Kirklees Priory Gatehouse, Clifton - geograph

Kirklees Hall is a 16th-century Grade I listed Jacobean hall, close to the English village of

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia * Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong *Clifton, Western Australia Canada *Clifton, Nova Scotia ...

Calderdale Calderdale is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England, whose population in 2020 was 211,439. It takes its name from the River Calder, and dale, a word for valley. The name Calderdale usually refers to the borough through which the u ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. The first evidence of a hall constructed at Kirklees was that of Sir Thomas Gargrave, who conveyed the property to the Pilkington family. After the estate was acquired by the up-and-coming Armytage family, the stone built hall was altered c.1770 by John Carr for the

Sir George Armytage, 3rd Baronet Sir George Armytage, 3rd Baronet (25 December 1734 – 21 January 1783) was a British politician. He was the second son of Sir Samuel Armytage, 1st Baronet and his wife Anne Griffith, daughter of Thomas Griffith. In 1758, he succeeded his older b ...

. The Armytage family went on to occupy the hall for several generations. Lady Armytage (d: 2008 aged 81), sold the property in 1983 and moved into Priory Gardens a property she built within Kirklees Park estate adjacent to Old Farm (formerly Low Hall) and the Kirklees Priory site. The former gatehouse part of the Old Farm (Low Hall) complex can still be seen, though the site is on private land and has no public access. Kirklees Hall and grounds designed after Francis Richardson are now a collection of luxury residences set in 18 acres and are annexed from Kirklees Park estate which are private with no public access.

Robin Hood associations

In the 12th century, the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

s built

Kirklees Priory Kirklees Priory was a Cistercian nunnery whose site is in the present-day Kirklees Park, Clifton near Brighouse, Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. It was originally in the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Dewsbury. The priory dedicated t ...

. It is connected to the legend of

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

as it is said to be his final resting place. In the

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

song ''Geste'' it is said that Robin Hood was the nephew of the prioress, who sheltered him when he was fleeing from the

Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...

. She drained his blood (as was a common

medicinal Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

practice in those days). She drained too much and he died. Though one can not be certain of her intentions, local folklore tells us that it was murder. The site of

Robin Hood's Grave Robin Hood's Grave is the name given to a monument in Kirklees Park Estate, West Yorkshire, England, near the now-ruined Kirklees Priory. It is alleged to be the burial place of English folk hero Robin Hood. Legend In " A Gest of Robyn Hode ...

is marked on the local

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map. The grave is located a short distance from the building where Robin Hood died, although archery experts have stated that the distance covered would not have been possible with bows of that time, never mind Robin's strength in his last moments. The grave is clearly marked as belonging to Robin Hood. The priory gatehouse and grave are located on private land.

Notes

Country houses in West Yorkshire Grade I listed houses Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire Buildings and structures in Calderdale {{WestYorkshire-struct-stub