Cleveland Way | National Trail

The Cistercian Order was one of the most successful monastic orders to settle in Britain. From very small beginnings in 1128 the Order developed, particularly in Yorkshire, to the extent that by the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in the 1530s, they were one of the biggest landowners in the country. In the North York Moors they owned and managed vast sheep farms with flocks numbering into thousands, they worked salt pans on the banks of the River Tees and mined iron in the valley of the Rye and elsewhere.

The famous Cistercian settlements at Rievaulx, Fountains and elsewhere were strictly for men only. There were however twenty eight nunneries most of which were established in Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire. Six, including Baysdale were in or near the North York Moors.

It seems that Baysdale Priory had its share of problems with a series of unsuitable prioresses. Dubious and disreputable behaviour among the nuns was also hinted at! There were visitations (inspections), accusations of irregularities, reprimands from the archbishop, injunctions and the dismissal of at least one prioress. None the less, the priory was in existence for over 340 years before it was finally dissolved in 1539 by Henry VIII when it was valued at over £20.

Although all evidence of the nunnery in Baysdale has disappeared, a stone bridge over which many of the nuns must often have walked remains to this day. Said to be the oldest stone bridge in the North York Moors and dating from the 13^{th century this attractive structure still carries a track over Black Beck to gain access to the present ‘Baysdale Abbey’ Black Beck joins Grain Beck and from this point becomes Baysdale Beck which is only a short distance away from the edge of the moors and the flat land of the Vale of the Tees. It turns eastwards however to flow into the River Esk at Castleton and eventually makes its way to the sea at Whitby.}