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The grounds of Rievaulx Abbey are open. Takeaway catering is available. Our shop is open but all other indoor areas remain closed, and safety measures are in place to keep everyone safe. You need to book your visit in advance. Please keep in mind the government’s latest advice on travelling. Find out more below.
We've made some changes to help keep you safe, and things might be a little different when you visit. Here's everything you need to know.
A new exhibition trail highlighting one of the world’s most fascinating saints has opened up at Rievaulx Abbey.
Through a series of information panels Friendship, Leadership and Sainthood explores the life and times of Aelred, a 12th century abbot and saint from Rievaulx Abbey who has become an unlikely LGBTQ+ icon. The exhibition trail, which opened in 2021, looks at the twenty years that he spent at the abbey, his sainthood and modern role. An inspirational leader and writer, his influence resonates through the centuries with many of his works, especially those on friendship, still read today by people of all faiths and none.
The exhibition trail, which will be in place until the end of 2022, is free of charge and separate information leaflets are available.
The life of Aelred of Rievaulx
Walter Espec, lord of Helmsley, builds temporary timber structures for the first monks sent from Clairvaux in France.
Find out more about the history of Rievaulx Abbey
William, the first abbot, begins work on the first stone buildings.