- marysia
- Apr 1
- 5 min read
By Marianne Coxon 2nd April 2026
Photography by Janine Moore
It was one of those warm soft days we often enjoy in early September when I visited Beauvale Priory buried deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside. It was a place that was often talked of with fondness by my long passed mother-in-law May, My husband was also keen to visit as he too was curious about Beauvale so we drove there to see for ourselves. We were not disappointed. The sun was warm, the sky blue and cloudless and the gentle light showed off the wonderful hues of the surroundings. It was a place of peace, yet it was also tinged with a remote but definite feeling of deep loss and sadness. The few remains of the priory that had once resided in the landscape resembled jagged teeth in an old broken jaw. Yet modern life was now a new and vivid part of this idyll not to be ignored. .
We entered the gate via a country lane and were greeted by quacking ducks waddling across to us from a small stream and wandering around other visitors vying for attention. There were families seated on picnic tables and a pleasant tea room busy with chattering visitors that sold tasty food and drinks. After our meal I left my husband to his musings and walked up to the ruins strolling amongst them drinking in the atmosphere.
History of Beauvale Priory
The word Beauvale means beautiful valley and a Carthusian priory was founded here by Nicholas de Cantelupe in 1343 during the reign of Edward III. He was a local landowner, soldier and statesman, lord of Greasley and Ilkeston and descended from a powerful family who had served the monarchy and church since the time of King John. He resided at Greasley Manor. Later in his life Nicholas obtained the Crown’s permission to fortify the manor and renamed it Greasley Castle.
According to a publication called Green’s short history page 292, the Cantalupe males were such fearsome warriors that stone balls used in siege warfare were named after the family. Henry V paid £66.00 a quantity of such stones, presumably for his one of his campaigns.
A man determined to pave his way to heaven with good deeds towards the church, de Cantelupe gave the land to the Carthusians so that a religious house could be established on his land. The order was very strict, and the monks spent their lives in solitude, prayer and silence. Their habits were white and covered by a black plaited cloak.
Twelve monks and one prior resided at Beauvale and they were supported by rents from properties worth £10.00 in nearby Selston and Greasley. This income was vastly increased in the following years by Nicholas. Whilst the monks’ lives were shaped by strict rules - though notably less so than the Benedictine order which was similar - the Carthusians developed a reputation for industriousness, particularly with their skill at cultivation of land that they held.
The Carthusian order was never truly successful in Britain unlike its fellow houses in Europe. Prior to the Reformation, only ten Carthusian monasteries were established in Britain, amongst them, Perth Charterhouse the only one in Scotland, and of the nine in England, Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire,
Beauvale Priory in Nottinghamshire and the London Charterhouse are perhaps the best known. The first established in England was Witham Friary at Somerset and was founded by Henry II in 1181 as penance for the murder of Thomas Becket, Hugh of Lincoln was its first prior. Beauvale Priory was the third to be established in England. The order itself was founded by Bruno of Cologne at Chartreuse in France in 1084.
Destruction of Beauvale Priory
Nicholas de Cantelupe died in 1355/6 after a full and active life and was buried in Lincoln Cathedral. Life at Beauvale Priory continued peacefully for the brethren for around the next 280 years or so until their world was turned upside down by Henry VIII’s Reformation and desire to establish himself as the head of the Church in England instead of the Pope in Rome.
Great change came to peaceful Beauvale and London Charterhouse in 1534. Henry VIII was set on a path of complete separation from the Church of Rome and was determined to crush any opposition to his policies.
John Houghton, a former University of Cambridge scholar, was the prior of London Charterhouse and previous prior of Beauvale. He was suspected of encouraging his fellow Carthusians to remain faithful to the Papal supremacy and reject Henry VIII’s claim to be Head of the Church in England and was sent to the Tower but later released. Eventually John Houghton along with Robert Lawrence who succeeded Houghton as prior of Beauvale, and Augustine Webster prior of Axholme were interviewed by Thomas Cromwell.
The priors refused to take the Oath of Supremacy at interview and were imprisoned, tried and found guilty of Treason. They were all executed by hanging, drawing and quartering at Tyburn on 4th May 1535 after each being dragged through the streets of London on hurdles. The use of hurdles was to cause maximum discomfort to the prisoners' backs, necks and heads and to degrade them in front of the baying crowds. Houghton was slaughtered first. They became known as the Carthusian Martyrs having been beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. Priors Houghton and Lawrence were then canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
Thomas Woodcock was the last prior at Beauvale and he and his brother monks surrendered the house and its contents to the Royal Commissioners in 1539 although other sources claim the date to be 1540. Thomas Woodcock and a number of his monks were awarded pensions. The site itself was granted to Sir William Hussy.
In the years that followed under Queen Mary’s reign, the remaining Carthusians went to Sheen Priory but upon Elizabeth’s accession left for the continent.
One Carthusian who had served at Beauvale was amongst those that left England and died on 6th September 1575. His name was Nicholas Dugmer. It’s just my fancy, but I wonder if he was one of the lost spirits that inhabits the ruins of a modest priory in a once peaceful and secluded valley.
In more modern times the ruins of Beauvale Priory has been valued for its timeless peace and tranquility. Author D.H. Lawrence used the location as the setting for one of his short stories a ‘Fragment of Stained Glass’
It was a sad sight to see the remains of a once holy place, the night stairs the monks descended to say the Night Office, the broken remains of windows and walls and feeling the gentle breeze soft on my skin, but mostly the sight of the stone epitaph to two men murdered on 4th May 1535.
Marianne Coxon
Further reading by the same author: https://www.artculturetourism.co.uk/post/five-noble-women
Sources:
Cornelius Brown Nottshistory.org.uk
Inquisitiones Post Mortem, temp. Henry III undated.
Gasquet’s Henry VII and the English Monasteries
Useful Links:
This article is published by Marysia Zipser, Founder, Ambassador of Art Culture Tourism & Keynote Speaker, Beeston, Nottingham. https://www.artculturetourism.co.uk/ https://www.artculturetourism.co.uk/blog E: artculturetourism@gmail.com
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