Introducton
Between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England and Wales and Ireland, appropriated their income, disposed of their assets, and provided for their former personnel and functions. Although the policy was originally envisaged as increasing the regular income of the Crown, much former monastic property was sold off to fund Henry's military campaigns in the 1540s. He was given the authority to do this in England and Wales by the Act of Supremacy, passed by Parliament in 1534, which made him Supreme Head of the Church in England, thus separating England from Papal authority.
As such this blog is primarily about what now remains of these once religous buildings across England, Wales and for different reasons to the above Scotland.
It is not a blog about the religious elements of the dissolution or the reformation, both of which in Britain go hand in hand.
Many of the buildings were plundered first by Henry's forces, to sell of valuable assets such as gold silver and even the lead from the roofs. Then by locals who saw these grand well constructed edifices as a ready source of prepared building materials, there is nothing new about this. A church near Corbridge in Northumberland contains stones that include a dedication to a Roman Diety, obviously taken from nearby Hadrians Wall.
Many were sold to local landowners, some were converted into comfortable homes, some included in parkland as romantic backdrops by the wealthy and many remained in the hands of the State.
A good example of this is Tynemouth Priory -
A Millenia of Protection
I called this "A Millenia of Protection" here on a high headland (known as Pen Bal Crag) and at the entrance to the strategic River Tyne Stands the remains of the 7th century priory, although Roman stones have been found at the sight and Hadrians wall begins very close at hand.
by 1095 there was a castle on the site consisting of earthen ramparts and a wooden stockade. In 1296 the prior of Tynemouth was granted royal permission to surround the monastery with walls of stone, which he did. In 1390 a gatehouse and barbican were added on the landward side of the castle.
Some of the priory remained in use as a parish church until 1668 when a new church was built nearby. What now became the churchyard started to fill up with graves and there are many fine Victorian grave stones amongst them.
At some point a lighthouse was built on the sight It remained in operation until 1895, when it was replaced by St. Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay to the north. Tynemouth Castle Lighthouse was subsequently demolished, in 1898.
At the end of the 19th century the castle was used as a barracks with several new buildings being added. Many of these were removed after a fire in 1936. The castle played a role during World War II when it was used as a coastal defence installation covering the mouth of the river Tyne. The restored sections of the coastal defence emplacements include a guardroom and the main armoury.
Later the site has hosted the modern buildings of Her Majesty's Coastguard; however the new coastguard station, built in 1980 and opened by Prince Charles, was closed in 2001, when it's ceased to have any operational functionality.
Today visiters can wander amongst the ruins in relative peace and quiet.
So this is the introduction, lets see where we go next........
