Monk Bretton Priory Remains

The remains of Monk Bretton Priory date from the 12th to the late 15th century. Constructed of coursed squared rubble and ashlar, the complex encompasses a church, cloister, various ranges, and an infirmary. The ruins largely display only the ground plan, although the west range and gatehouse survive in part to two storeys.

The church, principally of the later 12th century, has north and west walls rebuilt in the mid-14th century. It follows a Cistercian plan consisting of a four-bay aisled nave, north and south transepts each with two east chapels, and an aisless presbytery, with a 15th-century sacristy to the south.

The west range, mainly 14th century but altered in the 16th, formerly served as the prior's lodgings, with a cellar below, and was later used as a house. On the first floor, a fireplace with moulded jambs, capitals, a crenellated mantel, and a tapering stone breast is a notable feature. Attached to this is a gateway with two cambered-headed entrances (one north and one south), and remains of timber studding on the west wall.

A portion of the south wall of the refectory remains, displaying two tall, late 13th-century windows with two and three lights and Geometric tracery. To the south of the reredorter, a well-preserved drainage system is evident, featuring splayed stone sides and a penstock. Water, pumped from the priory mill located a quarter of a mile away, controlled the flushing of the system.

Originally founded around 1154 as a Cluny monastery and colonised from La Charité-sur-Loire, it transitioned to Benedictine status in 1281. After the Dissolution in 1583, the priory passed through several owners before being acquired by Barnsley Borough, which placed the ruins in state care in 1932. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.