Rievaulx

Happy Yorkshire Day folks! Where better to spend it than in beautiful Ryedale at Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire.

It was their first day of opening, booking timed entry only. 
They only had cake in the cafe but were most pleasant and friendly and who really minds having cake with their coffee?

The Abbey is one of many fabulous mediaeval abbeys in Yorkshire and was built by the Cistercians in the early 12th century. We visited the little museum after our coffee and caught up on the details of the Abbey’s past.
The monks diverted the river Rye to make their building and created a shallow canal to aid provisioning and trading in wool fleeces. The numbers fluctuated over the centuries with a low point after the Black Death when only 3 monks remained.
The number were built up again but the Abbey was ultimately destroyed but Henry VIII with his dissolution of the monasteries in the 17th century.

We wandered around the ruined buildings before taking a route off site for a 3 mile + walk around the Abbey and the River Rye. The lovely cottages in the village literally have the Abbey in their back yards.
We crossed the river and climbed through Ashberry woods where there would have been good views but for the trees being in full leaf but we were rewarded with a hare on the path in front of us. ( Got a shot of him so I can confirm it was a hare but it was far too blurry to use.)

Returned to the Abbey for a of a cup of tea - no cake - before returning home via nearby Byland Abbey, also Cistercian. We didn’t stop this time though it is free to enter there.
I’m impressed with these timed entrances, no where is too busy and everywhere is well organised and safe.