We awoke this morning to grey skies and the first true rain storm of the trip, and after another delicious breakfast at Lovesome Hill Farm we drove back through the Moors towards Rievaulx Abbey. Founded in 1132 by the Cistercians, it was the first of their monasteries in northern England. Over the next few decades it grew to become one of the centres of monasticism in Britain, and at its height it was home to over 650 men. A victim of monastic dissolution under Henry VIII, it is today largely in ruins. Even though it was pouring outside, and by the end of our visit we were all completely soaked, it was a fascinating thing to see.
The abbey, which followed the Rule of Benedict, was home to two sets of people: monks, who attended eight services plus mass in a day, and spent the rest of their time reading and praying; and the lay people, whose manual labour supported the abbey economy.
The huge church was at the centre of monastic life, and was divided into the nave (foreground), where the lay people worshipped, and the presbytery (behind it), where the monks held their services. The high walls separating them show the various levels of construction – the darker stone parts were built in 1140, while the upper extensions were added around 1230.
The first monasteries were simple and basic, and Rievaulx was originally built in this fashion. The presbytery, added a century later, is obviously far more ornate. Eight hundred years ago it would have had huge vaulted ceilings, glorious painted windows, and the stone would have been white.
This room was the refectory, where the monks ate their meals, and is architecturally very similar to the church. The refectory floor has collapsed over time, but the level at which it stood can be seen by the changing colours of stone. Below, where the floor is now, is the undercroft, which was used for storage and various other things.
Here we have the ruins of the Chapter House, which was after the church the most important building in the monastery. Daily chapter meetings were held here, where monks discussed business matters, confessed their faults, and received punishment. This particular chapter house is particular unusual in that it had a rounded east end.
After leaving the abbey we stopped for a light lunch at The Hare in nearby Scawton. Although the mushroom and garlic soup was delicious, it was a little too light for me, and I was hungry for the rest of the day (there’s been an inn on the side for 900 years though, so historically it was worth it). Next up was the glorious Castle Howard, built over 300 years ago for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle and today home to the family of the Honourable Simon Howard.
Here we have the China Landing. I’m not really sure what it’s for, but the cabinets house over 300 pieces, largely Meissen, Chelsea, and Sèvre (I guess that’s good), and it looks pretty cool. Right, now moving on to things I know more about.
And here is the Antique Passage, a series of corridors holding various busts, statues, and urns collected by the 4th Earl while visiting Italy in the eighteenth century. It’s a very impressive collection, but one can’t help but wonder how many of the pieces were purchased and how many were “borrowed”, as details on their specific acquisitions are a little hazy.
This Great Hall is at the centre of the castle, and its dome is the only one of its kind among the private homes in Great Britain. The paintings are by the Venetian artist Antonio Pellegrini, and depict everything from the four elements to the figures of the zodiac. The dome is not the original, however, as that one was destroyed by fire in 1940 (along with much of the rest of the house), but the restoration is really quite impressive.
Located on the South Parterre is the Atlas Fountain, which was not actually working as a fountain when we visited it but was impressive nonetheless. The castle has been used as Brideshead Castle in two separate renditions of Brideshead Revisited, and this fountain was the site of many important scenes.
Just as we finished our tour of the house and main gardens it started to rain, so we returned to the car and began the journey back to the bed and breakfast. Along the way we stopped at the site at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, which was my choice, and two separate WWII airfields, which were my dad’s choice. Mom and Jules were just along for the ride, but they didn’t seem to mind. We decided to take a break from pub food and had dinner at the Pizza Express in Northallerton, the village closest to the farm. We returned this evening to pack, as tomorrow we will be driving to Folkestone to catch the ferry to France on Tuesday.
GWV
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