The remains of medieval Thornton Abbey are the finest in Lincolnshire, while the 14th century gatehouse is not only one of the largest in England but is also an important early example of brick architecture.
Foundation and Dissolution
Founded in 1139, Thornton Abbey was one of the Augustinian Order’s richest houses.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, it became a college of secular canons, part of Henry VIII’s scheme for a system to replace the monasteries. This too was soon dissolved and the site was plundered for building materials.
Visitor Attraction
In 1815 Lord Yarborough of nearby Brocklesby bought the abbey to protect it, and the site became a popular visitor attraction. In 1848 it gained its own railway station, which is close by.
The 1850s saw some huge Temperance Society gatherings at Thornton, with up to 15,000 people coming here from all over northern England for ‘rational recreation’. Their verses celebrate the site:
We will go to Thornton
With speed upon the rail
And there exclaim against strong drink
In spirits wine and ale.
Why we will go to Thornton
And there we’ll joyful sing
Of liberty from alcohol,
The potent tyrant King!
The gatehouse
The 14th century gatehouse continued to be used as a residence after the Dissolution and survived intact. Originally, its brickwork would have been rendered and limewashed to blend in with the stone.
The life-sized statues of soldiers and ‘others of trade and sciences’ once manning the battlements have long disappeared but weathered figures of saints still stand over the doorway; even the original carved timber inner doors survive. On the upper floor are two large chambers – one of which now houses a museum – and a maze of wall passages.
The chambers were probably used as apartments for the abbot or his guests and for the abbot’s treasury. The abbey’s coffers would have been well protected here.
At a time of increasing insecurity for monasteries, the abbot was licensed to improve the building’s fortifications in 1382, the year after the Peasants’ Revolt. With its turrets, moat and barbican, the gatehouse would have provided good protection against mobs or raiders.
It is also a swaggering display of the monastic wealth and power that Henry VIII dismantled so effectively during the 1530s.
The monastic remains
The foundations of the church and cloister ranges are visible but much more lies hidden beneath the turf. Still standing are parts of the church and the chapterhouse (built 1282–1308), with its elegant panelled decoration. Alongside is the parlour, a small vaulted chamber where monks were permitted to talk.
Behind the stone wall leading towards the gatehouse was the inner court, containing the brewhouse, bakehouse and other agricultural or industrial buildings.
The outer court, between the church and gatehouse, contained a watermill, stables, smithy and other service buildings. Here too is the overgrown site of a short-lived country house built in 1610, now marked by deep hollows where the stonework was later removed.
Sources
Clapham, A and Baillie Reynolds, P K 1951. 'Thornton Abbey, Lincolnshire', HMSO: London
Coppack, G 1990. 'The English Heritage Book of Abbeys and Priories', Batsford: London
Coppack, G 1991. 'The precinct of Thornton Abbey, South Humberside: The Planning of a Major Augutstinian House', in Tyszka, D, Miller, K and Bryant, G F (eds) 'Land, People and Landscapes', 37-44
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
