Lost medieval structures hidden beneath lawns and parkland are emerging this summer as parchmarks—patterns left in grass during very dry weather—become visible across England. Thanks to an unusually hot and dry spring, traces of long-vanished monastic buildings have appeared at sites such as Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire and Mottisfont in Hampshire.
Climate Change and Parchmarks
Parchmarks occur when buried walls or foundations affect how grass dries compared to surrounding soil. In the right conditions, they create clear outlines of lost architecture. Historically, these features were only visible once every decade or so, but their frequency has increased in recent years due to climate change.
“Parchmark visibility varies from year to year, historically only showing well every 15 years or so. This year parchmarks are showing more clearly, and have also been recorded earlier in the year, after an exceptionally dry spring,” explained Tom Dommett, the National Trust’s Head of Historic Environment. “In more recent years the frequency has noticeably increased, including in 2018 and 2022, as climate change increases the likelihood of hotter, drier weather in spring and summer.”
Discoveries at Fountains Abbey
At Fountains Abbey, the largest monastic ruin in Britain, the parchmarks reveal foundations of lost medieval buildings on the West Green. Among the most striking is the outline of a large Guest Hall, once divided into aisles by rows of columns. These would have provided accommodation for hundreds of visitors, reflecting the abbey’s monastic duty of hospitality.
“The parchmarks are showing really well this year,” said National Trust archaeologist Mark Newman. “We have a good clear view of the Guest Hall – a building which shows the importance of the abbey’s ‘hospitality’, one of the monastic duties following Christ’s example. It would have had the capacity, with medieval lifestyles, to have accommodated hundreds of people. It shows that Fountains Abbey has welcomed visitors in large numbers for hundreds of years.”
Closer to the abbey itself, the outlines of the Lay Brothers’ Cloister have also become visible. The original cloister was removed in the 1770s by William Aislabie to enhance the dramatic view of the abbey’s west façade.
Further south, parchmarks at Mottisfont in Hampshire reveal the remains of Augustinian priory buildings dating to the 13th and 16th centuries. Founded in 1201 by William Briwere, the priory flourished until the Black Death and was later dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536. Sir William Sandys converted it into a Tudor mansion before it was remodelled again in the 18th century, burying much of the medieval complex beneath the lawns.
“These are intriguing glimpses into the oldest history of buildings known here at Mottisfont,” noted National Trust archaeologist James Brown. “We have carried out some geophysical surveys but the buildings have never been dug so their secrets remain hidden except for these rare moments when their outlines appear in the lawns.”
Medieval Glimpses from a Changing Climate
These fleeting outlines are a reminder of the fragile survival of England’s medieval heritage, lying just beneath the soil. While parchmarks provide archaeologists with invaluable insights, their increasing visibility is also tied to the broader challenge of climate change, which is reshaping not only the environment but also how we encounter the past.
Lost medieval structures hidden beneath lawns and parkland are emerging this summer as parchmarks—patterns left in grass during very dry weather—become visible across England. Thanks to an unusually hot and dry spring, traces of long-vanished monastic buildings have appeared at sites such as Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire and Mottisfont in Hampshire.
Climate Change and Parchmarks
Parchmarks occur when buried walls or foundations affect how grass dries compared to surrounding soil. In the right conditions, they create clear outlines of lost architecture. Historically, these features were only visible once every decade or so, but their frequency has increased in recent years due to climate change.
“Parchmark visibility varies from year to year, historically only showing well every 15 years or so. This year parchmarks are showing more clearly, and have also been recorded earlier in the year, after an exceptionally dry spring,” explained Tom Dommett, the National Trust’s Head of Historic Environment. “In more recent years the frequency has noticeably increased, including in 2018 and 2022, as climate change increases the likelihood of hotter, drier weather in spring and summer.”
Discoveries at Fountains Abbey
At Fountains Abbey, the largest monastic ruin in Britain, the parchmarks reveal foundations of lost medieval buildings on the West Green. Among the most striking is the outline of a large Guest Hall, once divided into aisles by rows of columns. These would have provided accommodation for hundreds of visitors, reflecting the abbey’s monastic duty of hospitality.
“The parchmarks are showing really well this year,” said National Trust archaeologist Mark Newman. “We have a good clear view of the Guest Hall – a building which shows the importance of the abbey’s ‘hospitality’, one of the monastic duties following Christ’s example. It would have had the capacity, with medieval lifestyles, to have accommodated hundreds of people. It shows that Fountains Abbey has welcomed visitors in large numbers for hundreds of years.”
Closer to the abbey itself, the outlines of the Lay Brothers’ Cloister have also become visible. The original cloister was removed in the 1770s by William Aislabie to enhance the dramatic view of the abbey’s west façade.
Insights at Mottisfont Priory
Further south, parchmarks at Mottisfont in Hampshire reveal the remains of Augustinian priory buildings dating to the 13th and 16th centuries. Founded in 1201 by William Briwere, the priory flourished until the Black Death and was later dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536. Sir William Sandys converted it into a Tudor mansion before it was remodelled again in the 18th century, burying much of the medieval complex beneath the lawns.
“These are intriguing glimpses into the oldest history of buildings known here at Mottisfont,” noted National Trust archaeologist James Brown. “We have carried out some geophysical surveys but the buildings have never been dug so their secrets remain hidden except for these rare moments when their outlines appear in the lawns.”
Medieval Glimpses from a Changing Climate
These fleeting outlines are a reminder of the fragile survival of England’s medieval heritage, lying just beneath the soil. While parchmarks provide archaeologists with invaluable insights, their increasing visibility is also tied to the broader challenge of climate change, which is reshaping not only the environment but also how we encounter the past.
Top Image: Parchmarks at Fountains Abbey | © National Trust
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