Abbeys in England
 

Driving round UK later this year, and hope to take in a few - but not too many - cathedrals and abbeys. As far as cathedrals are concerned, Canterbury, Lincoln, Durham, Ripon & Wells are on our list - many others having been covered on previous trips. When it comes to abbeys, we've done some around the Borders (Jedburgh, Melrose, Dryburgh, Lanercost) as well as Tinterne, and fancy this time doing Fountains, Rievaulx, Jervaulx, and the Roman ruins of Corbridge.

My question is, given that these are probably as many of this sort of thing we might want to do, but given also that we will be passing by Buildwas Abbey & Wroxeter Roman ruins, are these worth sacrificing some of the others for, or should we do exactly that - i.e. pass them by?

I've never even heard of Buildwas Abbey, so I guess you are an "abbey freak". As for Wroxeter - well you know so many of these places are in ruins, so it depends on how much of an "abbey freak" you are!

It's about the surrounds really unless you are a professional historian whose special area is the Reformation.

The one place I wouldn't miss on any account is Durham Cathedral.

As for abbeys - you've missed out Whitby, Hexham and St Albans - two of which aren't ruined at all.

Cheers

however Wells is one of my most favourite places in eh world. The Abbey, the almshouses, the bishop's palace and the town. Have a wonderful time, and don't miss the stairs up to the chapter house. We have a photo taken 20 or more years ago, and still love it.

I thought Wells was a cathedral.

However there is one rather important Abbey you've missed - Westminster as well as most of the major Yorkshire ones - Rievaulx, Fountains, Bolton, etc and of course Mount Grace Priory

I really need to read all of the thread

Fountains yes R and J can be a bit disappointing

I found Jervaulx was one of my favorites, as it is being reclaimed by nature, and a very serene spot. We came across it in the late afternoon (around 5pm) and it was incredibly peaceful and serene. Whitby is a great place as well, very imposing. I enjoyed Fountains Abbey (has wonderful grounds, too) and Rivaulx, though Bolton didn't strike me as much. Bolton is cool in that half is ruined and half is still in use - and has a great river running by it. I've also visited Wells and Salisbury and was duly impressed by both.

I wrote an article on some of them here:
http://www.greendragonartist.com/articlesYorkshire.htm

Don't bother with Kirkstall (in central Leeds and virtually part of a rugby pitch)

There are hundreds of ex-abbeys in England.

Some - like Tewkesbury - look as if they're on your route, are still in use as living churches and are simply fabulous (though, by definition, don't have the ruinous glamour of Rievaulx or Tintern)

Others - like Hailes, also on your route - make for less spectacular ruins that Fountains, but have a glorious, small, still functioning church on the site whose small prettinesses are almost up to the standards of mega-attractions like Tewkesbury.

Still others - like the second generation of English cathedrals - have actually gone up in the world since the Reformation (or at least the church bit has) and are now in mmuch better nick than they were in 1535.

We might give you better advice if you're a bit more specific about what you're interested in.

Personally, abbey (and priory) freak though I am, after three or four ruined Cistercian monsters, they all start looking alike to me. So in your shoes, I'd skip Buildwas: wonderful if you have to be in Shropshire, but I challenge you to remember much about it after. Go os bit east to Tewkesbury and/or Hailes.

If in Hailes, take a look at (or better, walk to: there are a few llamas on your way) Winchcombe. To be honest, the church is boring and the abbey long destroyed. But the abbey's history - and that of St Kenelm - well repays the trip

Bolton is very good and the walks all around are worth a day of anyones' life. The actual abbey is in a fold in a river plain and as such is a delightful summer spot for children

The green Michelin guides distinguish between tourist sites as:

Interesting
Worth a detour
Worth a journey

I would say that most British abbeys come into the first two categories. Few are worth a long journey. Having said that, I am surprised that nobody has mentioned Glastonbury or Netley.

I have been to every site so far mentioned in the thread -- except for Wroxeter.

You have received lots of good info. Just a couple of quick comments. At Rievaulx, be sure to go up to Rievaulx Terrace -- a different property. It is up above the abbey and provides really beautiful views of the abbey ruins below.

In the same area is Byland Abbey - it is small, doesn't take long and won't add much time to your total day. But it is really lovely.

I'd <u>definitely</u> try to fit in Hailes. It is in a serene rural location, w/ massive chestnut trees all around. I sometimes avoid the audio guides in places like this - but the one at Hailes is great. It is in the &quot;voice&quot; of a medieval Cistercian monk taking you around.

Thanks for the tip about Hailes. I'll look it up. No, I wouldn't describe myself as an abbey freak - I've seen some on previous trips (add Whitby &amp; Westminster to my previous 'seen already' list), and on this trip I plan on visiting only some that happen to fall near our route. Except that, some days were getting a bit full, hence my question about which abbeys to prioritise if I have to.

Yes, we'll do Fountains, Bolton, Jervaulx &amp; Rievaulx (and Hailes?), but maybe that's enough. We'll leave out Buildwas (it was one of our busy days) and Wroxeter, which is not an abbey but a Roman ruin. But we'll do Corbridge Roman ruin near Hexham.

As far as cathedrals go, we'll do Durham, Lincoln, Canterbury, Ripon &amp; Wells. If this seems incomplete, we have done others on previous trips.

These I might add are all incidental to our real interest, which is rural backroads and small towns &amp; villages with historical interest and loads of character.

Thanks again...

Forget Hailes.

I was having a senior moment, saw your two Shropshire abbeys, read 'Caerleon' for 'Corbridge' (memo to self: drink the Shiraz by the glass, not the bottle) and assumed you were planning a long SW trip from Yorkshire.

Hailes is great - but if your plans are otherwise entirely in and round Yorkshire, it certainly doesn't warrant a half-day in each direction detour.

&quot;<i>if your plans are otherwise entirely in and round Yorkshire . . . . </i>&quot;

On the other hand -- since you are heading down to Wells, you will probably go through the Costwolds enroute, and Hailes would not be a detour.

Quite right

Memo to self: taking the Shiraz by the glass obviously isn't helping. Maybe a new pair of glasses?

naw - the Shiraz is bound to help . . .

Yes, Hailes is do-able (en route Tewkesbury-Broadway-Burford, more or less?).

The Shiraz sounds like a good idea too. Would it be OK after an English 'real ale' or would that be too potent a mix?

New glasses or bigger glasses?

What about York Minster? It is stunning, as is the City of York with it's Roman and Viking history.