Rievaulx Abbey: (North Yorkshire) ~ Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity, and a marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world.’ Those words, written over eight centuries ago by the monastery’s third abbot, St Aelred, could describe Rievaulx today, for it is one of the most atmospheric of all the ruined abbeys of the north. Words are not the only link to Rievaulx’s distant medieval monks. Over the past two years, the site has become something of an archaeological treasure, with unexpected discoveries shedding new light on the lives of the abbey’s former residents. Analysis of a flagon found by chance has revealed that the monks ate wild strawberries. A remote-controlled CCTV camera explored the hidden depths of a 16th-century drain that plunges deep underground, providing an insight into monastic hygiene. Further experimental archaeology has investigated the abbey’s flourishing iron industry. And the rare find of a piece of 13th-century stained glass, with a depiction of a cockerel, has illustrated the extensive renewal and rebuilding of the abbey church in the early English Gothic style. Meanwhile, archaeologists continue to study the wider landscape around Rievaulx, revealing the remarkable extent of the abbey’s influence and industry.

Although much of what was built by the monks is in ruins, most of the presbytery (the eastern part of the abbey church) stands virtually to its full height. Built in the 13th century, its soaring height is a reminder of Rievaulx’s original splendour. The abbey was founded by St Bernard of Clairvaux, as part of the missionary effort to reform Christianity in western Europe. Just 12 Clairvaux monks came to Rievaulx in 1131. From these modest beginnings, however, grew one of the wealthiest monasteries of medieval England and the first northern Cistercian monastery. In the Middle Ages, wealthy families vied with each other to found churches. Rievaulx enjoyed the protection of Walter L’Espec, who provided much of the abbey’s land. The monks of nearby Byland Abbey disputed land ownership with Rievaulx, which led to engineering works to divert the course of the River Rye which formed the boundary between their properties. You can still see traces of the old river and the channels dug by the monks. A steady stream of monks came to Abbot Aelred, an author and preacher who was regarded then and after as a wise and saintly man.

Following his death in 1167, the monks of Rievaulx sought canonisation for their former leader and, in the 1220s, they rebuilt the east part of their church in a much more elaborate style for his tomb. Rievaulx was still a vibrant community when Henry VIII dissolved it in 1538. Its new owner, Thomas Manners, first Earl of Rutland, swiftly instigated the systematic destruction of the buildings. However, what was left behind still constitutes one of the most eloquent of all monastic sites, free ‘from the tumult of the world’. Don’t miss the exciting exhibition, ‘The Works of God and Man’, which explores Rievaulx’s history, employing a variety of lively and interactive displays.

Facilities Available

Open times.
daily: Mon, Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun
10am - 4pm.
Closed.
24th - 26th Dec & 1st Jan.

Where can I stay?
Accommodation in Helmsley for the Yorkshire Wold Moors, close to Helmsley castle, Brodsworth Hall & Rievaulx.

Find a Hotel near Helmsley or Youth Hostels YHA Youth Hostels in the area Helmsley.

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