Jervaulx Abbey
Yesterday the sun did shine, so I jumped in the car and headed for Jervaulx Abbey, being on something of an abbey kick at the moment. This one's onwed privately, and is much more the picturesque ruin in the garden that I imagine Rievaulx was before English Heritage got their hands on it and sterilised it - there are plants growing on bits of it, and shrubs inbetween, and whilst it was all a bit autumnal, I imagine it will be beautiful in the spring. But yesterday wasn't bad for November, the sky was blue and the sun was warm, although there was a chill wind. But it was a perfect day for wandering round old stones, and being a Monday there were only a couple more people there, I stayed for ages just enjoying the peace and quiet.
The second sign that we're not in EH country any more is that instead of a wooden hut at the gate with a bored looking custodian and a selection of souvenir pencils and rubbers and celtic knot throws, there is a metal box with this inside. The wooden cabinet is just open, so you can help yourself to a guidebook, and put the money in the slot. A nice touch in this day and age.
This is the Chapter House from the Cloisters.
Inside the Chapter House.
The church was pretty much completed razed to the ground, all that is left is the bottoms of some of the pillars and a very little bit of the outer wall. Apparently at the dissolution the lead from the roof was melted down and cast into ingots, which were found in 1923 by the west wall, and used to restore the windows of York Minster.
The original excavator of the site piled up the stones he found along the lines of the walls. This is the edge of the cloisters.
The most complete part remaining is the wall of the monks' domitory.
Random bits of abbey.
The one remaining bit of the church is this door at the lay brothers' end.
The house to which the abbey belongs. Oh to have an abbey in my garden. Call me Joy Shirley.
The second sign that we're not in EH country any more is that instead of a wooden hut at the gate with a bored looking custodian and a selection of souvenir pencils and rubbers and celtic knot throws, there is a metal box with this inside. The wooden cabinet is just open, so you can help yourself to a guidebook, and put the money in the slot. A nice touch in this day and age.
This is the Chapter House from the Cloisters.
Inside the Chapter House.
The church was pretty much completed razed to the ground, all that is left is the bottoms of some of the pillars and a very little bit of the outer wall. Apparently at the dissolution the lead from the roof was melted down and cast into ingots, which were found in 1923 by the west wall, and used to restore the windows of York Minster.
The original excavator of the site piled up the stones he found along the lines of the walls. This is the edge of the cloisters.
The most complete part remaining is the wall of the monks' domitory.
Random bits of abbey.
The one remaining bit of the church is this door at the lay brothers' end.
The house to which the abbey belongs. Oh to have an abbey in my garden. Call me Joy Shirley.