Geograph - photograph every grid square

Founded in the 1190s, the Premonstratensian abbey of St John the Baptist at Egglestone was always in difficult financial straits, almost losing its Abbey status through being poor enough to be a priory. Known as ‘white monks’, the Canons undertook preaching and pastoral work in the area but followed the Cistercian rule of austerity.
The abbey suffered at the hands of English and Scottish armies, and after the Dissolution in 1538 the north and east ranges were converted to a manorial hall. A new hall was built at Rokeby, although estate workers continued to live in the east range until the late 1800s.