Easby Abbey is one of the most picturesque monastic ruins in the north of England — substantial walls of the canons' refectory, gatehouse and dormitory still standing high above the River Swale, with the abbey's parish church of St Agatha tucked alongside. Founded in 1152 by the Premonstratensian order, it was suppressed by Henry VIII in 1536 along with England's other monasteries.
The walk down from Richmond along the river is the best way to arrive — about a mile and a half on a good footpath, passing through woods and meadows. The site itself is free to enter and managed by English Heritage. Don't skip the church: its 13th-century wall paintings, depicting the Genesis story and the labours of the months, are among the finest survivors of medieval English mural decoration.