Ravenstonedale Priory

Ravenstonedale Priory was a monastic institution belonging to the Gilbertine order, situated in Cumbria, England. Its foundation is attributed to the reign of King Henry II, when Torphin, son of Robert, son of Copsus, granted the manor and advowson of Ravenstonedale to Watton Priory in Yorkshire. The priory was intended to house a small community, comprising a master and three canons.

Historical documentation regarding the internal life of Ravenstonedale Priory is sparse. Nevertheless, records indicate a land dispute with Bishop Robert Chause of Carlisle in the late 13th century, confirming the priory's affiliation with Watton. Further evidence of Watton's possession comes from 1336, when the church of Ravenstonedale was appropriated by the parent priory. By 1405, an inquiry revealed that canons had not been in residence for some time, suggesting periods of diminished community life.

Following the dissolution of Watton Priory in 1539, Ravenstonedale Priory's assets passed to the Archbishop of York and subsequently to the Wharton family. After the sequestration of the Wharton estate in 1729, the lands were acquired by the Lowther family. Early antiquarian accounts from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, by figures such as George Fothergill, Machell, and Bishop Nicholson, describe the priory ruins. Nicholson noted a visible vault that had served as a prison for those convicted of capital offences at the manorial court.

Significant excavations took place in 1928–29, led by E. P. Frankland, who identified the site as a Gilbertine cell. These excavations uncovered the presently visible ruins and a range of foundations now reburied. A more extensive excavation was conducted in 1988–89 by Cumbria County Council. This led to consolidation work, revealing the east range of the cloister, likely dating from a late 13th to 14th-century remodelling. An interpretation plaque is present on the site, offering information to visitors.