Kirkstead Abbey is a former

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 ...

monastery in

Kirkstead Kirkstead is an ancient village and former civil parish on the River Witham in Lincolnshire, England. It was merged with the civil parish of Woodhall Spa in 1987. History Kirkstead has its origins in a Cistercian monastery, Kirkstead Abbey (t ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The monastery was founded in 1139 by Hugh Brito, (or Hugh son of Eudo), lord of

Tattershall Tattershall is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A153 Horncastle to Sleaford road, east from the point where that road crosses the River Witham. At its eastern end, Tatters ...

, and was originally colonised by an abbot and twelve monks from

Fountains Abbey Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 40 ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. The original site was not large enough however, and Robert, son of Hugh, found a better site a short distance away in 1187. The 1187 date is probably ''completion'' of the Abbey, as the architecture dates it to around 1175. The monks were granted the lordship of

Wildmore Wildmore is a civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated approximately north-west from the town of Boston and south from Horncastle. There is no village called Wildmore; the village of New York lies wi ...

by the lords of Bolingbroke, Scrivelsby and Horncastle, although they did retain the right of common pasture for themselves and their tenants. The abbey remained in existence until 1537, when it was dissolved; the last abbot, Richard Harrison, and three of his monks were executed by

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

following their implication (probably unjustly) in the

Lincolnshire Rising The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "mo ...

of the previous year. The land passed to the

Duke of Suffolk Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in the peerage of England. The dukedom was first created for William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, William de la Pole, who had already been elevated to the ranks of earl and marquess ...

and later to the Clinton

Earls of Lincoln Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England, most recently in 1572. The title was borne by the Dukes of Newcastle-under-Lyne from 1768 to 1988, until the dukedom became extinct. Earls of Lincoln, first ...

, who built a large country house. By 1791 that too had gone and all that remains today is a dramatic crag of masonry - a fragment of the south transept wall of the abbey church - and the earthworks of the vast complex of buildings that once surrounded it, which is Grade I

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

, and an ancient

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

Burials

John Beke, 1st Baron Beke John Beke, 1st Baron Beke (d.1303/4) of Eresby in the parish of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, was a baron.Cokayne, ''Complete Peerage'', new edition, Vol.1, p.89, "Beke" Origins He was the eldest son and heir of Walter II Beke, of Eresby, by his wife E ...

References

Cistercian monasteries in England Monasteries in Lincolnshire Religious organizations established in the 1130s 1537 disestablishments in England Grade I listed buildings in Lincolnshire Christian monasteries established in the 12th century 1139 establishments in England Ruined abbeys and monasteries Ruins in Lincolnshire {{UK-Christian-monastery-stub

Burials

See also

References