Excavations at Cockersand Abbey, Lancashire, 1923-27
Excavations at Cockersand Abbey, Lancashire, 1923-27
Excavations at Cockersand Abbey, Lancashire, 1923-27
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]<strong>Abbey</strong> was not fully established until 1204-5. In the interim itmay be possible th<strong>at</strong> it moved to Filling, where it also held land. (3)In view of this, and also the architectural evidence, the firststone buildings <strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong> should perhaps be d<strong>at</strong>ed to the earlyyears of the thirteenth century. No timber structures or remainsof Hugh Garth's hospital were noted in the excav<strong>at</strong>ion, but consideringthe methods used this is hardly surprising. It is, however, possibleth<strong>at</strong> 'John's Hall' was the original Hospital building, hence itsposition and st<strong>at</strong>e of disrepair by the l<strong>at</strong>er mediaeval period.From this time onwards our main source of knowledge of the <strong>Abbey</strong>'sdealings is gained from the charters (4), which illustr<strong>at</strong>e thegeographical spread of its lands and the large holdings of even arel<strong>at</strong>ively poor monastic house (5). Fig. 1 shows the distributionof land, mainly within <strong>Lancashire</strong>, in river valley and on the coastalplain. The charters give an invaluable, it somewh<strong>at</strong> legalisticinsight on the North <strong>Lancashire</strong> countryside of the Middle Ages. Itis possible to detect a policy of acquisition in the chartulary;land was held in virtually every parish in <strong>Lancashire</strong> north of theWyre and in some parishes, notably C<strong>at</strong>on, a whole series of charters (6)suggests a deliver<strong>at</strong>e <strong>at</strong>tempt to consolid<strong>at</strong>e holdings in a particulararea. One is seeiDg the results of th<strong>at</strong> policy, however, r<strong>at</strong>her thanthe machin<strong>at</strong>ions behind it, so th<strong>at</strong> failures are not recorded. Agre<strong>at</strong> deal of time and moneymust have been spent on holding on toproperty against the equally rapacious laity. Many such disputesare recorded in the Chartulary.After the end of the 13th century, the acquisition of landpractically ceased, as was usual all over the country. Partly thiswas a result ot changing economic conditions, in part a result of theSt<strong>at</strong>ute of Mortmain (7) of 1<strong>27</strong>9, which was intended to stop the floodof property into monastic hands, where it would remain forever.There was also a notable change from direct management of the land, toa system of renting-out in l<strong>at</strong>er years, due to manpower shortage andthe rise of a semi-independent peasantry.Most monastic houses were visited periodically by a Bishop oranother Abbot, and reports were made and changes suggested. <strong>Cockersand</strong><strong>Abbey</strong> was visited on several occasions (8) in the fifteenth andsixteenth centuries, by the Abbot of Shap, another Premonstr<strong>at</strong>ensianhouse. From these we g<strong>at</strong>her th<strong>at</strong> some of the canons were given totippling and wearing the l<strong>at</strong>est fashions, apart from more seriousoffences! However, these were rel<strong>at</strong>ively minor lapses by a handfulof canons over a period of years and were by no means typical.In 1536 the Commissioners sent by Cromwell recorded the entireproperty of the <strong>Abbey</strong>, moving from building to building And room toroom in the process, thus providing an invaluable guide to the site<strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> d<strong>at</strong>e (9). It is interesting to note the presence ot 'XXX stallsin the quere there valued by estimacion lxvjs v11jd'.(lO) and 'vjBellys hangyng in the Stiple there'(ll) as well as such items as floortile~ (see below). Unfortun<strong>at</strong>ely most of the church itself is missingfrom the roll on which the <strong>Abbey</strong> is recorded.Three years l<strong>at</strong>er the <strong>Abbey</strong> was surrendered by the Abbot andtwenty-two canons (12). After the Dissolution the site appears tohave been despoiled, the stone robbed, and the lead melted down, aswas usual (13). However. it is probable th<strong>at</strong> <strong>at</strong> least one building
