Gilling Abbey facts for kids

Gilling Abbey was an important Anglo-Saxon monastery built in Yorkshire, England, a very long time ago. It was a place where monks lived, prayed, and studied. This ancient abbey was founded in the area we now call North Yorkshire.

Founding Gilling Abbey

Gilling Abbey was started by Queen Eanflæd, who was the wife of King Oswiu of Northumbria. She convinced her husband to build the monastery around the year 651 or 652.

The abbey was built on the very spot where King Oswiu had sadly killed King Oswine of Deira. King Oswine was a relative of Queen Eanflæd. In those days, if someone was killed, the victim's family could seek revenge or accept a special payment called a weregild. This payment was meant to bring peace and prevent a long-lasting family fight, known as a feud.

Queen Eanflæd wanted to make things right for her cousin Oswine's death. So, she asked King Oswiu to build the monastery using this "weregild" payment. Building the abbey was a way for them to show sorrow and prevent any further conflict. Queen Eanflæd also asked that the first leader of the monastery, called an abbot, be a relative of Oswine.

Important People at Gilling

The first abbot of Gilling Abbey was Trumhere, who was a relative of King Oswine. This showed how important it was to the queen that Oswine's family was involved.

Later, another abbot named Cynefrith led the monastery. He eventually left Gilling and traveled to Ireland. There was also an abbot named Trumbert. He might have become a bishop after being abbot, or he might have been abbot after being a bishop.

One of the monks at Gilling was Ceolfrith, who was Cynefrith's brother. Ceolfrith later became a very famous abbot at Wearmouth-Jarrow.

Life and Challenges

The monks at Gilling Abbey honored King Oswine as a saint. Many Anglo-Saxon kings who had been killed were seen as saints during that time.

Gilling Abbey might have been connected to another monastery called Ingetlingum. This monastery had strong ties to the abbey at Ripon, which was led by a well-known church leader named Wilfrid.

Sadly, Gilling Abbey faced a big challenge. Sometime before the year 669, many people at the monastery became sick and died from a terrible disease called the plague. Because of this, the monastery became empty, or "depopulated." It's not fully known if the religious community at Gilling completely ended after the plague, or if it managed to continue in some way.

Where Was Gilling Abbey?

For a long time, people believed that Gilling Abbey was located in or very close to Gilling West, Yorkshire. However, some historians, like Richard Morris and Ian Wood, have suggested a different possible location: Gilling East, Yorkshire. The exact spot of this ancient monastery remains a bit of a mystery!