Yorkshires Abbeys

In Mediaeval times Yorkshire had been a popular place for monks of many religious orders to set up their monasteries. There was a vast unoccupied area where they could live peacefully, without having to come into too much contact with the ordinary people.

When Henry VIII set up the Church of England and declared himself its supreme ruler on Earth he needed to remove these symbols of The Popes power and influence from the minds of his subjects. Consequently he set about turning out the monks, confiscating the wealth of the churches and destroying the buildings. This "dissolution of the monasteries" conveniently allowed Henry to become "the richest king in Christendom" as a bye product.

Not all of the monks went quietly of course. Many were tortured and put to death for refusing to recant their beliefs and accept Henry's authority.

The consequence of this is that Yorkshire is littered with the remains of many impressive ancient churches and other religious buildings, some of which are in even more impressive grounds!

Fountains Abbey

Possibly the grandest of all the old monasteries, Fountains Abbey stood in magnificent wooded grounds near Rippon in North Yorkshire. This was the home of a group of Cistercian monks.

The grounds at Fountains are extensive. Parts of them have been landscaped by later owners of the land but much of the rest is natural woodland. You can walk in peace for miles.

Rievaulx Abbey

Rievaulx is several miles away from Fountains in the Howardian Hills. A terrace above the abbey gives some fantastic views of the scenery.