nl2J~1I, 0~,-.~~..:n...,•.J().r-:•J~ ~ ~.:!1 -z, I-& -g QD § 1J~ ~jI ••••\=,.!!.... \... -....•.-....C1)"~,~0 ••• t; 1t}. ..'1 "-""- I ••"-"0(.;,'- J):'"d~I . ~~I,...5 ~~._~':~-~~;:';;;"~_..._~ .. ~.'-_.~~_."Fig. 21.5 - ••••••• ---_41II!IIJ
,J(the Abbot's Lodging?) was maintained as a house in accordance withthe Act of Dissolution (14) since Robert Gar(d)ner de Abbie (and manyothers of his family) are recorded from 1595 onwards in CockerhamParish Registers (15). This building is probably the site <strong>at</strong> leastof the present farmhouse (now unoccupied) of which the main p~rt isconstructed of red sandstone from the <strong>Abbey</strong>.In 1543 John Kechyn of H<strong>at</strong>field, bought the site and most of thelocal est<strong>at</strong>es, although Gardners continued as tenants, and through hisdescendents it passed to the Dalton family, who still own it.On the architectural side, the documentary eVidence suggestsvarious rebuildings and repairs. The gre<strong>at</strong> Scottish raid of 1322 (16)would probably mean serious damage to be repaired, and there arerecords of other work in 1372(17). The archaeological aspectssuggest a number of changes including the addition of a Lady Chapel,possibl, in Perpendicular style (post - 1360) (18) and the blockingof windows in the western range. Other changes are suggested by theuse of millstone grit for mouldings r<strong>at</strong>her than red sandstone (see above).One wonders whether the 'Stip1e' was also a l<strong>at</strong>er addition, as it is anmany monastic sites along with separ<strong>at</strong>e accommod<strong>at</strong>ion for the Abbot andhis guests.Early Visitors' accounts of the site are of little assistance inany <strong>at</strong>tempt to reconstruct its appearance. Le1and, who Visited itshortly after the Dissolution describes it as 'standing veri bleke1yand object to al wynddes', but calls it a Cistercian house (19).Camden makes similar comments on its exposed positions and says itwas formerly a house of'Cluniack Monks'(20). Samuel Buck's engravingof the <strong>Abbey</strong> in 17<strong>27</strong> (21) shows a confusion of standing wall fragmentsand the Chapter House in a ruinous st<strong>at</strong>e, before the 19th centuryrepairs by the Dalton family. In order to 'improve' the compositionPiel Castle and the mouth of the Wyre are moved south and northrespectively, giVing the Bay an extremely landlocked appearance <strong>at</strong> thispointl Buck was the earliest, but not necessarily most accur<strong>at</strong>e,engraver of many ancient monuments.Good accounts of the site prior to the excav<strong>at</strong>ions of <strong>1923</strong>-<strong>27</strong>are given by W.O. Roper (22) and Hewitson (23). There was moreVisible above ground <strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> time, than now, and the subsequenttrenching of the ground led to a new p<strong>at</strong>tern of ridges and hollows.Since the excav<strong>at</strong>ions, erosion has removed the isol<strong>at</strong>ed fragment of'John's Hall' Bear the sea wall and has destroyed part ot the drainwhere it emerged. The drain itself has been filled in <strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> pointin rec en t years., Risks of vandalism and the theft of stonework make it highlydesirable th<strong>at</strong> the farmhouse should be occupied\once more and th<strong>at</strong>carved stones should be taken into safekeeping.Earlierexcav<strong>at</strong>ionsIt is unlikely th<strong>at</strong> we shall ever know the full extent ofexcav<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>at</strong> the <strong>Abbey</strong> before the present century. Probably theactiVity of stone-robbers merged imperceptibly into th<strong>at</strong> oftreasure-hunters and finally antiquaries. In 1847 (24) a 'Societas<strong>Cockersand</strong>i' was set up by a group of am<strong>at</strong>eur antiquaries and artistswho picnicked among the ruins and made drawings which seem,unfortun<strong>at</strong>ely, to have been lost. One member was the architect E.G. Paley.
