 Hello, thank you for joining me. I've just parked my larder up here at Crockham Woods in County Durham I've been up here with the IFA club with our trip around the North East. This is the final video I'm going to make in this area before driving home. This is welcome to Crockham Wood. Down here is the River Weir and on the other side of the River Weir is Finkle Priory So we're going to go and explore the ruins of Finkle Priory So once I've been up here with the IFA club we had a great road run around Northumberland We've been to Tanfield Railway, we've been to Beamish, we've been to Rail Museum at Darlington and obviously various other places Now it's time for the long drive home But I just had to stop here because it wasn't too far and it was just just made a perfect stop really So let's go down these steps and explore the ruins of Finkle Priory I'm making my way down these steps through the woods. Steps at this point take on a bit of a zigzag Going down Down there, we'll eventually end up down there. I can start to see glimpses of the ruins of Finkle Priory in the distance. It's spelt finch ale, but it's pronounced Finkle So it's Finkle Priory. It is also known as Finkle Abbey It's the daughter house of Durham Priory, which is also known as Durham Cathedral So as we take another head in bend I can, this was winter, we'll probably get a good view of it now But the leaves are blocking that view, but we should see it very soon coming down towards the River Weir Interestingly the sea is that way. The River Weir is flowing that way So it's taking a very windy course out towards the sea And come down this path here that we're joining appears to run along the River Weir And there on the other side of the river are the ruins of Finkle Priory So what we're going to do now is we're going to go across the River Weir and explore the ruins I've never been to this this priory before, been to quite a few. The most recent priory I visited was Hexham, which of course very different. It's now a parish church So that was very interesting. If you want to see that video have a look at the link on screen now There's a link to a video at Hexham Where I explored the whole town of Hexham So here we are, the River Weir And there's the priory in front of us So as I say I always enjoy Visiting any form of abbey or priory or castle. I just enjoy visiting historic sites really This is really nice though. It reminds me a bit of my visit last year to Bolton Abbey So it's a hot day. There's people swimming in the river. Last year I visited Bolton Abbey. That was another good day out So as we approach here there's a tea room here Toilet, so I parked up there. There is a bigger carpark and campsite down here So you could park there, but I thought it would be a nice walk down from the trees up there So that's why we came the way we did. So here we are Finch ale bar. It's English heritage. It is free to visit and that's where you can get tea etc ice-creams So let's go and have a look around the ruins. So there's the church up there behind us So it's a perfect setting. You get quite a lot of abbeys mentioned Bolton Abbey. It reminds me a bit of Tinton Abbey. Not as much the building itself, but the setting So I believe this dates back to 1537 they started building it. Sorry not 1537, 1536 when it was dissolved. 1237 they started building The current ruins, the current building you see. That's the church. Just there we're going and have a look and it was finished in 1239. It was dissolved in 1536. I believe it was dedicated to a saint Name slipped my mind that's coming on screen now. I don't believe he ever came here It was when he died they set up this this priory in his honor But the original priory was about a mile along the river and it was just a little wooden hut that eventually became just a chapel and then The current church was built. So it stands to fairly, I wouldn't say quite to full height, but You know the ruins are quite substantial What's interesting here is quite a lot of the ruins do survive at least all the foundations survive So on the whole we can see pretty much everything get a fairly good idea So that would have been the chancell of the church So I said looking east towards the sea although River Weir has actually flown that way North transit Is here so from the North transit you can see out out through to The Weir That's the building where I said you can buy teas and coffees There's a self-transcepts full of there would have been in this column here There was a spiral staircase Doesn't go very far and I'm just let you see that There's a locked door So this is the self-transcepts And then this is the main names of the church So if you imagine big vaulted ceiling above us In the road ahead of us, that's where if you come by car I said that is another route in and if you were to camp in the car park it's part there So let's have a look at the side of the church Again building where you can get cup of tea. It's also the booking office for the campsite Here's the front of the church So that's like the grand doors into the church Imagine pilgrims arriving here and they would have been Imagine the huge facade which would have greeted them Here we go. So as there is Fenced in What I'm going to do I'm gonna walk one hour and we'll find a way into there because that looks interesting So again the front of the church Let's go through this little door here One thing I find quite fascinating is the way the stone has weathered and you get all these interesting shapes So this room we're in here You can see the vaulted ceiling would have been another arch to there and to that far corner So you can imagine it have completely been vaulted now. We come back out here This is the cloisters of the Abbey That's the Abbey church. So they all survive higher on that side than they do on this side So I'm just walking around the edge of the cloister So where does this door ever since I was a child I've always enjoyed every little door Oh, that's where we were a moment ago. The room would have altered ceiling. Let's go back through here Get another view across the cloisters That's the chapter house there So we're gonna have a look at that When we get round