Carthusian monastery founded by Nicholas de Cantelupe of Greasley, 1343. In 1535 the prior of Beauvale, Robert Laurence, was executed with two other priors at Tyburn for refusing to accept the oath of supremacy. The last prior was Thomas Woodcock, and he and his brethren gave up the house and its possessions to the Royal Commissioners on 24/07/1540. (1)
The priory of Beauvale or Bella Vale, so called from the fair vale in which it was built. A large square building, together with several old walls, yet remain. (3)
The valley is a gem amidst an urban sprawl of coal mining and ancillary industries. The scheduled areas are only within the embanked/walled enclosure but should be extended to include the fishponds to the SE. The most prominent structure is the ashlar "priors" cell. Large stout timbers once supporting the remains are now rotted at their bases and offer no support to the structures. Present masonry likely to collapse unless works are undertaken soon. A fine and rare case of good preservation of a Carthusian Priory. (4)
The principal architectural survivals from the priory comprise; parts of the priory church and a building described as the prior's lodging , the remains of a gatehouse, a length of wall usually taken to be the boundary wall and at it [sic] S end a door with late medieval mouldings. Other architectural fragments are incorporated into the garden wall surrounding the farmhouse and to its S. Surrounding the buildings are the relatively well preserved earthworks of the monastic house. Other earthworks may represent monastic fish ponds. A relatively undisturbed example of a small Carthusian house and exhibits a plan form that is mirrored in at least one other Carthusian house later in C14. (6)
The resistance survey data correlate well with the earthwork survey and has broadened the known archaeological content of the site. The cells, leat and other associated features have been clearly defined. (7)
See M18330 for C16 House.

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

OS cards, Parish File

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

Photo of plan, SMR

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP PR46

Data Held: Ground Photograph (Ground photograph). SNT2646.

3 colour print (from slides), SMR

<1> Thoroton Society, 1907, TTS, pp 35-40 (Published document). SNT334.

<2> Thoroton Society, 1908, TTS, pp 69 - 94 (Published document). SNT335.

<3> MOW, 819 (Published document). SNT929.

<4> Hart CR, 1984, AM107 (Unpublished document). SNT754.

<5> Thoroton Society, 1975, TTS, pp 50 - 7 (Published document). SNT388.

<6> RCHME, 1996, Beauvale Priory, Nottinghamshire Archaeological Report. NMR no: SK 44 NE 7, p 1 (Unpublished document). SNT2190.

<7> Geophysical Surveys Bradford, Mar 1995, Report on Geophysical Survey. Beauvale Priory, Nottinghamshire (Unpublished document). SNT2189.