I'"-•••&------. I6, /"."..'"-- -"""..--------.-.-.I" '.· .• ' • f •·. . .N+-f---· .' ..• • I "· .Pill ing Oldexcav<strong>at</strong>ed••(;.::·:1Church" · . ,..1924&52 .....fII• "0 .• :....' .. ... .• •• Of. .' .· ... . ' .... . .IfIIII 1IIII «:>•• M •• '~--~--- ----- ----I II_,0:': : °0::'0° o •: ' ,.e"' Of' 0*'• •• ,. Of'~I •... 1III1.-- ~ _, II-fS'S:l"''"I1aI'"J{, (.-",~1 •Fig. 3
7They explored the drain for 169 ft. from the shore, as far as ableckage caused by cellapse, and recevered a pettery handle frem it.L<strong>at</strong>er they dug inside the seuth wall ef the church and feund tilefragments and wall plaster, and then meved en to. search fe·r the nerthwestand nerth-east piers ef the cressing. They recevered frem thefermer area, part ef a semi-circular deo.rhead and part ef a newel efa staircase (25) and frem the l<strong>at</strong>ter the benes ef an QX, presumablya pest-DissQlutiQn depesit. Their actiVities are typical Qf theperied and the manuscript is written in a charmingly rheterical style.In a letter (26) to. T. Cann Hughes d<strong>at</strong>ed 26/9/<strong>1923</strong>, Jehn Swarbrickrefers to. the pessibility ef dumping speil ever the sea wall 'asMr. Parkinsen did in 1863'. This perhaps peints to. ether expler<strong>at</strong>ionser <strong>at</strong> least disturbances ef the site. Even befere 1847 (<strong>27</strong>) therewas SQme werk in pregress Qia the s;1.teas a 'cannen ball' weighing71bs. had been feund. In view ef the menastic n<strong>at</strong>ure ef the site, itis mere likely to. have been a spherical stene finial er semething efth<strong>at</strong> character.The Main Excav<strong>at</strong>iensThe principal excav<strong>at</strong>iens en the site teek place between <strong>1923</strong> and19<strong>27</strong>, altheugh mest ef the werk carried eut in the first two. years.Meney was raised by public subscriptien and administered by theExplor<strong>at</strong>ien Cemmittee. Day to. day running was by a Werks CemmitteecempQsed ef lecal antiquaries and the actual werk was carried eut bylecal men, particularly ex-serVicemen and these unemployed due to.slack trade <strong>at</strong> Lancaster and Glassen Dock. The site fereman wasthe 79 years Qld Mr. Jehn Hallews, who. had werked <strong>at</strong> Ribchester,Elslack and Wilderspoel under Themas May, and was a Biblical figurewith a lQng white beard.This hierarchical appreach to. excav<strong>at</strong>ien is an interestingsidelight en the secial cenditiens ef the time. It may fairly besaid th<strong>at</strong> a number ef problems arese simply because ef the excess efchiefs ever braves. Meney was always in shert supply and the need to.maintain secial niceties and distinctiens seems to. have been <strong>at</strong> thereet in part <strong>at</strong> least. A large prepertion must have been spent in<strong>at</strong>tracting new subscribers and maintaining the interest ef existingmembers - no. bad idea, but <strong>at</strong> times the actual precess ef excav<strong>at</strong>ienseems to. have been fergetten, and seme hare-brained schemes seem to.have been h<strong>at</strong>ched by enthusiastic members, such as excav<strong>at</strong>ians <strong>at</strong>Pilling Old Church, and prajected excav<strong>at</strong>ions <strong>at</strong> Warburtan andGreenhalgh Castle (28) when funds wer~ clearly 1nadequii:l te eV&/J fer the!erk in ~.nd. lie ptlll, I,t )·lJJlI~p:. ',,,-; ';t""'lf, .,qq 0tJ/.J4f.t
In 1925 no work was carried out (30) and when it was resumed in1926 it was on a very much reduced basis. Only one man was employed,filling in trial holes and tracing further walls (31) and plans weremade of the Chapter House. This probably continued into 19<strong>27</strong> (32).Reinterment of some of the bodies of Dalton ancestors buried in theChapter House seems to have been contempl<strong>at</strong>ed, if not carried out,presumably in order to loc<strong>at</strong>e the true floor level. \33).