Photo: Tilman2007/Dr. Volkmar Rudolf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
About this place
Rievaulx Abbey stands in a wooded valley near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, within the North York Moors National Park.
It was one of the great Cistercian houses of medieval England, and its roofless nave and soaring presbytery walls remain among the most complete monastic ruins in the country.
English Heritage cares for the site today.
The Cleveland Way footpath runs just to the south, making it a natural stop for walkers as well as history visitors.
Read more on WikipediaHistory
Rievaulx was the first Cistercian abbey established in the north of England, founded by monks sent from Clairvaux Abbey in France under the sponsorship of the Yorkshire lord Walter Espec. Under its most celebrated abbot, Aelred of Rievaulx, who led the community from 1147 to 1167, the abbey grew into one of the wealthiest and most influential religious houses in the region. Henry VIII's commissioners seized the abbey in 1538 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, after which its buildings fell into ruin.
Architecture
The surviving presbytery features tall lancet windows and ribbed vaulting that remain largely intact despite the loss of the roof.
Worth knowing
Aelred of Rievaulx, the abbey's second abbot, was a noted medieval theologian and writer whose works on friendship and spirituality are still studied today.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Thirsk Rail Station (10.5 miles)
Nearby properties
Historic places nearby
Within 5 miles of Rievaulx Abbey (YO62) there are 5 historic properties, including 2 historic buildings and 2 historic houses, across English Heritage, Historic Houses and National Trust sites.
Within 10 miles of Rievaulx Abbey (YO62) there are 8 historic properties, including 3 historic buildings and 3 historic houses, across Historic Houses, English Heritage and National Trust sites.
Within 20 miles of Rievaulx Abbey (YO62) there are 30 historic properties, including 10 historic buildings, 10 historic houses and 4 churchs, across Historic Houses, English Heritage and National Trust sites.
Facts
The most complete Cistercian ruin in England, set in the valley that gave the order its first northern foothold.
- Type
- historic building
- Location
- North Yorkshire, England
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