Kirkstall Abbey: The 'Nitrate King' who saved famous Yorkshire abbey for the people of Leeds

They took their name from the parent monastery at Citeaux (Cistercium), near Dijon which was founded by the Benedictine Abbot, Robert of Moleme. Within little more than a century from its formation, the Order was in possession of more than 1800 abbeys.

The Cistercians' (or White Monks') presence in Britain was felt most strongly in the north, with Yorkshire becoming a centre of monastic life.

Many of the Cistercian abbeys were situated away from towns and villages. Monks had no personal belongings so they worked hard to support themselves, often obtaining land from benefactors in order to sustain their community.

Abbot Alexander and an entourage of monks and lay brothers settled at Kirkstall in 1152 and the main buildings in Millstone Grit were completed before the end of the 12th century.

Kirkstall featured a Church; Cloister; Chapter House; Parlour; Library; Lay brothers' dormitory; Reredorter; Refectory; Warming House; Novices' quarter; Abbot's lodgings; and Infirmary.

Prior to Alexander's death in 1182, a start was made on cultivating the surrounding land, establishing the grange system, and the foundations of its territorial endowment were laid.

Very quickly, the Cistercian community successfully acquired gifts of land within and outside the parish of Leeds.

Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the English monasteries for a number of reasons. They were actioned through the Act of Supremacy in 1534. It declared Henry VII the supreme Head of the Church of England, separating England from the papal authority.

This, and later acts, gave the Crown the authority to disband monasteries in England, Wales and Ireland, appropriate their income and dispossess them of their assets.

The momentous decision to break from Rome divided the nation and created a new and huge extension to what was considered treason: faith. Henry ordered a survey, known as the Valor Ecclesiasticus in 1535. It was to gather information on Church of England property that he would eventually claim.

His two royal commissioners, Doctors Layton and Legh travelled over 1,000 miles visiting 121 religious houses in the North of England, between spring 1535 and autumn 1536, to compile their report.

It was based on five aspects: the chastity of the monks; evidence of the veneration of relics; the financial state of the house; the name of the founder; whether any members of the community would agree to give up the religious life to take their place once more, in secular life.

Amongst the Kirkstall report were details of the veneration of an object said to be the girdle of St Bernard and promoted as an aid for women in childbirth, and an annual income of £329.

The first phase of the dissolution was the closure of religious houses with an annual income of £200. Although escaping this first cull, Kirkstall finally fell.

Guy D. Barnes in Kirkstall Abbey 1147-1539 An Historical Study (1984) states: ‘It was on 22 November 1539 that [Abbot] John Ripley and thirty-one members of the community, in their chapter-house, surrendered the abbey…’

Initially awarded to Thomas Cranmer in 1542, the abbey reverted to the crown in 1556, then passed to Sir Robert Savile, the Brundenell family and the Earls of Cardigan.

Through neglect and decay some of the Kirkstall buildings collapsed in later centuries, yet found favour with a number of English artists who were part of the Romantic era in landscape painting. J.M.W. Turner (1755-1851) was one of them.

He visited the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey at Kirkstall in Yorkshire on his first tour to the north, in 1797.

Afterwards, he exhibited Kirkstall Abbey: The Dormitory Undercroft, with Cows, at the Royal Academy a year later. Another picture Kirkstall Abbey, on the River Aire dates from 1824.

Other artists who depicted the area included Samuel H. Grimm, Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Girtin and George Alexander.

By the late 19th century, the future of Kirkstall Abbey was uncertain.

The Leeds Times of August 25, 1888 said: ‘The magnificent old ruin of Kirkstall Abbey is in the market, and the estate on which it stands will, in a very short time, be sold to the highest bidder.’ It then added: ‘…unfortunately there seems every reason to believe that the estate will pass into the hands of some enterprising jerry builder, who will use the abbey stones in erecting modern villas on the site.’

The thoresby.org.uk website mentions that on the day of the auction during December 1888 there was a packed house and a sensation was caused.

This occurred when the auctioneer announced that the previous condition of sale preventing building on the site was dropped, freeing the land for development. But the reserve of £10,000 was not met and the lot was withdrawn.

Then, on December 22, 1888 The Leeds Times, under the heading ‘The Ultimate Destination of Kirkstall Abbey’, said: ‘the Mayor of Leeds (Mr alderman Ward) yesterday morning had the pleasure to receive the gratifying intimation from Colonel North that he intends to purchase Kirkstall Abbey and the grounds from Mr Edmund Wilson, and to make a free gift of them to the borough of Leeds.’

The Mayor sent a telegram to North, which said: ’Please accept my warmest thanks on behalf of the inhabitants of the borough.’

Colonel John Thomas North was born in 1842 at Hunslet. After working for John Fowler’s Steam Plough Works locally and then in Chile he set up in business himself.

He became a millionaire mainly from the processing of nitrates and returned to Britain in 1882.

He was known as ‘The Nitrate King’ and added Colonel to his title by joining the local Volunteers.

Having heard that the Abbey and grounds were up for auction and were at risk of being bought by a group of Manchester businessmen as an amusement park, he splashed out £10,000 to save the complex for the citizens of Leeds.

In 1889, the estate was formally handed over to the Leeds Corporation by Colonel North. For his generosity, he was honoured as the first Freeman of the city.

Arriving for the ceremony, he was mobbed and cheered. He told people he had enjoyed fun as a child in the Abbey playing ‘kiss-in-the ring’!’

The aid of J.T Micklethwaite, antiquary and architect, was called upon in 1890 and the work of repair and investigation at Kirkstall began.

The first step decided upon was the removal of the ivy which gave rise to adverse comment. But this work revealed a state of decay far more advanced that was supposed. The tower was in a very unstable condition, and a large buttress had to be erected in the transept to support it.

The abbey grounds were improved and adapted to be used as a pleasure resort. The Corporation spent around £5,000 in laying out and extending the grounds while the work of preserving the ruins had cost nearly another £8,000.

The reopening of Kirkstall Abbey and grounds, for the benefit of the public, occurred on Saturday September 14, 1895 and was conducted by the Bishop of Ripon.

The Mayor (Alderman Giltson), several members of the Leeds Corporation, and a large number of prominent citizens took part in the ceremony. Colonel North said it was the proudest moment of his life to see the gathering that day and that he had been the cause for the celebrations.

In more recent times, Kirkstall Abbey and grounds have hosted a number of varied events. They range from Kaiser Chiefs’ concerts to performances by the Northern Ballet Orchestra and Northern Ballet Company. The Kirkstall Festival was first staged in 1981.

Thanks to Susan Stepan at Leeds Libraries for help with this piece.