<strong>Excav<strong>at</strong>ions</strong> in Lancaster began in 19<strong>27</strong> and these seem to havedrawn off most of those who had been involved with the <strong>Abbey</strong>.There was some intention to preserve the remains of the <strong>Abbey</strong> andto maintain the site open, but by 1930 (34) a quot<strong>at</strong>i~n of £65 wasobtained for filling in the site, and in 1932 (35) this was apparentlycarried out.The methods of excav<strong>at</strong>ion were fairly crude, as can be seen fromcontemporary photographs •. In order to conserve money i.t was decidedto loc<strong>at</strong>e and follow up the walls, removing only sufficient soil toenable a plan to be made. Only in the Presbytery, South Transeptand the Cellarage under the Fr<strong>at</strong>er was any <strong>at</strong>tempt made to clear anarea, although a large quantity of soil was removed from outside thewestern range. Consequently finds were rel<strong>at</strong>ively few and becausethe emphasis was much more on the architecture than the archaeology,no pottery <strong>at</strong> all, and only four represent<strong>at</strong>ive floor tiles were everpublished (36). Few of the finds were localized and none were clearlystr<strong>at</strong>ified. It is in consider<strong>at</strong>ion of finds, however, th<strong>at</strong> much ofthe reappraisal can be made.No clear division into periods of building was observed <strong>at</strong> thetime, other than the use of gritstone in 'l<strong>at</strong>er' work, (37), but somereconsider<strong>at</strong>ion can be made on the basis of published findings. Itis, of course, encouraging for any future archaeologist to note th<strong>at</strong>earlier buildings and sealed deposits still remain untouched and th<strong>at</strong>little damage was caused by the excav<strong>at</strong>ions. No work <strong>at</strong> all wascarried out on buildings beyond the immedi<strong>at</strong>e conventual ranges andmany of the more functional and less purely monastic structuresremain to be loc<strong>at</strong>ed (38).Interpret<strong>at</strong>ionsThe plan of the <strong>Abbey</strong> as obtained in <strong>1923</strong>-24 (see Fig. 2) islargely th<strong>at</strong> of its arrangement <strong>at</strong> the rl1ssolution, and is clearlythe culmina tion of some 330 yee.rs 0 f deve) opmen t. A numt)er 0 f addj tj 0/16and l<strong>at</strong>er fe<strong>at</strong>urea call be d4'itf:tcted frfJ1JI tIJ')I;}-1/1t!,Q 1" 1t11.ll'I'1tt:J dJ"l lliJt:. '"d1ff~rent 'llJHJOllrj'. It It: cl",,/"' t'"I,ff! 'd"I~"I:,'I/I"':fI:>f~ (~'II UI!~~ ·,,1 fr, H,,·.decrease in th,,: nU1lloera'Jf ~holr-monk~ ~"rJ trl~ CfJr.r'J~ID!R and 1""./~y.rd /"flf'!of the monastic ?ules during the tourta/Omth !Hld fitte(~rlthceflturi."'Jthere was a tendency. to spl1 t up larger spaceo in to a neri es of roomsand to change the use of many of the claustral buildings.Hence we find th<strong>at</strong> the monks' dormitory, usually placed on thefirst floor of the eastern range, is often split up into separ<strong>at</strong>ecubicles (40) and th<strong>at</strong> fireplaces, once to be found only in the WarmingHouse below the dormitory are by the sixteenth century more widespreadleading to disuse or change of use of th<strong>at</strong> room. The Warming-House 'does not appear in the Commissioner's report (41) and it "had probablyby this time become the 'Bredde House' (42), an example of how domestic
9uses had begun to invade even the buildings around the cloister.In the ki tchen the presence of 3 stpi ts and a dripping-pan (43)illustr<strong>at</strong>e the growth of a me<strong>at</strong> diet in the monastery proper, a dietformerly confined to the Infirmary. This change was usually <strong>at</strong>tendedby additions to the kitchen, and possibly some of the found<strong>at</strong>ions tothe south of the Cellarage represent this.The Abbot had his own range of buildings as can also be seen fromthe 1536 report. Where these lay is uncertain, but the presentfarm-house may stand on the site. At least five rooms are recordedby name in this range. Another important range contained the SeawallChamber, the Inner Chamber, the High Chamber, the Under Chamber and theMiddle Chamber. Judging by the number of beds these all contained,it is likely th<strong>at</strong> this is the western range, traditionally given overto guest-accomod<strong>at</strong>ion and storage. 'John's Hall' may representthe 'Seawall Chamber'and the other buildings probably ran east andnorth from it. This building seems to have been in bad repair in1536 (44), possibly due to erosion by the sea. The same reason maylie behind the blocking of several windows in the western range, themost exposed part of the site.The 'southern found<strong>at</strong>ions' of the plan almost certainly representthe Reredorter, pace Prof. A. Hamilton Thomp~on (45), since this wasnearly always accessible directly from the dormitory. The positionimmedi<strong>at</strong>ely over the drain is a clear indic<strong>at</strong>ion of purpose. Furthereast, found<strong>at</strong>ions and standing walls probably represent the Infirmary,where sick and old monks, and in this case, also perhaps some