# Kirklees Priory

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kirklees_Priory
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kirklees_Priory.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirklees_Priory
> Source revision: 1290930049
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Former priory in Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox monastery
| name           = Kirklees Priory
| native_name    = 
| native_name_lang = 
| image          = Kirklees Priory Gatehouse, Clifton - geograph.org.uk - 177762.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Kirklees Priory Gate House, all that remains of the original priory. 
| full           = 
| other_names    = 
| order          = 
| denomination   = [Cistercian](/source/Cistercian)
| established    = 
| disestablished = 
| reestablished  =
| mother         = 
| dedication     = 
| dedicated date =
| consecrated date =
| celebration    =
| archdiocese    =
| diocese        = 
| churches       = 
| founder        = 
| abbot          = <!-- or | abbess = -->
| prior          = <!-- or | prioress = -->
| archbishop     = 
| bishop         = 
| archdeacon     = 
| people         = 
| status         = 
| functional_status = 
| heritage_designation = 
| designated_date = 
| architect      = 
| style          = 
| groundbreaking = 
| completed_date = 
| construction_cost = 
| closed_date    =
| location       = Kirklees Park, [Clifton](/source/Clifton%2C_West_Yorkshire),
 [West Yorkshire](/source/West_Yorkshire)
| country        = [England](/source/England)
| map_type       = 
| map_relief     = 
| coordinates    = {{coord|53.6951|N|1.7372|W|source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:GB|display=title,inline}}
| oscoor         = 
| remains        = 
| public_access  = 
| other_info     = 
| website        = 
}}
'''Kirklees Priory''' was a [Cistercian](/source/Cistercian) [nunnery](/source/nunnery) whose site is in the present-day Kirklees Park, [Clifton](/source/Clifton%2C_West_Yorkshire) near [Brighouse](/source/Brighouse), [Calderdale](/source/Calderdale), [West Yorkshire](/source/West_Yorkshire), England. It was originally in the ancient ecclesiastical parish of [Dewsbury](/source/Dewsbury). The priory dedicated to the [Virgin Mary](/source/Virgin_Mary) and [St James](/source/James%2C_son_of_Zebedee) was founded by Reiner le Fleming, Lord of the manor of [Wath upon Dearne](/source/Wath_upon_Dearne), in 1155 during the reign of [Henry II](/source/Henry_II_of_England).<ref name=vch>{{citation |editor-last=Page |editor-first=William |title=Houses of Cistercian nuns:Kirklees Priory|
url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36249|work=A History of the County of York: Volume 3 |publisher=British History Online |page=170 |year=1974 |accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref>

The priory gives its name to the [Kirklees](/source/Kirklees) metropolitan district council, formed in 1974 and including the towns of [Huddersfield](/source/Huddersfield), [Dewsbury](/source/Dewsbury) and [Batley](/source/Batley), though the priory is just outside the district's boundary itself and is in neighbouring [Calderdale](/source/Calderdale).

Nuns from the priory were involved in scandals between 1306 and 1315. [Archbishop of York](/source/Archbishop_of_York) [William Greenfield](/source/William_Greenfield) wrote to the prioress about rumours concerning Alice Raggid, Elizabeth Hopton, and Joan Heton. Rumours implied they had been seeing religious and secular men in the nunnery and their behaviour led to the house being considered one of disrepute.<ref name=vch/>

The priory was not dissolved by the [Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Lesser_Monasteries_Act) in 1535, but continued for worship and hospitality. Cecilia Topcliffe was the prioress, and the convent consisted of the nuns who had been there on 4 February 1536, who continued as before the passing of the Act. In 1539, after the [Second Act of Dissolution](/source/Second_Act_of_Dissolution), Joan Kyppes surrendered the priory, which had eight inmates. At the date of surrender the whole property was worth £29 18s. 9d.<ref name=vch/> The site was granted to John Tasburgh and Nicholas Savill; the church and priory buildings were demolished, and the stone was used to build Low Hall, now known as Old Farm.<ref name=park>{{NHLE|desc=Kirklees Park|num=1413828|access-date=9 April 2021}}</ref>

A local inn, The Three Nuns, was named after Cecilia Topclife, Joan Leverthorpe and Katherine Grace, who sought refuge at the site of a guesthouse of the priory and ran it as a hostelry.<ref name=WtoW>{{Citation|url=http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/wtw/search/controlservlet?PageId=Detail&DocId=100236|title=Kirklees Priory |publisher=Calderdale Council|accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref>  The present inn was built in 1939 and the site of the guest house is buried under the car park.<ref name=c4>{{Citation|url=http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/n-s/robin07.html#masthead|title=In the footsteps of Robin Hood|publisher=Channel 4|accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref>

All that remains of Kirklees Priory are the long double-aisled barn, and parts of the Old Farm House, calf house and the gatehouse; all are still standing as Old Farm. They are all Grade I [listed building](/source/listed_building)s.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-338862-kirklees-priory-gatehouse-brighouse|title=Kirklees Priory Gatehouse |publisher=Listed Buildings Online|accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref> The gatehouse was on [Historic England](/source/Historic_England)'s [Heritage at Risk Register](/source/Heritage_at_Risk_Register), but following extensive repair work was removed from the list.<ref>{{cite news |title=Historic England: The endangered buildings saved from ruin |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46103643 |accessdate=29 December 2018 |work=BBC News |date=8 November 2018}}</ref>

The landscaping of Kirklees Park was surveyed by the landscape gardener, Francis Richardson, in 1757.<ref name=park/> It contains a collection of medieval buildings preserved by the Armytage family since the 16th century.<ref name=park/>

The priory is featured in the medieval legend of [Robin Hood](/source/Robin_Hood). According to the ballad ''[Robin Hood's Death](/source/Robin_Hood's_Death)'', Robin was killed by the prioress of Kirklees.  She was medically treating Robin via bleeding, but treacherously drained too much of his blood instead.<ref name="rymes">{{cite book |last=Dobson |first=R. B. |last2=Taylor |first2=J. |date=1997 |orig-date=1976 |title=Rymes of Robin Hood  |location= |publisher=Sutton |pages=133–139 |isbn=0 7509 1661 3}}</ref>  A monument in the woods near the [River Calder](/source/River_Calder%2C_West_Yorkshire) claims to be [Robin Hood's Grave](/source/Robin_Hood's_Grave).<ref name=WtoW/><ref name=c4/><ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/271586 |title=Robin Hood's Grave |publisher=Geograph |accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref>

==See also==
*[Listed buildings in Brighouse](/source/Listed_buildings_in_Brighouse)

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Category:Monasteries in West Yorkshire
Category:Cistercian nunneries in England
Category:1155 establishments in England
Category:Christian monasteries established in the 1150s
Category:1539 disestablishments in England
Category:Buildings and structures in Calderdale
Category:Structures formerly on the Heritage at Risk register

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kirklees Priory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirklees_Priory) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirklees_Priory?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.