Old Yorkshire: Meaux Abbey

A special edition of Old Yorkshire that ties in with History of Hull: Docks - Episode One. This episode expands on the history of Meaux Abbey, without which there wouldn't have been a Hull!
If you're anything like me, viewing historical Ordnance Survey maps side by side with modern satellite views will certainly eat up far too much of your time!
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[@carolinewhite6010]

Lovely information. I just looked Meaux Abbey up on google maps and you can clearly see the outlines of the original building and orchards etc which correlates with the map of the Abbey you showed at about 9mins in. All fascinating stuff

[@ggmtv1394]

I used to live in Wawne and passed by regularly. That was absolutely wonderful. Beautifully narrated. Many thanks.

[@jpeel2066]

I grew up on a farm next to one of the drainage channels that the monks dug. It is still called Monk dike.

[@landmark3d]

This is great, good work! Inspired me to go visit this weekend!

[@hullhistorynerd]

Sadly you won't get to the site as it's private property and the land owner isn't really happy with people coming to visit - I was lucky enough that one of his employees is a fan of the channel and got me access. The closest you can get is walking down the Wawne Road and looking wistfully through the bushes at the roadside!

[@landmark3d]

@@hullhistorynerd Ha! Thanks for the info! Best find another historical route, then!

[@hullhistorynerd]

@@landmark3d Check out my video on the Foredyke and Lambwath Streams - the Foredyke is mostly still walkable all the way through to the northeastern edge of Bransholme, and that was reputedly one of the trods that the monks from Meaux used to get from their Abbey to Hull!

[@landmark3d]

@@hullhistorynerd Thanks, will do! Have really enjoyed your channel so far - new follower - so thanks for the content. I live nearer to Pocklington and lots been going on there recently!

[@timcase2494]

I was turned on to you today from a link on Martin Zero's channel. I like your style. Subscribed, from Ottawa, Canada.

[@hullhistorynerd]

Welcome to the channel, I hope you continue to enjoy what you see!

[@poshbird600]

Great video. Very informative.. Glen...

[@GhostTheory]

Very nice presenting. Bloody wind eh? Bain of our lives lol. Nice informative video friend.

[@hullhistorynerd]

It was a proper storm brewing, that's for sure! That little lav mic is a champ.

[@johnson_fpv]

Lovely video j was a pleasure taking round the abbey and showing you a few things can't wait to show Andrew b.

[@hullhistorynerd]

Thanks so much, it was awesome!

[@MrGarydry]

superb as always

[@stepthroughhistory]

Really enjoyed that thank you. I have a few examples of how the abbey accrued land for a story and my word it uncovers a lot of juicy stories shining a light on the nobles private life 😂 ooooph!

[@hullhistorynerd]

Indeed, it was a great way to buy forgiveness for their sins!

[@Wedgedoow]

Very interesting, I'd never heard of this place.we learners day, thank you.

[@Utubestolemylife]

Thank you, HHN! I was born in Bev and knew nothing about Meaux Abbey :(

[@brianlutkin2085]

Great video to watch, I never knew about meaux abbey. Been fishing around wawne quite a few times and never realised not so far away was this abbey of older times.

[@RonnieSpam]

Love your stuff and the tongue in cheek. How much do you know about Birstall priory? Much earlier predecessor to Meaux. On the Humber bank south of Skeffling. Set up in 1115 if i remember right as a priory of the abbey at Aumale. They had a tithe of the produce of Holderness and a jetty out into the Humber to export it. The last remains of the priory were bulldozed to beef up the Humber bank in 1953 after the horrible tidal surge that year. There are some relics still at St Helens church Skeffling.

[@hullhistorynerd]

I've come across the name in my research and always earmarked it for a more in-depth look in the future, there are a lot of funny little historical spots around the East Riding!

[@belindablunderbus1365]

What a great video! Really interesting and just what I was looking for.

[@TheSnoCo.]

Absolutely loved watching this , I’ve always wanted to know about the abbey !!

[@hullhistorynerd]

It's just a shame there isn't more to see, but huge thanks to the landowner for inviting me to film on the site. It was such a windy day!

[@boomster64]

Another great video, enjoying these! Many thanks.

[@carlpurkins]

Great video as always! Do you have any suggested reading around this? My Dad is heavily into the history of Hull but has dementia... the Chronica monasterii de Melsa is probably a bit too heavy going for him!!!

[@hullhistorynerd]

Here's a good online book that has quite a bit of info; www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/vol3/pp146-149

[@carlpurkins]

@@hullhistorynerd Thanks so much! Will take a look! - I feel a project coming on to help my Dad! I actually had a skim through the preface to Bond's 1866 transcripts of the Chronica monasterii de Melsa (I ignored the Medieval Latin bit!). If you've not had a look at those prefaces I highly recommend them - rich with detail - even mentioning the impact of the loss of Ravenser Odd and its impact on the Abbey. My Dad finds your videos to be a real lift, but unfortunately he finds it hard to find them on his tv - so he has to wait until I'm visiting (and I'm in Oxfordshire sadly - so fairly infrequent).