of theold sick men supported under the hospital arrangement, would have lived.It is possible, though, th<strong>at</strong> the 'hospital' was situ<strong>at</strong>ed in the guestwing.To the north of the church lay the Lady Chapel, an obvious additionto the plan, occupying the same rel<strong>at</strong>ive position as the one <strong>at</strong> Ely,and lastly the Precinct Wall, of which only parts were excav<strong>at</strong>ed, butwhich clearly followed the edge of the slight rise on which the <strong>Abbey</strong>was built. It has been recovered east of the church also, but itscourse on the southern side was not found. A slight hollow on theextreme south of the site, however, beyond which ridge-and-furrowbegins, may represent its robbed-out line. A g<strong>at</strong>ehouse of some kindmight be expected in the circuit of the walls, though there is norecord of this.Due to topography of the site, with the western end of the <strong>Abbey</strong>facing the sea, it appears th<strong>at</strong> some fe<strong>at</strong>ures one would normallyexpect to be <strong>at</strong> the western side of the precinct could not be placedthere. I-lostof the secular business was usually carried out whereit did not interfere with the peace of the community and the westernpart of the nave was often a parish church. The Outer Parlour, whichwas usually a porch with se<strong>at</strong>s outside the western range, was outsidethe southern range <strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong>, and all access appears to have beenfrom this side. The effect is th<strong>at</strong> buildings are obviously r<strong>at</strong>hermuddled on this side and the plan is somewh<strong>at</strong> different from most others.The presence of a lead pipe leading throup;h th" (;olltJl'fJp'" In tht,southern range into the main drain maker:;1t. c]l;lfJrthrd. tt", I.IJVof,ol'jum(see above) lay just within the cloister, close to the steps to thel'r<strong>at</strong>er, or refec tory.In common with other Premonstr<strong>at</strong>ensian <strong>Abbey</strong>s (46) the church hadan aisleless nave and aisleless choir. Despite its slight appearance,
10it was some 60 metres long, longer than the present Lancaster Priory.A straight joint in the N. wall of the presbytery may indic<strong>at</strong>e a breakin building oper<strong>at</strong>ions or a l<strong>at</strong>er extension eastwards, as <strong>at</strong> F:asbyand .~hap.Finally the ~teeple, containing the six bells, may well have beenthe tower over the crossing r<strong>at</strong>her than a separ<strong>at</strong>e building. It wasquite normal procedure to heighten the original 'lantern' in thefifteenth and sixteenth centuries, occasionally unsuccessfully. Thenewel stair, found in 1847 (see above) may rel<strong>at</strong>e to this structure.From the plan, documentary evidence and other parallels, thefollowing sequence of building may be suggested:c 1180 Hospital founded on the site by Hugh Garth, a hermitwho was already well-established here.c 1190-120, Found<strong>at</strong>ion of <strong>Abbey</strong>. Due to a dispute it mayhave been begun <strong>at</strong> Pilling instead, and Pilling Hall Farm mayrepresent its site.c 120,-1230 Building in stone <strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong>. East end andSouth wall of church. Some domestic building?c 1230 Chapter House (d<strong>at</strong>e given by Pevsner (47) ).c 1230-1350 .Completion of main <strong>Abbey</strong> buildings apart fromrepairs, alter<strong>at</strong>ions, and some additions.c 1360-1540 Addition of Lady Chapel, Abbot's Lodging and extrakitchen, and alter<strong>at</strong>ions to the Choir, Dorter, Western range andprobably other buildings also.Many of the buildings outside.the cloister may have been timberbuiltand would thus not have left many traces, resulting in theirbeing missed during the excav<strong>at</strong>ion. Much on the western side willhave been eroded, including presumably wh<strong>at</strong>ever harbour facilitiesthere were (48)• The site of the windmill mentioned in 1536, mayhowever, be preserved in the name 'Mill Brow' on the 1st edn. OrdnanceSurvey map of 1847, where the stone lighthouse now stands.Three trefoil-headed windows are built into Crook Farm aboutt mile north of the <strong>Abbey</strong>, and two pointed door-heads can also be seenthere. They were probably removed from the <strong>Abbey</strong> after the Dissolution,but the possibility remains th<strong>at</strong> Crook was a demesne farm and th<strong>at</strong> thestones actually