List of monastic houses in County Durham
# List of monastic houses in County Durham

The following is a list of the monastic houses in County Durham, England.

Alien houses are included, as are smaller establishments such as cells and notable monastic granges (particularly those with resident monks), and also camerae of the military orders of monks (Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller). Monastic hospitals are included where they had the status or function of an abbey, priory, or preceptor/commandery.

## Abbreviations and key

Status of remains :

| Symbol | Status |
| - | - |
| None | Ruins |
| * | Current monastic function |
| $^+$ | Current non-monastic ecclesiastic function (including remains incorporated into later structure) |
| ^ | Current non-ecclesiastic function (including remains incorporated into later structure) or redundant intact structure |
| $^$$ | Remains limited to earthworks etc. |
| $^#$ | No identifiable trace of the monastic foundation remains |
| $^~$ | Exact site of monastic foundation unknown |
| $^≈$ | Identification ambiguous or confused |

Locations with names in italics indicate possible duplication (misidentification with another location) or non-existent foundations (either erroneous reference or proposed foundation never implemented) or ecclesiastical establishments with a monastic name but lacking actual monastic connection.

Trusteeship :

| EH | English Heritage |
| - | - |
| LT | Landmark Trust |
| NT | National Trust |

## Alphabetical listing

| Foundation | Image | Communities & Provenance | Formal Name or Dedication & Alternative Names | References & Location |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Barnard Castle Friary (?) | | Augustinian Friars (under the Limit of York) founded 1381: licensed by Neville, Archbishop of York, land granted by Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick; possibly not established, but if so failed before 1387? | | 54°32′25″N 1°55′28″W﻿ / ﻿54.5404026°N 1.9243187°W﻿ / 54.5404026; -1.9243187﻿ (Barnard Castle Friary (poss. site)) (possible) |
| Baxterwood Priory | | Augustinian Canons Regular — possibly from Gisborough, Yorkshire via Haswell founded 1180; transferred from Haswell after 1180 (possibly before Haswell was built); dissolved 1196; lands appropriated by Finchale Priory | Priory Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baxterwood ____________________ Bactanesford Priory | 54°46′35″N 1°36′15″W﻿ / ﻿54.7763066°N 1.604138°W﻿ / 54.7763066; -1.604138﻿ (Baxterwood Priory (traditional site)) |
| Bradbury Cell | | Benedictine monks chapel and cell dependent on Nun Monkton, Yorkshire founded 12th century | | 54°39′19″N 1°31′16″W﻿ / ﻿54.6551581°N 1.5209815°W﻿ / 54.6551581; -1.5209815﻿ (Bradbury Cell (site)) |
| Clare Abbey, Darlington | | Franciscan nuns — from Scorton Hall founded 1857, property granted by Sir Caranby Haggerston; transferred to Herefordshire, amalgamating with the house at Much Birch; Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God | The Abbey Church of Saint Clare, Darlington | |
| Durham Cathedral Priory $^+$ | | secular canons episcopal diocesan cathedral founded 997 (995); extant; founded 995 (997), built by Bishop Aldhun; Benedictine monks founded 1093 (or 1083) by Bishop William of St Carileph, who expelled the seculars; dissolved 1539 | The Abbey Church of Saint Mary and Saint Cuthbert at Durham The Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin, Durham | 54°46′24″N 1°34′33″W﻿ / ﻿54.7732882°N 1.5759587°W﻿ / 54.7732882; -1.5759587﻿ (Durham Cathedral Priory) |
| Durham Greyfriars | | Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventual (under the Custody of Newcastle) founded before 1239; dissolved before 1240(?), friars apparently settled at the chapel of St Mary, but on meeting with opposition transferred to Hartlepool | Hartlepool Friary | |
| Durham — St Anthony's Priory * | | Minoresses founded at the former vicarage of St Nicholas Parish Church; Society of the Sacred Mission; extant | St Antony's Priory, Durham | 54°46′42″N 1°34′19″W﻿ / ﻿54.778257°N 1.572027°W﻿ / 54.778257; -1.572027﻿ (St Antony's Priory, Durham) |
