England's Ruined Abbeys
 

It's a while since I added any more pages to my website
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/index.html

England’s Ruined Abbeys is now on the web.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...eys/index.html

It includes two of the great Yorkshire abbeys. Rievaulx Abbey must be our all time favourite and is a lovely setting in the North York Moors. It also has a very good tea room with excellent home made cakes The courgette and walnut is particularly recommended.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...ulx/index.html

Also on the edge of the North York Moors is Mount Grace Priory. This was a Carthusian Priory and the monks lived as hermits in their own cells. One has been reconstructed. With three rooms plus work space in the roof, a fire, water supply and its own latrine this was state of the art living in the middle ages.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...ace/index.html

Thornton Abbey in Lincolnshire was once one of the richest abbeys in England. There is little left of the abbey itself but the magnificent fortified gatehouse still dominates the surrounding countryside.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...bey/index.html

Tichfield Abbey in Hampshire became a house after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Again there is little left of the religious buildings (the gatehouse was built for the later house) apart from one of the best collections of Medieval tiles in Britain, still in situ.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...eld/index.html

Hailes Abbey also has a display of medieval tiles and also ceiling bosses - a chance to get up close to them.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...les/index.html

Have you got to Llantony Priory? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanthony_Priory

A favourite, and one tower of the ruined priory has been built into the adjacent house which is now a hotel - www.llanthonyprioryhotel.co.uk . Good food & ale there too.

Llantony is along a tiny road through a quiet valley near the English/Welsh border, between Abergavenny and Hay on Waye (Britain's second-hand bookshop capital).

Llantony is one of my favourite places in Britain.

You are missing Tintern too, which is in a fabulous setting.

We haven't been to this part of the country for some years. It is on the list but hasn't reached the top yet. It must be 30 years since we visited Llanthony Priory - a delightful place and well off the beaten track in those days.

You are right, Tintern is a marvellous setting.

This is still a work in progress and other places will be added as we visit them.

Jervaulx Abbey in Wensleydale is probably my favourite - and I'm lucky enough to live a few minutes drive from it, so visit in all seasons and weather. It looks stunning in snow - as does Fountains Abbey.
Fountains also gets flood lit for a few evenings each October and this is a wonderful experience - music, good food and drink and the ruins lit up with a variety of lights.

Lucky you living in such a beautiful part of the country. Fountains when floodlit is sensational, especially if there is a choir singing too.

Jervaulx Abbey is privately owned and feels completely different to places like Fountains and Rievaulx as wild nature hasn't been tamed. Both of these are on the list to revisit with the camera.

How come to me ruined abbeys seem more romantic that ones not ruined?

Jervaulx is particularly romantic as it is all gently crumbling away. No whizzy visitor centre or anything - just peace and quiet and birdsong.
Lots of wild flowers in the spring and summer. We often have the place to ourselves.
Went one evening at twilight and seriously spooked ourselves imagining we saw things that can't have been there (can they??).

ESW - I can also recommend Byland Abbey. I know someone that was married there in the ruins, which I have to say is seriously romantic!

Yes, the home made cakes are always key to visiting these places!

" imagining we saw things that can't have been there (can they??)."

You never know. The atmosphere in places like Jervaulx is so strong.

I've yet to get to Byland - it is on the list. It was a toss up between Byland and Rievaulx last visit and Rievaulx won.

Having visited several abbeys over the last few weeks, I have now rewritten this section of the website.

Morgana will be delighted to see that Byland Abbey is now on the web and I agree with her that it is well worth a visit.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...and/index.html
There is a lot more left than I expected. It is also a lot quieter than near by Rievaulx Abbey. I prefered it.

FOR ANYONE PLANNING A VISIT TO RIEVAULX OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS - Major work is being carried out to the visitor centre. There is no tea room at the moment. Half the already small car park is taken up with contractors equipment leading to problems. We were told to find somewhere in the village to park (impossible) or to park along the road (anarrow and bendy). Also they haven't thought about access to teh ruins. This involves scrambling up quite a steep grassy bank....

I've also added Fountains Abbey, another of the great ruined abbeys of Yorkshire.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...ins/index.html

Kirkstall Abbey in the centre of Leeds is probably one of the most intact Cistercian abbeys and again gets few visitors.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...all/index.html

Whitby Abbey set on a cliff high above the town was the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. On a damp misty winter's day you can almost feel the atmosphere...
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...tby/index.html

Next to the abbey ruins is St Mary's Church which is also well worth visiting with its Georgian box pews and galleries.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...tby/index.html

Just to the south is Robin Hood's Bay. Here it is worth searching out the Old St Stephen's Church with its unspoilt Georgian interior and Maiden's Garlands...
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...old/index.html

You are also missing Whalley Abbey:

http://www.whalleyabbey.org/

The village of Whalley is handy for the beautiful countryside of the Pendle District (Pendle Hill was where Quakerism began). There are some great pubs in the village and a gastropub "Three Fishes" is very near, or further afield the much loved restaurant/hotel "Inn at Whitewell".

I know I am. I haven't got to 'that side of t'hill' yet. There's also Sawley and Furness....