Shap Abbey
OS grid ref. NY 548 153
Shap Abbey, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was founded at the end of 12th century by the canons of the Premonstratensian order, also known as the White Canons due to their white habits. It lies in a quiet, lonely and picturesque setting by the River Lowther.
The Abbey was endowed by Thomas, son of Gospatric, a Westmorland baron. It was not a particularly large establishment, and consisted of a community of an abbot and around 12 canons, but held vast lands throughout the county of Westmorland.
The Abbey is now in the care of English Heritage. A substantial amount of the west tower remains along with the foundations of the living quarters and church. The tower is the most impressive surviving feature, still standing to its orginal height, although the parapets and the windows are absent. The Abbey was constructed in the 15th Century and was the last abbey to be disolved under Henry VIII in 1540.
Following the closure of the abbey, the abbot, Richard Evanwood and the canons were each granted a pension and the abbey lands sold off. In the case of the abbot himself, this ammounted to £40 per year, a considerable sum at the time. The abbey was granted to Sir Thomas Wharton, Governor of Carlisle. His descendants sold it, in 1728 to Robert Lowther of Maulds Meaburn. Some of the buildings were converted into a farm. The main fabric of the building was stripped of its roof and gradually fell into decay.
The ruins of the remaining part of the Abbey
Plan of the Abbey
A path from the abbey leads to the small 16th Century Keld Chapel, which is now in the care of the National Trust. North-East of the abbey lie some prehistoric standing stones, one of which is known as the Thunder Stone. The Kemp Howe Stone Circle is a short walk from Shap Abbey.
King Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Abbeys and Churches of Cumbria