Guisborough (pronounced 'Gizbra') is a market town and civil parish within the authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the county of North Yorkshire, England. From my home in Houghton le Spring it is approximately 41 miles, 28 as the crow flies. As I have made more of an effort to travel South lately, and beyond Seaham, I targeted this area as one that I needed to photograph, as there are many other points of interest nearby. With this in mind I put a plan together in my head to do an 'All day' photography shoot when I had some spare time, and of course a nice sunny day to do it on. And I didn't have to wait too long for the opportunity. I headed down the A19 towards Middlesborough, passing the A66 turn off and heading towards the A174, which would lead me East, towards Whitby. In fact, it was perfect weather for the coast, but I hadn't intended on venturing that far across, so I stuck to my original plan which would see me tick off places like Guisborough and Great Ayton, including Roseberry Topping, a distinctive hill on the border of North Yorkshire. It is situated near Great Ayton and Newton under Roseberry. Its summit has a distinctive half-cone shape with a jagged cliff, which has led to many comparisons with the much higher Matterhorn in Switzerland. But more of that another day. Today's blog entry concentrates on Guisborough Priory, my mid-day visit in the baking hot sun...A brief insight to the Priory -
Gisborough Priory is a ruined Augustinian priory in Guisborough, the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1119 as the Priory of St Mary by Robert de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale, an ancestor of the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce. It became one of the richest monastic foundations in England with grants from the crown and bequests from de Brus, other nobles and gentry and local people of more modest means. Much of the Romanesque Norman priory was destroyed in a fire in 1289. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style on a grander scale over the following century. Its remains are regarded as among the finest surviving examples of early Gothic architecture in England. The priory prospered until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, when it was abolished along with England's other monastic communities. The priory buildings were demolished and the stone re-used in other buildings in Guisborough. The east end of the priory church was left standing with its great window forming a distinctive arch, a well-known landmark used as a symbol for Guisborough. It became part of the estate of the Chaloner family, who acquired it in 1550. The east window was preserved by them as part of a Romantic vista adjoining their seat, Gisborough Hall, from which the priory takes its idiosyncratically spelled name. It is owned by the Chaloners but is in the care of English Heritage as a scheduled monument.
Since the 19th century archaeological excavations have taken place in the priory grounds, though a substantial part of the site has not yet been investigated. In addition to the east window, surviving visible fragments of the complex include the lower courses of the west range, a vaulted undercroft, a gateway and a 14th-century dovecote still in use today. The adjoining Priory Gardens, laid out by the Chaloners in the 18th century, are under restoration by a volunteer group. The priory ruins and gardens are open to the public throughout the year.
Parting with two of my hard earned quids, I entered the priory grounds after parking at a very handy spot directly in front of the main gate. There were one or two other visitors on site, which was good for me and the camera - don't want too many people inviting themselves into the frame, do we? The bright sun was across to my right, hitting the side of the priory ruins, leaving the main wall in shade, which wasn't ideal, but after twenty minutes or so it had travelled enough to cast its rays onto the stonework, bathing it and bringing out the colour that I was waiting to see. Time to start some photography. Pigeons flew in and out of crevices every few minutes, which was a tad distracting. They were making regular visits to feed their chicks which were sheltered in shade - an ideal place to build a nest. The grounds were very well maintained, although there wasn't a great deal of colour on show as far as flowers and plants were concerned, but I did manage to include what there was on offer, just to add that odd burst of colour to my shots. It was in the nearby wooded area that an abundance of colour was visible, in the form of a bluebell plot. quite photogenic, it has to be said. I got down low and took a few photo's, one of which is shown below. The wooded area included a collection of ancient stones which were obviously part of the priory buildings at some point. Laid out in a circular fashion, these pieces of stone, although covered in moss, were hundreds of years old and ancient relics of bygone times. Scattered amongst the trees were knitted figures, forming a trail of some description, but I didn't pay much attention to them before heading back out and onto the grassy area near the Priory ruins, which was clearly the focal point of the site. It was now simply a case of finding a few points to photograph from, so off I went, grabbing shots here and there. Here is a few examples...
Coming next - Roseberry Topping. Until then...
A