there. So we're going up some steps now. What do we for? It's interesting rather large room This is probably the refectory I'm guessing this is the refectory What's through here? I'll come through to here. Yeah, there's that vaulted ceiling building again Let's go back And there's also So There's like a path down there. I wonder if we can There's like a pretty kangaroo down there. So we're going to have a look You can see from here though. See how there's a fireplace. So where I'm standing Whether this isn't you I thought this is the original height because I think I know what's beneath here But so much been quiet my head must have been about where the ceiling is But you can clearly see a fireplace just there now if we go through to here This is the refectory So this is where the monks were probably sat in too long tables and eating their meals I did actually visit a functioning monastery in France a few years ago, and it was Wasn't quite as big as this. It was an old farm that been converted to a monastery and I stayed in the guest house But I went into the room and I did see two tables and the monks were all dressed Very similar to how they would have been. This was a benedicting monastery I can't remember what the order was of that one But they would have probably sat in two rows and they would have eaten their meals Usually they ate their meals in silence So pretty why I didn't join them because I probably would have just chatted to them. So you can see some steps there Remains of some steps To a room, but I believe this would have been a much taller room. There probably was a floor above it going by the windows But I think what we should do now is have a look at what's below So back to the boys, you can see some steps going down there So this looks rather interesting What we've got is going here Descending, oh, and it's nice and cool in here. It's rather hot days Here we are. So we're now beneath the refectory So as I said about vaulted seating area, here we have a perfect surviving example of a vaulted seating That's a bit cold and it's a bit damp down here But as I said, it's a hot day, so I'm going to come down here for a couple of minutes We'll go out that door there and see what that takes us And then we'll continue to explore the rest of the monastery Once I've explored the monastery, I have got a long long drive south in my larder Going back to Buckinghamshire tonight. So this is my final video from my little trip to the northeast. I've gone completely whiter Yeah, there we go Right, so the foisters is there. Let's just go around here So this is what, yeah, we could see from, we were just up there That's the refectory and a moment ago the room of the ceiling is in these windows here So, right, let's, yes, we could That will take us back to the weir. So let's go down this way I'm trying to make sure I show you at least all of the important buildings. I don't want to miss anything out This is what I wanted to see. This would have been the chapter house here So the chapter house, for those of you who don't know, was basically a room not where they had anything religious But where they would have had meetings, discussed finances of the monastery, etc Quite often chapter houses are square in shape where the door was two windows each side Sometimes they can be octagonal Quite often, if you go to most cathedrals these days, you will be able to have a look at the chapter house If there's not a function being held in. So there's various rooms here Let's go, oh, this is, yeah, I'm just so careful to hear this Again, talking of two floors, you can see a clear line So there'd have been another floor above me and it would have been the dormitory because His sign here says so, so the dormitory would have been above him quite shortly have been down here So the monks probably would have made their way from the rectory after dinner up to the dormitory Up to bed, they probably went to bed very early because I remember when I did stay at that monastery In France, some of the monks, they would be up at four o'clock and they would go to bed You know, at about, they'd probably have dinner at about six o'clock, maybe go to bed at seven o'clock And when I was at that monastery, I then went to Lourdes and had a look around there Not so much that I'm religious, I just found it something I wanted to do and explore And when I got to Lourdes, I was then more interested in a funicular railway And so, but that's all, that was a few years ago I did that trip I'll have to, one day I'll find the videos of all that, I made them all and upload them Anyway, so we can't go into that room down there So we're in the kitchen now So you can imagine, people kitchen probably fish from the river, chickens maybe And they would have taken them over there to the dormitory for the monks to eat So we're coming to, so there's more buildings that way, we will go and explore all of them as well And the river we're just down there, you get some this angle there, you get a nice view of The monastery, the cloisters, the quite substantial remains of the church And what I wanted to show you is this room, go to here and obviously we can't go any further Because you can see the floor's gone But what we were in over there, beneath the refractory, would have been like this So this is where the vaulted ceiling had survived You can see, the section over there has survived So we'll go and have a look at that, let's make our way down into there So I think, because that would be quite interesting to see it from the lower levels So we'll go, let's go down these steps, a bit of modern steps here Just to get us in and out So again, chapter house, that would be the self-transcept There's no real windows on the self-transcept, because there were buildings up against them I think, I'll be wrong here, I think this corridor here is what's called a slight It's like a corridor, I'm saying that because when I went to Croxton Abbey A couple of years ago, if you want to see that video Do have a look at Lincoln Street now The slight was in about the same position Between the chapter house and the various other monastic buildings Okay, so we are coming along here We were there a moment ago on