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Top 10 Sensational Facts about Rievaulx Abbey

The North York Moors in England near Helmseley, is the location of Rievaulx Abbey, a Cistercian abbey. Seized during the 1538 disbanding of the monasteries, Rievaulx was one of England’s great abbeys. Owned and managed by English Heritage, the site has been awarded Scheduled Ancient Monument status.

The Rievaulx Abbey, which is a part of the Benedictine order, was the first Cistercian monastery in northern England. 12 monks from the Clairvaux Abbey in Burgundy, France established the abbey in 1132. They selected the location for its remoteness as the monks were to maintain a strict life of self-sufficiency and prayer. The monks were also to maintain little contact with the outside world.

The abbey began construction in the 1130s when William I was the first abbot of Rievaulx. The second abbot, Saint Aelred of Rievaulx extended and consolidated the abbey. It was during Aelred’s tenure that the abbey grew to include 500 lay brothers and140 monks. The abbey had 5 additional houses across Scotland and England by the end of Aelred’s tenure.

The ruins are frequented by visitors who want to learn about the monastery and the life of Saint Aelred. You can view the exhibitions and then visit the tearoom for a treat. The Rievaulx was one of England’s most esteemed abbeys. In addition to the trails, there is a museum with artefacts depicting its rise and fall.

Below are ten amazing facts about Rievaulx Abbey.

1. The Rievaulx was part of an order established in France in 1098

Rievaulx Abbey showing Presbytery (R), South Transept, Chapter House foundations & wall of Infirmary (L) – mist at dawn. Photo by Antony McCallum/

The Rievaulx was an abbey of the Cistercian order. The order was established in 1098 by St Bernard of Clairvaux at Cîteaux, near Dijon in France.

The order placed prominence on a return to a rigid life and literal adherence to rules set out for monastic life. The rules were set by St Benedict in the 6th century.

As such, the Rievaulx became one of the most incredible European monastic reform movements of the 12th century.

2. The Rievaulx Abbey was founded in March 1132

Appearing first in Waverley in England in 1128, the Cistercians established the Rievaulx on land provided by Walter Espec who died in 1154.

Establishing the Kirkham Priory for the reformist Augustinian canons circa 1121, Espec advocated for ecclesiastical reform. Bernard of Clairvaux carefully planned the Rievaulx with the aim of leading northern Britain’s monastic colonisation.

William I sent colonies to put up other houses at Warden and Melrose in 1136 and in Dundrennan and Revesby in 1142 and 1143 respectively.

3. The initial Rievaulx Abbey was made of wooden structures

Photograph of Rievaulx Abbey, the High Altar. Photo by Roger Fenton/

When the monastery built the initial abbey, the buildings were temporary wooden structures. Abbot William began building in stone in the late 1130s. A section of this building still survives today.

4. Abbot Aelred was known as a brilliant writer and revered biblical scholar

The most famous Rievaulx abbot was Aelred. He previously served in David I of Scotland’s household as a steward. In 1134, Aelred joined the Rievaulx as a postulant. He rose through the ranks and was elected abbot in 1147.

Aelred was known as England’s most revered biblical scholar, pastoral master, and Latin stylist and was also a brilliant writer. Aelred died in 1167 and at the time of his death, the abbey community was twice as big.

With 500 lay brothers and 140 monks, there was a need for larger buildings. Several of the buildings present today are from Aelred’s rule. In the late 1140s, work began on a monumental church.

5. A shrine was dedicated to Abbot Aelred years after his death

Depiction of Saint Ailred (or Aelred), from an 1845 book “Lives of the English Saints” by John Henry Newman. Photo by Alexander Penrose Forbes/

Silvanus, Aelred’s successor, finished the main cloister arcades in the 1170s. He also rebuilt the south range of the cloister.

The most noteworthy alteration at the abbey was the 1220s, extension of the church. This made it possible to have a shrine which was dedicated to Aelred.

6. The Rievaulx Abbey experienced serious financial challenges

Photograph of Rievaulx Abbey circa 1854. Photo by Roger Fenton/

Due to serious financial challenges, the intended remodelling of the abbey was not carried out as expected. Instead of remodelling both the transepts and the presbytery, work on the transepts failed to take place.

The financial crisis may have been the reason Abbot Roger II resigned in 1239.

7. The number of lay brothers disappeared almost completely in the 14^th century

Dramatic changes took place at the Rievaulx from the second half of the 14th century. Substitute labour was required as most of the lay brothers disappeared almost completely.

This led to some changes to the abbey buildings. The section occupied by the lay choir in the nave of Aelred’s church was occupied by the monks. Processions took place in the central part of the nave and chapels began to fill the aisles.

The lay dormitory was halved and divided into private closets. The lay brothers’ refectory was also completely demolished.

8. Rievaulx Abbey was later sold to the 1st Earl of Rutland

Aerial shot of Rievaulx Abbey in winter Taken at 1500ft from a microlight aircraft. Photo by Neil Reed/

Under Henry VIII’s reign between 1536 and 1540, the monasteries faced suppression. This led to the closure of the abbey on 3 December 1538.

At the time of its closure, the abbey had only 23 monks. The 1st Earl of Rutland, Thomas Manners, who was closely associated with the royal court bought the Rievaulx.

The buildings were pulled down leaving the bells and roof leads for the king. Ralf Bawde, the Earl’s steward kept detailed accounts of the dismantling process.

9. The Rievaulx ruins were placed under guardianship in July 1917

The architectural evidence in the Rievaulx ruins led to the appreciation of the structure in the mid-19th century. The Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Association visited the site with professional guides in 1881 and 1893.

There was however no excavation to recover buried buildings. The abbey ruins were about to collapse by the beginning of the 20th century. In 1907, negligible repairs took place but the extent of the damage was too much.

Saving the site would have required the state’s intervention. In July 1917, the Office of Works placed the Rievaulx ruins under guardianship.

10. Repairs were carried out on the Rievaulx around 1918

Yorkshire’s ruined abbeys, which include Fountains, Rievaulx, Byland, Whitby, Bolton and Jervaulx, were a frequent source of inspiration for British painters throughout the 19th century. Portrait by John Sell Cotman/

Despite the labour shortages brought about by the First World War, repairs were carried out on the Rievaulx. To stabilize the building, Sir Frank Baines, Principal Architect at the Office of Works came up with revolutionary engineering techniques.

The repairs were carried out after 1918 and the aim was to reinforce the concrete beams hidden in the upper walls. In the 1920s the Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments, Sir Charles Peers, ordered the removal of most of the fallen debris. This was to expose the building’s buried elements.