belong there. Other objects which claim origin inthe <strong>Abbey</strong> are an oak chest formerly <strong>at</strong> Thurnham Hall, which however,seems to be much too l<strong>at</strong>e, a brass processional cross described inJohn O'Gaunt's sketchbook (1879) as 'found on the Dalton Est<strong>at</strong>es',also formerly in ~burnham Church but now in a Lancaster Bank forsafekeeping, and the famous Choir Stalls, now in Lancaster Priory.There are fourteen of these and Lancaster only ever had six monks, soit is suggested th<strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong> (which had thirty choir-stalls (49)or Furness (which would have had more) were the original owners. Noconcrete facts can be established except th<strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong> is nearer andeasier of access, and th<strong>at</strong> thirty stalls of this size would have fittedinto the choir, despite its narrowness. However, Lancaster Prioryalso has a valid claim as the number of stalls was often far gre<strong>at</strong>erthan the number of monks, and allowances may hs.vebeen mode for 1ncreafleor for visiting clergy (50).Twofinal points may be made about an esoential fe<strong>at</strong>ure of any
'11monastic site: the availability of fresh w<strong>at</strong>er and of drainage.The excav<strong>at</strong>ors of <strong>Cockersand</strong> noted the presence of a w<strong>at</strong>er cistern anda covered fresh w<strong>at</strong>er channel along the outside of the Western range(see plan) which suggested the use of rainw<strong>at</strong>er g<strong>at</strong>hered from thelarge roof-area of the buildings. It is clear th<strong>at</strong> w<strong>at</strong>er drawn fromthe Moss would be brackish and undrinkable, but a well immedi<strong>at</strong>elybehind (W. of) the present farmhouse may have provided the main supply.It is cut into the red sandstone in its lower part and the top isformed of carefully radiused sandstone blocks, with a diameter of some3-4 metres, much gre<strong>at</strong>er than the present entrance. There is somesuggestion of a covered well-head below modern ground-level.Considering the size and quality of this well, a monastic origin wouldnot be unreasonable.The main drain of the <strong>Abbey</strong> runs along the southern side of thesi te from somewhere near the farmhous,e to a disch~rge point, nowcovered by the sea' wall. It obviously served several buildings,including the Reredorter and Infirmary. A geophysical survey mightreveal its extent, and other buildings oould be expected in itsneighbourhood. It is not clear how the drain worked; there is noevidence for a culverted stream as <strong>at</strong> many other <strong>Abbey</strong>s, and w<strong>at</strong>erwas clearly too precious a commodity <strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong> to be used merelyfor washing out drains. A possible explan<strong>at</strong>ion may be th<strong>at</strong> <strong>at</strong> hightide, sea w<strong>at</strong>er was allowed to fill the drain and was pent up <strong>at</strong> theeastern end by sluice g<strong>at</strong>es, so th<strong>at</strong> on its release <strong>at</strong> low tide itwould scour out the waste very efficiently., If this is so, a systemof sluices might be expected ili the area, east of the Infirmary.Footnotes1. W.O. Roper LCAS IV 1886 p. 262. Farrer; <strong>Cockersand</strong> Chartulary. Chetham Society, Vol. 64 p. 11583. VCH vol. 11 p. 154. Pilling Hall Farm may have been the site,and was l<strong>at</strong>er the principal grange of the <strong>Abbey</strong>.4. Farrer; <strong>Cockersand</strong> Chartulary. Chetham Society. Vols. 38, 39,40, 43, 56, 57, 64.5. J.J. Bagley. A History of Lancs. with Maps & Pictures (1967) p. 176. Farrer. op.cit. p. 826-82 and pasoim.7. F.R. Crossley. The English <strong>Abbey</strong> (B<strong>at</strong>sford 1962) p. 1358. eg Farrer Ope cit. p. 11359. ibid p. 1170-8210. ibid p. 1171. For a discussion of their survival, see below11. ibid p. 118112. ibid pp. 1153-413. For a vivid description of the scene <strong>at</strong> Roche <strong>Abbey</strong>, Yorks, seeJ.C. Dickinson 'Monastic Life in Mediaeval England' (1961) p. 133-414. ibid p. 1<strong>27</strong>15. Vol. I (1595-1657) p. 1. <strong>Lancashire</strong> Parish Register Society (1904)16. 1322 r<strong>at</strong>her than 1316, I suspect, as the Scots stayed in <strong>Lancashire</strong>for four days. <strong>Cockersand</strong> would be more likely to be raided WIo~gers than an army on the march, giv,~n its position.
