Growth and expansion (continued)

(4/15)

The home grange was generally the largest and closest of the abbey granges. Whilst other granges were often leased out in the later Middle Ages, the home grange was usually farmed directly by the abbey. This was the case with Griff. At the time of the Dissolution it was made up of 490 acres, 244 of which were pasture and 96 arable. Following the dispersal of the monks Griff was leased to the Earl of Rutland. [Donkin, 'Cistercian grange', p. 96; Burton, 'The estates and economy', pp. 74-5.]

Rievaulx’s home grange was on the site of the destroyed village of Griff. It is not, however, clear if the Cistercians themselves were responsible for evicting the locals or if the monks simply took over an already deserted area.(7) Griff (see map) was one of the abbey’s five main agricultural granges, the other four being Newsham, Bilsdale, Laskill and Sproxton, which were situated to the north and east of the abbey.(8) The sheephouse at Sproxton was associated with Griff grange.(9)

Rievaulx granges
© Cistercians in Yorkshire Project
<click to enlarge>

Although granges were primarily intended as agricultural centres, they were not all used for farming and some functioned as centres for industrial work. Faweather (Bingley), in the West Riding of Yorkshire, was associated with iron production, and the community built forges on the banks of the R. Dove at Stainborough, several miles from Barnsley.(10) In theory, Cistercian granges were to be within one day’s journey of the abbey, i.e. within about a fifteen-mile radius. This was to make sure that whoever was stationed at the grange could return to the abbey for services. In practice, however, this was not always possible and some granges took several days to reach. The journey to Stainborough, for example, would have taken about three days.(11) A common reason for establishing granges beyond the stipulated boundary was competition from other religious houses that held lands or had a grange in the area. This proximity of lands might also bring about agreements between religious houses, to clarify rights and boundaries. Such was the case in the mid-twelfth century when Byland and Rievaulx drew up an agreement about lands at Hesketh grange.(12) Resolution was not always a peaceful process and in the late twelfth century Abbot Silvan of Rievaulx and Abbot Robert of Fountains came to blows over land in Cleveland, where both communities had granges. The two parties were eventually reconciled, and agreed on boundaries and rights of way in this area.(13)