[@mtem2253]

Really fascinating once again, really enjoy your videos!

[@teekrboo]

Thanks again 👍

[@JKsWatchables]

The ability of your mic to cut out the sound of the incessant wind is really impressive!

[@hullhistorynerd]

It really is, trying to sync the audio track from that with the camera footage was HARD. All you could from the camera's audio was just wind!

[@ukeingal]

An informative video . I live in the area and cycle around there quite often .I sit on the site when the weather is warmer , thinking of how the monks may have lived and traded.

[@hullhistorynerd]

And to imagine what Meaux would have felt like being mostly surrounded by marshland!

[@johnstewart3244]

What then is that pillar that can be seen in the farm garden in Meaux on the left as you are heading north to Routh? I always thought that, that was the remains of the Abbey. I am confused!

[@hullhistorynerd]

It's a monument to the Abbey using some of the masonry that was found in the field of the Abbey. That farmhouse is the home of the chap who owns the field, and whose father excavated the Abbey for Hull Museum many years ago!

[@99xstallerthanmost]

@@hullhistorynerd Thanks very much for replying. I have just found you so have a lot of videos to catch up on. Cheers

[@RoryTrackrod]

At last, I now know how to pronounce, "Meaux".

[@peterfreeman6677]

I gave up looking for the correct pronunciation and just called it Melsa, its Latin name.

[@BMH1965]

I lived in this area for over 20 years and never heard anything about this place. History teaching in schools is appalling.

[@jonathanhodgson3815]

Another fasinating video. My farm backs up to one of the drainage channels dug by the monks

[@hullhistorynerd]

There were a lot of them!

[@jonathanhodgson3815]

@@daveycrocket1838 halsham near withernsea

[@tedthesailor172]

Excellent video and very informative. It's interesting how much we owe the Church - for good or ill...

[@hullhistorynerd]

I suspect it's more about what we owe the medieval church's love of money and power! Had they not wanted the land to make money from the wool trade, they probably wouldn't have put as much effort into digging the drains, and had they not wanted to dodge duties on their exports, they wouldn't have built Hull!

[@tedthesailor172]

@@hullhistorynerd Blimey - you're on the case! But I did say, "for good or ill"...I wasn't beating the drum for religion...

[@hullhistorynerd]

Don't worry, I didn't think you were! I just think it's fascinating how human motivations never change no matter how far back into history we look!

[@BoothferryLad]

Are you looking into doing a video on Haltemprice? Quite the history that one.

[@hullhistorynerd]

Certainly am, especially since the original priory was practically round the corner from where I live! That one is definitely in my plans.

[@BoothferryLad]

I’ve been looking into it and it’s got a turbulent history, I doubt anyone will ever buy the farm, far too restricted as it’s a grade ii listed and on a scheduled ancient monument too.

[@Sorme1001]

Great video of a little known site. I heard there was a still a wall intact, incorporated into one of the farm buildings? There are also rumours afloat of a tunnel somewhere, though I think that is unlikely. Again, great piece.

[@hullhistorynerd]

There are no buildings on the site, but there are plenty of local farmhouses built on a base of Abbey masonry, which may be where that rumour comes from. And there is indeed a tunnel! I saw photos in Andy's father's collection of him actually down in the medieval sewer beneath the site. There is no way into it from the surface as it was all covered back over decades ago, but it does exist. The rumour was that it went all the way to Beverley, but Mr Beauleh Sr. actually went down it on a small boat to investigate, and it doesn't go to Beverley, it just ends where it would have emptied into one of the drains.

[@Sorme1001]

@@hullhistorynerd Oh well I never, I really didn't place much credence in those rumours. The notion that it's a drainage tunnel makes perfect sense. Have any photos of it?

[@hullhistorynerd]

@@Sorme1001 sadly not, the pictures in the folder were photocopies so not great quality and so I didn't film them. But I did read through the actual report describing the sewer and its vaulted construction. Fascinating stuff!

[@Sorme1001]

@@hullhistorynerd still, great stuff. Love footage of the tiled floor.

[@neverwinter1666]

i think you are referring to haltemprice abbey . that had some of the abbey walls in the farm house

[@PedalBox]

I don't know why it's taken me until now for it to click that Kingston, is Kings Town. Ever feel a little slow on the uptake to obvious etymology? Thats me today!

[@hullhistorynerd]

Oh don't worry, I didn't realise mince pies didn't actually contain meat until I was in my 30s. It happens to everyone at some point!

[@atwatson67]

Can you do one about the small pox hospital Evans Frazier that was located on mardale

[@hullhistorynerd]

I've never heard of that one, I shall have to go and look it up!

[@michaeldavison3208]

Dissolution not Disillusion

[@hullhistorynerd]

That's what I said.

[@mrdeafa25]

William le Gros was off to The Hurly Land, wherever that was!