Mount Grace Priory, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Mount Grace Priory was built in 1398 for the Carthusian monks (a silent order). The Priory was dissolved by Henry VIII and a manor house was built around its ruins. In the 20th century it became an Arts and Crafts style county house. Today the house, priory ruins and gardens are open to visitors.

Address

Cleveland Way, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

See all sites in North Yorkshire

Details

Founded: Middle Ages
Category: Religious sites in United Kingdom

More Information

www.english-heritage.org.uk
en.wikipedia.org
www.worldwidewriter.co.uk

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Merchant Adventurers' Hall (49,3 km)
City of Troy Maze, Dalby (31,9 km)

User Reviews

Matti Walker (15 months ago)
My little boy loved finding butterflies with the bug catching tools they provided! The priory is s really interesting place with a lot of history!

B Hepworth (15 months ago)
Wonderful place to spend a peaceful day out. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Nice new tea room and a beautiful setting for the house and priory. The gardens and pond were stunning. Very enjoyable visit! We'll be returning again.

annf williams (15 months ago)
Lovely old house, first impression was that it would make a beautiful watercolour ( I'm quite arty

Sean J Connolly (15 months ago)
Lovely hidden gem, English Heritage do an amazing job of looking after this place. We are actually National Trust members but you can get in at no cost for being an NT member. You get to see what life was like for these monks and when they say they spent their days living in solitude in a thing called a cell, its not anywhere near as bad as you think. Pay a visit and check it out. One thing to remember is parking is £1 and that goes both for English Heritage and NT members alike.

Leigh Edmondson (15 months ago)
We love Mount Grace Priory! It's perfect for curious kids who want to explore all the nooks and crannies. Lovely gardens, activities for the kids and a good coffee shop.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Dennis Schäffer

Historic Site of the week

Externsteine Stones

The Externsteine (Extern stones) is a distinctive sandstone rock formation located in the Teutoburg Forest, near the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg. The formation is a tor consisting of several tall, narrow columns of rock which rise abruptly from the surrounding wooded hills. Archaeological excavations have yielded some Upper Paleolithic stone tools dating to about 10,700 BC from 9,600 BC.

In a popular tradition going back to an idea proposed to Hermann Hamelmann in 1564, the Externsteine are identified as a sacred site of the pagan Saxons, and the location of the Irminsul (sacral pillar-like object in German paganism) idol reportedly destroyed by Charlemagne; there is however no archaeological evidence that would confirm the site's use during the relevant period.

The stones were used as the site of a hermitage in the Middle Ages, and by at least the high medieval period were the site of a Christian chapel. The Externsteine relief is a medieval depiction of the Descent from the Cross. It remains controversial whether the site was already used for Christian worship in the 8th to early 10th centuries.

The Externsteine gained prominence when Völkisch and nationalistic scholars took an interest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This interest peaked under the Nazi regime, when the Externsteine became a focus of nazi propaganda. Today, they remain a popular tourist destination and also continue to attract Neo-Pagans and Neo-Nazis.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Mount Grace Priory