| Summary : Site of a monastic grange belonging to Fountains Abbey. It was one of the last home granges to Fountains Abbey to be established and was situated to the north of the Abbey, adjoining the precinct wall and connected to the Inner Court of the Abbey by a road which is still visible by the Inner Gatehouse. The grange farmed an area which extended to the western side of Studley Royal Water Gardens, north to Horse Coppice and west to the top of the Skell Valley in Aldfield. In 1538 it was recorded as comprising 58 hectares of which 14 hectares were arable land, 12 hectares were pasture and 11 hectares were meadow. The remaining 21 hectares contained woodland, the grange buildings and animal pens. It was formally farmed as a Grange from 1317 and supported a mixed agricultural regime. Archaeological excavations in 1988-93 showed that the grange covered a smaller area than the farm which subsquently replaced it , and due to its close proximity to the abbey, did not contain any largescale building complexes. Three areas of ridge and furrow cultivation were identified. By 1457 the abbey had appointed lay keepers to the farm and it was also one of the last to be rented to tenants in December 1535. |
More information : (SE 274685) The quarried face of the rocks formed a sufficient precinct boundary to Fountains Abbey on the north side, which was also covered by its grange at Swanley on the top
of Rye Bank. (1)
There are no visible remains of the grange. The course of a former substantial wall, however, visible as a pronounced scarp between SE 27276835 and SE 27486840 may represent part of its northern boundary. (2)
Swanley Grange was in existence by 1317 and its extent was estimated in 1534 as 144 acres (58 ha). (3a)
The lynchet at SE 2730 6836 - SE 2746 6840 noted by authority 2 marks the southern, not the northern, boundary of the Grange. A track approaches the Grange from within the Abbey precinct at SE2723 6833. (3)
Map of the Grange published. (4)
Swanley Grange (National Trust number 30118) was one of the home granges to Fountains Abbey and was one of the last to be established. It was situated to the north of the Abbey, adjoining the precinct wall and connected to the Inner Court of the Abbey by a road which is still visible by the Inner Gatehouse. The grange farmed an area which extended to the western side of Studley Royal Water Gardens, north to Horse Coppice and west to the top of the Skell Valley in Aldfield. In 1538 it was recorded as comprising 58 hectares of which 14 hectares were arable land, 12 hectares were pasture and 11 hectares were meadow. The remaining 21 hectares contained woodland, the grange buildings and animal pens. It was formally farmed as a Grange by John de Mowbray from 1317 and supported a mixed agricultural regime. Archaeological excavations in 1988-93 showed that the grange covered a smaller area than the farm which subsquently replaced it , and due to its close proximity to the abbey, did not contain any largescale building complexes. Three areas of ridge and furrow cultivation were identified. By 1457 the abbey had appointed lay keepers to the farm and it was also one of the last to be rented to tenants in December 1535. (4-5) |