Rievaulx Abbey

We left the cottage at around 9.45am and after a drive across the top of the moor we headed for Rievaulx Abbey. The colours in the hedgerows and trees is stunning at the moment and it was good to see that the colours were just as good when we arrived at the abbey. I always find it difficult to find a different viewpoint on these ruined buildings when I'm taking photos - at one level so much of it is interesting and yet it also seems quite cliched! This was the first Cistercian monastery in the north of England, founded by twelve monks from France. At it's peak in 1160 it was home to 650 men. Co-incidentally I'm reading Hilary Mantell's `Bring out the Bodies', and I've just reached the part where Thomas Cromwell is planning to extract wealth from the monastic orders (some of the wealthiest landowners in the country) in order to top up Henry's vastly depleted coffers.

So lots of photos taken (most destined for deletion) and then soup and bread in the cafe. By this time we were ready for the warmth of soup as winter seems to be on its way. In fact we were leaving the site just as the sleet started to come down hard!
Fortunately as we drove east the rain stopped and we had a good journey home through Thirsk and down the motorway system to home.

We're now luxuriating in the warmth of the stove - but it's definitely cold out there!