| Ebchester Nunnery | | nuns founded before 660 by St Ebba (purportedly daughter of King Ethelfrid); destroyed in raids by the Danes c.875; reference to hermitage or chapel mid-12th century and 1241 (Chapel of St Mary, Yareshale (Yareshaugh)) possibly on site, private chapel of Bishops of Durham before mid-15th century | St Ebbas Nunnery | 54°53′23″N 1°50′45″W﻿ / ﻿54.8896722°N 1.8457353°W﻿ / 54.8896722; -1.8457353﻿ (Ebchester Nunnery (possible site)) (possible) |
| Egglestone Abbey | | Premonstratensian Canons — from Easby, Yorkshire daughter house of Easby; founded between c.1190 and c.1195, probably by Ralph Moulton: land granted by Ralph de Moulton, sub-tenant of Ralph de Lenham, who ratified the grant 1198; refounded 1537; dissolved 5 January 1540; granted to Robert Shelley 1548/9; converted into a house 1548, then labourers cottages; (EH) | The Blessed Virgin Mary and St John the Baptist ____________________ Egleston Abbey | 54°31′53″N 1°54′19″W﻿ / ﻿54.5314762°N 1.9051623°W﻿ / 54.5314762; -1.9051623﻿ (Egglestone Abbey) |
| Finchale Priory | | Benedictine monks cell dependent on Durham; 1115 (or 1128) by Ranulf, Bishop of Durham who permitted St Godrick to establish his hermitage before 1170; becoming priory dependent on Durham 1196; confirmed to Durham by Hugh Pudsey, Bishop of Durham; dissolved 1538; granted to the Dean and Chapter of Durham 1534/5; (EH) | The Blessed Virgin Mary and St John the Baptist St John the Baptist and St Godric | 54°49′05″N 1°32′25″W﻿ / ﻿54.818137°N 1.540213°W﻿ / 54.818137; -1.540213﻿ (Finchale Priory) |
| Gateshead House | | monks founded before 653; apparently abandoned when monks left for Ireland | | |
| Hartlepool — St Hilda's Monastery | | probably monks and nuns founded c.640 by Hieu, an Irishwoman (possibly St Bega) placed in charge by St Aidan destroyed 800? | St Hilda's Monastery | 54°41′44″N 1°10′51″W﻿ / ﻿54.6955677°N 1.1807352°W﻿ / 54.6955677; -1.1807352﻿ (Hartlepool — St Hilda's Monastery) |
| Hartlepool Greyfriars | | Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventual (under the Custody of Newcastle) transferred from Durham, before 1240; dissolved 1538 | | 54°41′48″N 1°10′47″W﻿ / ﻿54.6967225°N 1.1797898°W﻿ / 54.6967225; -1.1797898﻿ (Hartlepool Greyfriars) |
| Hartlepool Friary? | | Dominican Friars probably copyist's error ref. to Franciscan Friary (see immediately above) | | |
| Haswell Grange | | Benedictine monks endowment — possibly from Gisborough, Yorkshire; transferred to Baxterwood after 1180, probably prior to any buildings being erected; becoming a grange under Finchale | | 54°47′16″N 1°27′20″W﻿ / ﻿54.7878194°N 1.4554739°W﻿ / 54.7878194; -1.4554739﻿ (Haswell Grange) |
| Jarrow Priory | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear |
| Jarrow Friar? | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear |
| Neasham Priory | | Benedictine nuns founded before 1156 (before 1163) purportedly by Lord Dacres; dissolved 1539–40; granted to James Lawson 1540/1; house named 'Neasham Abbey' built near site 19th century | St Mary ____________________ Nesham Priory; Nesseham Priory | 54°29′06″N 1°30′13″W﻿ / ﻿54.4851107°N 1.5036356°W﻿ / 54.4851107; -1.5036356﻿ (Neasham Priory) |
| Norton Monastery? | | St Mary's Church incorporates remnants of a church built c.1000 — no reference of pre-Conquest community, but size suggests more than a parochial church; granted to St Cuthbert's, then to Chester-le-Street Cathedral | | |
| Owton Priory | | Gilbertine Canons charter confirming founded 1204 by Alan de Wilton, probably never established (though possibly a grange at Owton Grange nr Brierton) | St Mary ____________________ Oveton in Hartness Priory;Owton in Harness Priory | |
| Samford Priory? | | Benedictine monks probably confused for Stamford Priory, Lincolnshire | | |
| South Shields Monastery | | Saxon monks and nuns founded 648 by St Aidan for St Hilda; Benedictine? nuns refounded? c.686; destroyed ? 865–75 | Wherhale Monastery?; Wyrale Monastery | |
| Wearmouth Abbey | Historical county location until Tune and Wear created in 1974. See List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location until Tune and Wear created in 1974. See List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location until Tune and Wear created in 1974. See List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear | Historical county location until Tune and Wear created in 1974. See List of monastic houses in Tyne and Wear |
