Abbeys & priories · Yorkshire & the Humber
Rievaulx Abbey
In or near Sproxton.
Rievaulx Abbey — ruined medieval abbey in Yorkshire, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Rievaulx Abbey is located in North Yorkshire, with the postcode YO62 5LJ. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Rievaulx Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1132. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Affiliated with Catholicism. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Wikidata describes it as: "ruined medieval abbey in Yorkshire, England, UK". Coordinates: 54.2575°, -1.1167°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Rievaulx Abbey ( REE-voh) was a Cistercian abbey in Rievaulx, near Helmsley, in the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire, England. It was one of the great abbeys in England until it was seized in 1538 under Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The wider site was awarded Scheduled Ancient Monument status in 1915 and the abbey was brought into the care of the then Ministry of Works in 1917. The ruins of its main buildings are today a tourist attraction, owned and maintained by English Heritage.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From English Heritage
Rievaulx Abbey is England’s most majestic and complete abbey ruin, located in a lovely wooded valley.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Rievaulx Woods SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Rievaulx Abbey ( REE-voh) was a Cistercian abbey in Rievaulx, near Helmsley, in the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire, England. It was one of the great abbeys in England until it was seized in 1538 under Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The wider site was awarded Scheduled Ancient Monument status in 1915 and the abbey was brought into the care of the then Ministry of Works in 1917. The ruins of its main buildings are today a tourist attraction, owned and maintained by English Heritage. The Cleveland Way long distance footpath passes just to the south of the Abbey.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Rievaulx Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery in the north of England, founded in 1132 by twelve monks from Clairvaux Abbey. Its remote location was well suited to the order's ideal of a strict life of prayer and self-sufficiency with little contact with the outside world. The abbey's patron, Walter Espec, also founded another Cistercian community, that of Wardon Abbey in Bedfordshire, on unprofitable wasteland on one of his inherited estates. William I, the first abbot of Rievaulx, started construction in the 1130s. The second abbot, Saint Aelred of Rievaulx, expanded the buildings and otherwise consolidated the existence of what in time became one of the great Cistercian abbeys of…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.2575, -1.1167
- District
- North Yorkshire
- Parish
- Rievaulx
- Postcode
- YO62 5LJ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Thirsk and Malton
- Phone
- 01439 76 0350
- Established
- 1132
- Opening
- Daily 10am–5pm; last entry at 4.30pm
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q1247496 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Rievaulx Abbey (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Rievaulx Abbey-001.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Rievaulx Abbey?
- Rievaulx Abbey is in Yorkshire, United Kingdom (postcode YO62 5LJ), in the parish of Rievaulx.
- What is Rievaulx Abbey?
- Rievaulx Abbey — ruined medieval abbey in Yorkshire, England, UK.
- How do I get to Rievaulx Abbey?
- Drivers can use postcode YO62 5LJ.
- When was Rievaulx Abbey built?
- Built or established in 1132.
- Who runs Rievaulx Abbey?
- Rievaulx Abbey is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Rievaulx Abbey a listed building?
- Rievaulx Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Rievaulx Abbey a protected site?
- Yes — Rievaulx Abbey is part of the Rievaulx Woods SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to Rievaulx Abbey?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode YO62 5LJ. It sits within the Thirsk and Malton parliamentary constituency.