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It is not known where precisely Fountains' tannery was located, but given that plenty of water was required, it was probably situated near the River Skell. Hides of animals were brought to the tannery where they were de-haired and cured to make belts, blankets and other leather products. This would have been a long, laborious and smelly process. If any of Fountains' tenants or keepers had lost abbey stock through disease or accident, they were to bring the hides of the animals to the tannery, and not to flog them at market. Fountains was clearly concerned that the community should not suffer any loss of profit.(36) In the sixteenth century the tannery was leased to a layman, and the terms of this lease reveal that the tannery had cisterns, vats and tubs.(37) The tannery would have had a bark-house, barkmill, barn and also a lime kiln associated with it.(38) A sixteenth-century lease of the abbey's tannery (1532) provides evidence of lime-burning, for this states that should the abbey have a surplus of lime, it ought to be sold to the tenant of the tannery for 12 pence a quarter.(39) In the sixteenth century, the keepers of the West Gates were to receive the entrails and intestines of all the cattle and sheep slaughtered at the abbey, except for those killed at Christmas and earmarked for the monastery's larder. In 1526, 245 beasts were purchased by the keepers.(40)
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