Roche Abbey, Maltby, South Yorkshire

The stream running through Roche Abbey. This Cistercian Abbey was founded in 1147. It was robbed for building material after it was surrendered to the Crown in 1538 during the dissolution of the monasteries. The stream ran beneath the monks dormitory and toilets. In the Middle Ages monasteries were the only buildings that used running water to take away sewage. In the 1770s the abbey became part of the estate of the Earl of Scarborough. Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was employed to create a picturesque settting for the abbey. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2013).

Location

South Yorkshire Maltby

Period

Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)

Tags

monastery ruin water abbey dissolution religion faith health sanitation english heritage