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Rievaulx Abbey
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“Nestled in a wooded valley by the River Wye, lie the ruins of one of the magnificent ruins of one of greatest of the Northern Abbeys. Almost 900 years old, and spread across 15 acres, many of the original 70 or so buildings still stand tall. The Cistercian Monks who founded Rievaulx had a goal of complete austerity and simplicity- this remote location would have suited them well. However, the building project was far from straightforward. To begin with the Monks had to divert the river in order to create a large level space on which to build - even then, the limited flat land meant they had to build the abbey North-South rather than the traditional East-West. They then had to make the land productive which took many more years of hard toil. Originally founded by 12 monks as a spiritual bridgehead into the North of England, Rievaulx became a centre of great learning and holiness. It also became one of the richest in the country with 140 monks and many more lay brothers. Lay brothers were normally illiterate but manually skilled so their involvement tended to support the more practical needs of what became a 6,000 acre estate at its peak. Its wealth and success was based on the hard work of the monks and their success in trading sheep, wool, iron and lead. However trading debts, Scottish raids and the Black Death in the 14th century led to decline leading up to the dissolution of the monasteries. ”
Rievaulx, Helmsley, North Yorkshire
YO62 5LB
Visit Website
1 Apr-30 Sep: daily 10-6pm
Oct: Thu-Mon 10-5pm
1 Nov-20 Mar: Thu-Mon 10-4pm
Adult: £4.50
Child: £2.30
Concession: £3.40
See more Place of Worships in North of England:
- Brinkburn Priory
- Byland Abbey
- Durham Cathedral
- Furness Abbey
- Kirkham Priory
- Lanercost Priory
- Lindisfarne Priory
- Mount Grace Priory
- Rievaulx Abbey
- Rievaulx Terrace & Temples
- Roche Abbey
- St. Peter's Church
- Thornton Abbey
- Whitby Abbey
- York Minster
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