Griff Grange

In a field only a few miles from the famous ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire lies a confusion of humps and bumps which have long been believed to be the remains of the  medieval village of Griff. The landowner, a local farmer, is keen to extend public access to this potentially interesting site, which lies next to the Cleveland Way long distance footpath. Having consulted the North York Moors National Park Authority and English Heritage, it was decided that first of all, a better understanding of the complex site was required. To achieve this, between November and December 2002 English Heritage's Landscape Investigation Team carried out a detailed survey of the traces that can be seen on the surface. Armed with a much better understanding of what the visible remains may have been, the landowner and the National Park can now work towards presenting the site to visitors under the Countryside Stewardship scheme, a conservation initiative run by DEFRA (The Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs).

 Documentary research has revealed that the site may first have been occupied nearly a thousand years ago. The 'vill', or village, of Griff is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was owned by the King's brother, the Count of Mortain. The next reference to Griff is in 1132, when the village formed part of the gift of land made by Walter Espec, Lord of Helmsley, to Rievaulx Abbey at the time of its foundation. Later records show that the village became a 'grange' belonging to Rievaulx Abbey, that is, a monastic farm which supplied the abbey and was worked by lay brothers. Lay brothers took monastic vows, but did manual rather than spiritual work. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, the farm became part of the Duncombe Estate, which it still remains a part of today.

The detailed examination of the earthworks carried out by English Heritage indicates that most of the visible humps and bumps relate to  the period during which Griff was a monastic grange. There is little surviving trace of the pre-existing village. The 'precinct boundary', which would have enclosed the main area of the grange, has been identified. Medieval field boundaries and the sites of several buildings can also be recognised, probably livestock shelters and barns, although one or two may have provided accommodation for the farm workers. In some areas, later ploughing, quarrying, and at least three relatively recent trackways have spoiled the medieval earthworks, making them difficult for the non-expert visitor to understand. However, in other areas, the stone foundations of the medieval walls are clear and lie very close beneath the ground surface.

It is possible to reach Griff via the Cleveland Way long distance footpath, which runs between Helmsley and Rievaulx Abbey.

A full report on this research is available to order on-line. To find out more about the research, contact Abby Hunt in English Heritage's York office on 01904 601901 or e-mail abby.hunt@english-heritage.org.uk.

Both Helmsley Castle and Rievaulx Abbey are cared for by English Heritage and are open to the public.