Name: Egglestone Abbey
Rating: 5.0

Egglestone Abbey

Abbey Lane, Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 9TN, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

Egglestone Abbey is a peaceful and picturesque ruined monastery set above a bend in the River Tees, near Barnard Castle in County Durham. Managed by English Heritage, the abbey dates back to the early 13th century and was once home to Premonstratensian ‘white canons’. Today, visitors can explore the atmospheric ruins and enjoy the beautiful riverside setting.

The site includes large parts of the 13th-century church, with its distinctive eastern window and surviving nave walls. You can see the remains of the chapter house, dormitory, refectory, warming house, and even traces of the monks’ medieval drainage system. Historic tomb slabs, including the table tomb of Sir Ralph Bowes, add to the sense of history throughout the site.

Entry to Egglestone Abbey is free of charge. It is open daily from 10am to 4pm. On-site parking is available for £2 for non-members (payable by text), while parking is free for English Heritage members with a valid car sticker displayed.

Egglestone Abbey offers a quiet and scenic historical visit away from busy crowds. The open ruins allow visitors to walk freely and imagine monastic life in medieval England. Combined with its riverside views and proximity to Barnard Castle, it makes for a relaxing and culturally enriching day out.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

The charming ruins of a small monastery of Premonstratensian 'white canons', picturesquely set above a bend in the River Tees near Barnard Castle. Remains include much of the 13th century church and a range of living quarters, with traces of their ingenious toilet drainage system.
Egglestone is situated above the River Tees about a mile south-east of Barnard Castle. The abbey has a fairly unconventional plan, with its church on the south side of the cloister.
The first church, built about 1200, was small and narrow, occupying only two-thirds the length of the cloister, but in about 1250 a larger presbytery with broad transepts was built, presumably to accommodate the altars required for an increased number of canons.
Apart from the church and the east range, little else survives above ground. The north and west walls of the nave are the only parts of the original church still standing; the nave was later widened southwards.
The great eastern window of five lights consists, uniquely, of four tall mullions without any tracery. Under the crossing is the black stone table-tomb of Sir Ralph Bowes, but its top is missing. Many other tomb slabs are evident on site.
In the east range, the chapterhouse is next to the church. North of this the range was two storeys high, with the monks’ dormitory on the first floor. Nearly all the monastic features of this range were swept away when it was converted into a house and later into farmworkers’ dwellings.
Beyond, a vaulted undercroft survives with a room above, adjoining the garderobe, or latrine. The north range was built slightly later than the east. Its principal rooms were the first-floor refectory and the warming house (where the monks warmed themselves).
The range was vaulted but is now ruined. The additional masonry near the west end of the north wall was the base for a fireplace that was added when Strelley converted the refectory into a hall.

Facilities

Parking: Car parking is available on site with a £2 charge for non-members payable by text. Parking is free for Members with a valid English Heritage car sticker on display.
Food & Drinks: There are no facilities at the site but snacks and toilets are available at nearby Barnard Castle.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open daily: 10am-4pm.

Address: Abbey Lane, Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 9TN, UK

Post Code: DL12 9TN

Council: County Durham

County: County Durham

By Car: 1 mile south of Barnard Castle, on a minor road off B6277. There are approximately 16 unmarked parking spaces located very close to the abbey ruins. There is a parking fee of £2 for non-members, payable by text. There is very limited room for coaches in the car park. The nearest off-site parking (not managed by English Heritage) is located in the town itself. There is some 2 hours-free parking in the town, as well as pay-and-display parking in the central car parks.
By Bus: Hodgsons service 79 & 79X then 1⁄2 mile walk