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Problems (6/6)
Whilst William’s abbacy was generally
a time of increasing prosperity, there were inevitably problems.
A notable example is the disturbance caused by the arrival of a
Savigniac community at Old Byland in 1143. Rievaulx lay to the
north of the Rye and the arrival of the new community dashed any
hopes the Cistercians may have had of expanding their holdings
south of the river. It was not simply Rievaulx’s ambitions
that were thwarted. The proximity of the two houses meant that
the monks were disrupted by their neighbour’s bells for the
Savigniacs and Cistercians followed different timetables, which
meant that their bells were sounded at different times. This, as
you can imagine, led to confusion but was also the cause of resentment.
The departure of the Savigniac community seemed the only real solution
and in 1147, after only four years, they relocated leaving Rievaulx
in peace but also giving them room to expand, for they left their
lands here to the Cistercian monks. This meant that Rievaulx could
now divert the river and double the size of the precinct, in preparation
for the next building campaign during Aelred’s abbacy. Ironically,
only a short while after the Savigniacs had left Old Byland, their
order was absorbed by the Cistercians and Rievaulx’s former
neighbours now became part of the Cistercian family. In 1177 they
moved to the present site of New Byland and lived as a community
of White Monks. |
