Visiting some of Yorkshire's fantastic abbey ruins has been on our
wants list for some time. Last bank holiday weekend we made it a
reality and we were able to satisfy our 'Ruin Lust'.Our journey took us on a beautiful tour of the Yorkshire Dales National Park - across Wensleydale through Hawes, Askrigg and Middleham and returning via the more familiar Skipton and Settle route.
On our way, in the village of Wensley, we stopped off to look at Holy Trinity church. This 13th century church was built on 8th century foundations and contains many medieval details including wall paintings, Flemish brasses and a 15th century reliquary.
This taste of antiquity got us in the mood for the rest of our tour and we set of for Jervaulx Abbey.In private ownership, Jervaulx is delightful. This once great Cistercian Abbey was established in 1156, falling into ruins after the dissolution. It is thought that the original French monks brought the art of cheese making to Wensleydale.
Despite the bank holiday, we had the tranquil grounds more or less to ourselves and could easily imagine the monks going about their daily business in this remote place.
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| There are over 100 types of wildflower growing at Jervaulx |
We paid our £3 admission via the honesty box and left Jervaulx calm and relaxed, setting off for Fountains Abbey. Established in 1135, Fountains is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and is owned by the National Trust. On the bank holiday weekend this was predictably busy.The abbey ruins are set in a wooded valley and as you descend the first thing you see is the tower, still well preserved.
