The Augustinian Priory of Holystone
The nunnery was probably established during reign of David I of Scotland, by the Umfravilles, the lords of Redesdale. A detailed description of the known history of the Priory was provided in volume XV of the Northumberland County History (NCH XV (1940, 459-66). Throughout its life it remained a relatively poor institution. As such it was one of the minor religious houses which were targetted in the first of Henry VIII's acts of dissolution in 1539. Following its dissolution, the priory site was leased to John Heron who paid £40 in rent. In 1562 it was granted to Francis Baker.
Little apparently survives of the remainder of the conventual buildings. Dixon noted that large stones - evidently old foundations - were visible in the some of the road surfaces in the village, particularly near the church, but didn't provide any further details. However the possible layout of the priory can be restored using various pieces of evidence.
It is generally assumed that the church served both the Augustinian nuns and the parish, and was incorporated into the priory complex (NCH XV (1940), 456). Abundant comparative evidence provided by the surviving remains of monasteries demonstrates that the main claustral ranges were usually attached to one of the long sides of the church (i.e. to the north or south), more commonly the south side.
At Holystone the north side of the church is occupied by the graveyard, which may well have seen continuous use and therefore represents cemetery for both the priory and the parish. Monastic cemeteries were commonly positioned on the north side of the church. Moreover, the recent discovery of a medieval grave slab at a depth of c. 1m during grave digging would tend to confirm the longevity of this burial place.
Nevertheless Ryder favours the north side of the church as the location of the main claustral range, rather than the more usual south side, because of the general lie of the land (see below, Priory Farm). It is clear that only a limited area of level ground would have been available to the south of the church. Here the tithe map and 1st edition Ordnance Survey mark a row of cottages, probably comprising three or four dwellings, parallel to the axis of the church and some 20m distant.
The cottages have since been demolished (pre 1940), but their foundations are still visible covered in vegetation. Their orientation suggests these cottages could conceivably stand on the site of the southern range of conventual buildings, with the intervening space forming the cloister garth, although latter would be relatively small. The cottages extend further west than the present church, which probably only represents the chancel of the medieval church, and give an approximate idea of the size of the possible cloister garth. The nave of the priory church would probably have extended at least as far as the present western edge of the graveyard.
It is further noteworthy that Priory Farmhouse and the attached range of farm buildings, plus the cottage to the east, are also on a parallel alignment to the church, whilst the range of farm buildings on the west side of Priory Farm garden lie at 90° to the church. The possibility that the core of Priory Farmhouse predates the visible 17th Century features is noted by Ryder below (Priory Farm; see also Northumberland Sites and Monuments Record: no. 13529).
It is tempting, therefore, to envisage an outer courtyard in this area, to the north west of the priory church, forming another part of the overall ecclesiastical complex. This may have contained elements of the institution’s demesne farm, or grange, which would in turn imply a functional continuity on this site, with the grange becoming Priory Farm after the dissolution of the nunnery. Ryder notes that the presence of an outer courtyard in this area would support the hypothesis that the main cloister garth was located immediately to the east, on the north side of the church.
At the very least it is likely that the layout of some of these later buildings was substantially influenced by elements of the priory complex, whether or not they occupy the actual position of medieval building ranges. The narrow field to the south of farm, which is show as a garden on the 1765 estate map may represent the little unenclosed garth of half an acre mentioned in the 1539 Account. By 1604 it was described as our one little garden in Haliston . . ., lately enclosed. The fields to the west certainly represent the close called Barne-yardes in the 1539 Account.
The Barn Yard's field is shown on 1765 map, described as ‘in pasture’. The name of this field, with its reference to barn(s) suggests it was next to the priory’s demesne farm, or grange, and the most logical site for that is the present Priory Farm. The 1539 survey indicates there was a dovecote in the Barn Yards. A dovecote like symbol is shown in this field, to the north of Priory Farm and east of the Salmon Inn, on the 1765 map and it is logical to presume that this was the dovecote referred to in the survey. Archaeological remains of this structure may still survive in the field.
Whether the priory buildings were located to the south or north of the present church, substantial remains could survive. Excavation would clearly not be possible in the area of the graveyard, but investigation could be undertaken in the area of the former cottages to the south of the church.
Architectural fragments associated with the priory buildings have been found (and are still being found) at a number of locations around the village and can still be seen incorporated in the walls of much later structures.
The churchyard wall west of the church incorporated several examples of such carved stonework, including a medieval gravestone and a fragment of 13th century stone panelling similar to that found at the Augustinian Priory of Hexham, with which the nunnery had strong links. Fragments of window surrounds, grave covers and columns are now incorporated in the south wall of the house variously known as The Kennels and Mill House.
These architectural fragments were dug up in 1929, along with a large millstone, from a depth of 2 - 3ft on land approximately 30m to the east. The kitchen window incorporates a 14th century windowhead with cusping and the base of a two-light window reused as the sill; the porch has parts of two medieval grave covers.