I'I--B----rr'17. Farrer Ope cit. p. 1119-20. This may refer only to the sea wall18. First Report·& Further Appeal for funds. <strong>Cockersand</strong> Excav<strong>at</strong>ionCommittee (1924) p. 5.19. Le1and's Itinerary. (ed. L. Tou1min-Smith) Vol. IV p. 1020. 'Britannia' 1637 Edition p. 75321. Most readily accessible in 'Picturesque <strong>Lancashire</strong>', Frank Grahaa(1969) p. 4222. LCAS IV 1886 p. 26t23. Northward: between Preston & Lancaster (1900) p. 126-824. MS. in <strong>Cockersand</strong> <strong>Abbey</strong> file, Lancaster Library (Local Co11D.).Other documents rel<strong>at</strong>ing to the excav<strong>at</strong>ions can be found amongthe archives of the Ancient Monuments Society in ManchesterCentral Library. These are mainly connected with insuranceclaims.25. For the significance of this find, see below.26. CA file (see above 24)<strong>27</strong>. See above, 2428. 2nd Report & Appeal for Funds (1925) p. 2129. 1st Report p. 11; 2nd Report p. 2530. Ancient Monuments Society Year Book 1926 p. 6331. Circu:l.arfrom l-ir.J. Swarbrick d<strong>at</strong>ed 16/6/<strong>27</strong>. CA file32. ibid33. Letter J. Swarbrick to G.M. Bland (1926) CA file34. Letter d<strong>at</strong>ed 8/8/30 in CA file35. Ancient Monuments Society NS 20 (1975) p. 21 ?36. 2nd Report (pl<strong>at</strong>e)37. See above38. eg. the Windmill, the Kilnhouse, and the barns39. <strong>Abbey</strong>s. An introduction to the Religious Houses of England & Wales.HMSO (1959) p.45-940. ibid,p. 4741. Farrer Ope cit. p. 1170-8242. ibid p. 117743. ibid p. 117544. ibid p. 115845. 2nd Report p. 1746. Ct Torre <strong>Abbey</strong>47. N. Pevsner. Buildings of England (North <strong>Lancashire</strong>) p. 10548. 1st Report p. 549. Farrer Ope cit. p. 117150. Dickinson Ope cit. p. 21-2
:;•.....\:..:.::::.:.;;:123···];:"·.·.···.·.\IJl·r·4 5 687/iW'7541
I,~THEFINDS1. The Tiles (Fig. 4. I-g)The Commissioner's Report of 1536 records the presence of floortiles in the Lady Chapel and Cloister, but it is clear th<strong>at</strong> theportion of the roll dealing with most of the church is missing, hencethose in the two transepts, found by excav<strong>at</strong>ion, do not appear. Thedemand for paving-tiles in any monastic building would be a fairlyshort-term one, conn,eted with the building programme. This wouldalmost certainly give rise to an itinerant school of tile-makers wholike many early bell-founders would find it more convenient tomanufacture tiles on the site than to carry them from a centralsource. This would explain the strong family resemblance betweentiles in neighbouring monasteries, a connection which over-rode thedifference between Orders. It is likely th<strong>at</strong> a tile-kiln existssomewhere on the <strong>Cockersand</strong> site.All the tiles illustr<strong>at</strong>ed here are inlaid tiles, made bypressing red-firing clay into wooden moulds and then filling in theimpressed p<strong>at</strong>tern cre<strong>at</strong>ed with a white-firing clay. Lead glaze onthe surface would give the tile a yellow-on-brown p<strong>at</strong>tern, oftencopied in Victorian times, but in the examples shown, glaze is for themost part, sparse, reflecting either a deliber<strong>at</strong>e finish, or, perhapstwo or three centuries of use. Inlaid tiles were common in the 13th14th centuries and <strong>at</strong> <strong>Cockersand</strong> should perhaps be d<strong>at</strong>ed to the middleof the 13th century when building was probably almost complete.1-2. Two of a sixteen-tile repe<strong>at</strong>ing p<strong>at</strong>tern representing hartsand hounds within a circular floral trellis. The use of white clayinfilling on the hound has obliter<strong>at</strong>ed all the facial detail whichexists in the red m<strong>at</strong>rix, a clear suggestion th<strong>at</strong> mould-maker andtile-maker were separ<strong>at</strong>e individuals.1. North transept.2. South transept.3. Inlaid tile with traces of lead glaze. Either the centreof a circular p<strong>at</strong>tern or one of a continuous repe<strong>at</strong>ing p<strong>at</strong>tern.