Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag stands in a sandstone cliff beside the Nidd Gorge at Knaresborough. It is an early 15th-century chapel cut from the rock face of an old quarry. The site once belonged to the nearby Knaresborough Priory and lies close to the ancient stone quarry used for building works at Knaresborough Castle. It was also known as Quarry Chapel or Our Lady of the Quarry. The chapel is reached by a narrow path and steps from Abbey Road. The chapel is worth visiting for its carved altar, vaulted ceiling, and medieval knight guarding the entrance. The knight’s figure may date from between 1695 and 1739 and was noted by William Wordsworth in 1814. A legend tells of John the Mason, who built the chapel in 1408 or 1409 after a rock fall nearly killed his son. The chapel later became a Catholic place of worship in 1916 after being reconsecrated. It has been vandalised and restored, with the medieval window frames conserved and the knight’s figure repaired. Inside, visitors find a canopied niche, gargoyles, roof bosses, and pillars with floriate capitals. A modern statue of Madonna and Child was placed in the shrine in 2000. The chapel’s cave once housed rough dwellings, evidenced by post holes in the sandstone. Steps cut into the rock still lead to the nearby ‘House in the Rock’. The site is now cared for by the Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag Trust.