 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Fountains Abbey: History
Fountains Abbey: Buildings
|
The tannery (6/6)
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.(144) 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.(145) The tannery would have had a bark-house,
barkmill, barn and also a lime
kiln associated with it.(146) 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.(147) 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.(148) |