~osette and star in centre and four quadrants with fleur-de-lys.From S.W. corner cloister.4-5. Two tiles of nine-tile p<strong>at</strong>tern, with p<strong>at</strong>ches of lead glaze.Leaves <strong>at</strong> corner, circular p<strong>at</strong>tern with square and circular knot-work.Separ<strong>at</strong>ely impressed floral stamps and animal (?) motifs.4. Lady Chapel.5. South transept.6. Unglazed tile with two quadrants containing separ<strong>at</strong>elyimpressed crosslets. In the central area a leaf or stylized fish.From the Southtransept.7-8. * Two larger tiles from a four tile p<strong>at</strong>tern, occupying asimilar area (1 square foot) to the nine-tile p<strong>at</strong>tern of 4-5 above.Units are based on a 6 x 6 ins. tile r<strong>at</strong>her than a 4 x 4 ins. P<strong>at</strong>chesof bright green glaze.9. * Fragment of tile with four-leaf and central rosette p<strong>at</strong>tern.A similar tile appears <strong>at</strong> the Cistercian Sawley <strong>Abbey</strong> (cf. Harland,Sawley <strong>Abbey</strong>, 1853, Fig. V).
15. ." .. .'• I. ," ,., ", ,I ," ',, ,, /,\,\, , ,679g\2)AJW'75I>Fig. 5,a,( I
18glaze. N.W. corner of Precinct Wall.4.*-5.* Two sherds probably from the same vessel. Smooth bufffabric with green/brown glaze and applied ornament.Mid Thirteenth - Fourteenth century.6.* Jug sherd in brown/buff fabric with green glaze and brownglaze over applied strips, perhaps from an iron-rich clay.D<strong>at</strong>e as above. .7.* Jug sherd in fine brown fabric with olive green glaze onexterior. Applied scale p<strong>at</strong>tern. D<strong>at</strong>e as above. Fromoutside W. wall.8.* Jug sherd in hard, slightly gritt1, grey fabric, withcombed p<strong>at</strong>tern and brown glaze on exterior. EarlyFourteenth century.3. Metalwork (Fig. 6 9-14)Not much metalwork from the <strong>Abbey</strong> site survives, perhaps, becauseof acid soils and also perhaps because it had too gre<strong>at</strong> a value to thedespoilers to be left behind. Probably the difficulty of separ<strong>at</strong>ingthe lead from the glass, accounts for their survival, since lead fromthe roof would be much more accessible.10.11.*14.*15.*16.Iron key forged from a rectangular section bar. Fromthe main drain.Iron casket key. Originally a Greek and Roman type,it has been re-invented several times, l<strong>at</strong>terly as the'French night-l<strong>at</strong>ch'; for mediaeval examples cf. LondonMuseum Mediaeval C<strong>at</strong>alogue (1940) p. 143, type IX.Fourteenth - Fifteenth century.From the main drain.Iron bar, with traces of another crossing it <strong>at</strong> approxim<strong>at</strong>elyright angles. Presumably one of the many 'barres of iron'in windows throughout the <strong>Abbey</strong>, woth in 1536 betweenid and 1d each.From below the W. window, outside.12.*-13.* Leadcames from windows, still containing fragments ofglass. These are remarkable for their small area,suggesting an intric<strong>at</strong>e p<strong>at</strong>tern.12. From below W. window, outside.13. From N. side of Lady Chapel.Bronze fragment, with longitudinal groove and small rivetholes.Possibly from a book-cover.From outside W. wall.Whetstone in fine grey sandstone.Fragment of mini<strong>at</strong>ure engaged column in fine limestone,from a shrine or st<strong>at</strong>uary niche. Scribed marks on uppersurface and an incised cross on front face.All objects marked with an asterisk are reproduced by courtesyof Mr. Crabtree of Thurnham Hall in whose possession they are, and werekindly brought to my <strong>at</strong>tention by the County Archaeologist,Mr. B.J.N. Edwards. The remainder are in the collections of I~ncasterCity huseum.