St Martins Priory

St Martin's Priory close to the banks of the River Swale was a bit of a mystery when we visited. It is marked on Google maps, however when we found it, it seemed to be on private land. Then the plot thickened as we discovered there was an open gate with a sign saying 'St Martin's Priory', but again this seemed to lead up to people's houses.

I can't find anything clear cut about whether you can actually go up to the buildings so I will leave that decision up to you. There isn't too much left of the 12th century priory now anyway, and you may be able to get better views of it from the old railway line by the river.

Established for a small community of around 9-10 monks, St Martin's Priory was a dependency of St Mary's Abbey in York. Following the Benedictine way of life, the monks at St Martin's would have dedicated their days to prayer, work, and scholarship. The priory likely housed a church, cloister, dormitory and refectory, though today only fragments of these structures remain.

Despite its modest size, St Martin's Priory played a significant role in medieval Richmond. The monks would have been involved in agricultural activities, helping to sustain the priory and potentially contributing to the local food supply. They may have also provided spiritual guidance and education to the surrounding population. The priory itself would have served as a place of pilgrimage and a refuge for travelers.

The dissolution in 1539 marked a turning point for St Martin's. The priory's lands and possessions were seized by the crown, and the buildings gradually fell into ruin.

It's not somewhere you will spend hours, but there is plenty in the Richmond area to peruse and not too far along the railway line is The Church of St Agatha and Easby Abbey.