that side of the wall So this is that same, I said I was going to take you down into it What I've actually done We were literally there, we've come to there But we've got to find a way down to there There's a door just there, I think Oh yes, if we go out this door Let's just find it so exciting exploring monasteries You should never know what's going to take you Where, so yes, the church So that would have been the chancellel Self-transcept for down here And that's where we were, we've just been to those two doors And you can see the remains of the vaulted ceiling So I'm now in this room here Which I'm not entirely sure what it was There are so many different rooms here in monasteries But as I've said, I'm really happy to find a monastery Where a lot of it survives Because so many monasteries you go to You might get just one part that survives to high walls And those other parts don't have more steps to So we've now been to both those windows Or doors rather And we have been down there Now we're up here So let's just almost finish looking around Yeah, that room there that we couldn't get into It looks like you're waiting We'll be down through that grid And there's an arch under there I'm not going to obviously do that And along into that doorway there Because that looks quite exciting So we did a moment ago Come up out of those steps Gives you an idea actually Looking at these You can see the construction of the stone windows So I'll try and picture Whenever I come to this place I do try and picture what they would have looked like So this would have looked not so much Probably would have looked more like Just like maybe a farmhouse as such The walls weren't, the windows weren't so gothic as such So probably more squared off Etc It's above here Within the prize chapel So yeah as I was saying that That was various other buildings The church was over there So as far as the prior Perhaps these were Effectively his quarter The prize chapel Chapel would have been above Oh look at that That's cool Remains of a spiral staircase See up there So the prior probably And then he could have gone up further So yeah prize chapel would have been above You can see the window from there So the chance of the prize chapel Would have been up there Now let's go back out here We have various other little walls of ruins Oh now that's interesting This is probably my guess But if you look at See down there That line of I reckon that's covering a drain So the lavatories were probably Possibly even here Probably went out to the river with If we can find a Easy way down Let's go down To um Let's see if we can work that one out So there you get a bit more Of the spiral staircase Where the town was effectively fallen And exposed it I reckon yeah I can see it now That I'm pretty sure that's a drain Because just above it I can see And like an arch They've gone down here I think I've answered my own question There's like a hole here When I was little I used to go The drains at Tinton Abbey You could actually Were quite big I used to get in it I was quite small at the time And I've crawled through And come out in another one Whether I'd still be able to do that I don't know I've not been to Tinton Abbey Since I was a child But um Really would love to go there again We will do it one day There's a lot of miniature railways Near Tinton Abbey So um Yeah it's a holiday in the making for me And a whole series of Videos in the making Tinton Abbey I think That would have been the front of the church again Let's just go into this building here That's the one part of the abbey um Or priory rather Even though it's known as an abbey That we haven't yet explored So we'll go in there Find our way up to it So again there's other ruins That's the bridge we came in And I've got to walk up there To find my car Ready for the long long drive so Okay so We come One thing I'm not sure about If anyone watching Would like to comment and tell me Is Got the church over there I wonder what would have been in this area here Whether it had just been An outdoor sort of grassy area Um Okay so we're going Well this looks exciting Ah so the prior studies I said this would have been the prior's quarters This would have been like a little barrel voltage room Not so much the fancy voltage ceiling we saw But this prior study would have been above here So if you imagine the prior sitting up there Probably with um you know Dipping his fiver into ink and writing books Um that's how it had been in those days Yeah so there's another room With a barrel sort of vault That um remains of a spoil staircase I can see that was out there So it's a shame we can't go up there But it'd probably be a bit dangerous So above here it actually all survives See if we can just have a look at that We come through into here We've been around yeah we've been around here haven't we We've come back to yeah So the prior's chapel's above there So we're basically below the prior's quarters This one isn't going I'm trying to get back Let's go the way we came up Or no that's uh window I'm trying to get back out to Where the church was Back to the prior's study Says the church in all its glory Off we go These steps here Up here Not these steps And now we're back into the Prize quarter You get perfect view over the church So um the prized chapel Would have been through here This part of the prize quarter The prized study Would have been Ground at the level I'm at here That's looking out to the river where There's been a spiral staircase down there So I think really that concludes My visit to this beautiful ruin Priory in county Durham On the banks of the river where I hope you enjoyed this video Thank you very much for watching Please do feel free to like subscribe And comment if you're up this way You know do come and visit It is free to visit You can get a cup of tea There are toilets So it's a good place to break a journey Just like I'm doing So I hope you enjoyed my whole Visit to the northeast of county Durham My trips around with the IFA club And the other little visits like this I managed to engineer in Thank you very much for watching Please do feel free to like subscribe And comment and from Think or priory Goodbye