☰Rievaulx Abbey

Tucked into a tight bend of the River Rye in Ryedale, Rievaulx Abbey was once the largest Cistercian monastery in England. Founded in 1132, it housed up to 140 monks and 500 lay brothers at its peak. The surviving nave and choir are unusually complete by English standards, and the setting — green valley sides rising steeply on both banks — makes it arguably more beautiful than Fountains Abbey. The terraced gardens above the abbey, built in the 18th century to provide dramatic views of the ruins, are worth the short climb.