Knaresborough History - St Robert's Cave and Friary

St Robert's Cave
© Alyson Jackson 2002

Chapel Area
© Alyson Jackson 2002

The main source of information about St Robert, according to the consulted texts, is an early fifteenth century account by a friar of St. Robert's Friary (or Priory or Abbey - depending on who you read!) It is a story set in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries when Robert Flower, son of a Mayor of York, renounced the world and began his monastic career in the Cistercian Abbey of Newminster in Northumberland. After some months he returned to his father's house and then travelled on to Knaresborough where, it is said, he took up residence in a cave by the River Nidd called St. Giles Chapel which already had one occupant - a knight. Soon after Robert arrived the knight departed to return to his family, and Robert was left on his own.

A local patroness - possibly a Plompton or a Percy - gave Robert the Chapel of St. Hilda at Rudfarlington and a plot of land to cultivate. He fled to Spofforth when robbers stole his provisions but Spofforth too was abandoned when the attention he received became too intrusive. Wheater identifies the patroness as Juliana de Plumpton, second wife of Nigel de Plumpton, but she was a Percy by birth. She was step-mother to the heir Peter de Plumpton with whom she was in dispute. It was Peter's men who stole from Robert.

On leaving Spofforth Robert joined the monks of Hedley where either the conversation of the monks, or their dislike of his very frugal habits, caused him to move again. Once more he returned to St. Hilda's where his patroness built him a barn and a hut. At this time he had four followers who helped on the land and in collecting alms for the poor.

Descending the steps the coffin-shaped depression is clearly
visible along with the different levels of the site.

Now Robert fell foul of William de Stuteville, lord of Knaresborough from 1173 to 1203. He accused Robert of being a receiver of thieves, drove him and his followers from his home and burned it to the ground. Robert returned to the chapel of St. Giles which we now know as St. Robert's Cave.

Robert's brother, Walter the Mayor of York, failing in his attempt to persuade Robert to give up such a vulnerable and poor existence and join a monastery, had a small chapel and dwelling place built for him. The Chapel was dedicated to the Holy Cross.

At some point King John is thought to have visited Robert and been so impressed by his piety that he made him a gift of land. The King ordered Brian de Lisle, the Keeper of the Honour of Knaresborough at the time, in February 1216 to award Robert half a carucate in the wood of Swinesco. It was confirmed in 1227 by King Henry to Ivo, a disciple and the successor to Robert.

Robert died on 24th September 1218. The monks of Fountains Abbey wanted to bury him in their ground, no doubt for the visitors - and hence donations - that such a burial would bring. But Robert had prophesied that this would happen and impressed upon his followers his desire that he be buried in the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

The Chapel became a place of pilgrimage and also a source of medicinal or healing oil. In 1252 Pope Innocent IV granted an indulgence to those who "help in completing the monastery of Saint Robert of Knaresborough where that saint's body is buried" (see A History of Harrogate and Knaresborough which also points out that this is the only reference to Robert's canonisation). Friars of a Trinitarian Friary were building a new church over the chapel in 1282. A flood which levelled the building works was interpreted as the spirit of Robert returning the friars to his own level! Two different sets of documents thus support the idea that the Friary was built over St Robert's tomb. The location of the Friary is some way south-west of the cave so either St. Robert's body was moved, or the Chapel of the Holy Cross was not outside St. Robert's Cave but on the site where the Friary was built.

In 1318 the Friary and its lands were laid waste by the Scots and subsequently the Friar, John de Spofford, was given a writ of protection and safe-conduct for three years so that he could travel seeking support for the friars. The Friary was also excused payment of taxation arrears and its tax assessment was reduced from £26.13.4 to £5.The number of friars would be around a dozen, although in 1360 there were only 6 in residence probably due to the Black Death of 1349.

The Friary acquired various pieces of land and houses in Knaresborough as well as six shops in the Market Place. It held the patronage of the churches of Hampsthwaite, Pannal (acquired when it had also been destroyed by the Scots), Whixley, Thorner and Fewston and was allowed to build a water mill on the river for grinding its own corn - but no one elses. Income was derived from rents, the churches, begging, offerings of pilgrims and bequests, but St. Robert's was never wealthy. Regularly in the late fifteenth/early sixteenth centuries it received remission on half its tax assessment on the grounds of poverty.

In December 1538 the Dissolution of the Monasteries overtook the House of St Robert and it was suppressed. Pensions to the friars totalled £56 6s 8d yearly, of which £13 6s 8d was due to the Minister, Thomas Kent. Ten priests were resident with the Minister at this time: John Turnbull, John Starkbayn, Richard Waylshe, John Aylmer, Robert Gybson, John Trystram, Thomas Yorke, Rychard Mellyng, Thomas Grene and Richard Buryngston.

Nothing remains of the buildings of the Friary - although intriguing bits and pieces of what may be old ecclesiastical architecture have been incorporated into nearby walls!