cellars and cellar dwellings in Church St and the bottom of Warner St, mostly sealed off now.

Retlaw.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

I understand your reticence about wanting to preserve our heritage, by keeping this information quiet, but it does need to be recorded, where the last remaining tunnel is.

We were lucky enough to be amongst the group that were admitted in 2003. Others, if it's their wish, should at least be allowed to know of it's existence.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

SO WHERE NEAR JACOB ST IS "COW hOUSES"?

Phil

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

What are you shouting for.

This thread is now nearly 4 years old. Cow Houses is now inaccessible, rubbish dumped and overgrown, plus access from Jacob St is now blocked off. If you tried to get at it now, you might never be found again, I posted two photos earlier in the thread, and it was a shallow opening then, those picture were taken over 20 years ago. Those drawings and other photos are now in the Library

Retlaw

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Couldn't be bothered to remove the caps lock...

PHIL

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

See the book 'Lancashire's Medieval Monsteries' by Brian Marshall. which I published in2006.
Towards the end of the 12th century, Robert de Lacy gave the whole of the land we call Accrington to the Cistercians at Kirkstall. They set about farming it (grange is a French word meaning barn, but it also means estate) The Cistercians kicked the existing locals off the land, which enraged them, so they attacked the graange, burning it to the ground. 3 lay-brothers ( not monks, but blokes employed by the monstery to ruin the place) were killed - Norman, Humphrey & Robert. de Lacy
banished the wrong-doers and forced them to give up any rights they had in the area.They also had to pay.

Order restored, the abbbot rebuilt the grange and brought the estate back into productuion. Howevber, it onmly lasted until 1287, when it was returned to de Lacy,
,who paid him 50 marks annually.

Strange that we should call it Black Abbey, because Cistercians wore white habits.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Well i suppose it is hard work.:rolleyes:

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

There is a lot more to the story of the monks of Kirkstall than what you've shown, and some of it missleading. There are several documents in the Coucher book of Kirkstall relating to what was then know as the Vill of Akerington, it originally belong to Hugh son of Leofwine the Saxon before 1066. Hugh had 3 sons their names translate as William, Adam & Elias.
Those records are written in Latin, with the help of Josie Green in the Library, and member of the Catholic church. I managed to tranlate most of them.
Retlaw.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Hi Heifers Bank and Cowhouses where they to do with the Vacarries please? As the name suggests they may. Where was Cowhouses the place, as from British History online it seemed to have been near Friarshills, the only places I find with Friar are farms near Baxendale and Green Haworth golf club. Just an added question, why was Bedlam so named?

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Forgot to put in post I'm researching Walmsley family and they seemed to be associated with both Heifers Bank and Cowhouses.
Thomas and Ellen Walmsley at Cowhouses as early as 1339 and passed through their generations. Last mention was a George and Thomas Walmsley who surrendered the land in 1545, I don't know if they were brothers, but if they lived in the same place its odds on they were related in some way, and not sure if they are descendants of Thomas and Ellen, but again if its been passed down the family for generations, there must be some link? Maybe they had to surrender the land because they were Catholics?
I don't know when they started at Heifers Bank it just said they were long associated with the place, that was in 1509?

FRIARHILLS, also in New Accrington, was in 1527 tenanted by Nicholas Rishton, who paid 6s. 8d. a year. (fn. 40) The tenants of Cowhouses, High Ryley, New Laund and Fernhagh at that time are also recorded. (fn. 41)

¶William Ryley and Thomas Kenyon contributed to the subsidy in 1543 for their lands; in 1600 the contributors were John Ryley and Christopher Kenyon in Old Accrington, Nicholas Rishton, William Rishton and John Hargreaves in New Accrington; in 1626 Thomas Ryley and William Kenyon in Old, and in New Nicholas Rishton, Edmund Rishton, John Cunliffe, Christopher Hargreaves and James Walmesley. (fn. 42)

Have I got the places right or am I way off, thank you for the help with Hefers, even though there's nothing there now, at least I know roughly where that was.
Many thanks.

Re: Accringtons Elusive Abbey
 

Have I got the places right or am I way off, thank you for the help with Hefers, even though there's nothing there now, at least I know roughly where that was.
Many thanks.

The person to ask on this question is Bob Dobson, Send him a P.M. even if he does not know the answer he may be able to put you in touch with someone who does.