Byland Abbey

• The west front with three tall pointed lancets, a trefoil-headed main doorway, and the broken curve of the great rose above.
• Early Gothic stonework across the church and monastic buildings, with tall walls, arches and surviving column bases that make the ground plan easy to read.
• Brightly coloured medieval floor tiles, among the best surviving anywhere in the country. Protective coverings go over them through the colder months, so plan a spring or summer visit if the tiles are your main reason for coming.
• A small museum and interpretation panels with carved stone and excavated artefacts. The museum and bookshop depend on volunteers and seasonal staffing, so treat them as a bonus rather than a certainty.

Founded in January 1135 as a Savigniac house, absorbed into the Cistercian order in 1147, and moved five times before the community finally settled here. Wool and sheep-rearing made it rich, and by the late 14th century it was counted among the three shining lights of the north. It was dissolved in November 1538, which is why you are walking through roofless walls today.

• No toilets in the abbey grounds. Facilities are at the rear of the Abbey Inn opposite the car park, and access depends on the pub being open and on your custom, so do not build your visit around them.
• Ground is uneven with steep steps in places, so this is not a fully accessible site. Sturdy footwear helps.
• Do not climb the masonry. Some stonework is loose and falling masonry is a genuine risk.
• Dogs on short leads are welcome in the grounds, and trained assistance dogs are welcome.
• Picnics are allowed in the grounds, but never on the medieval floor tiles.
• No smoking, vaping, barbecues, naked flames or drones.

The abbey is a short drive from Rievaulx Abbey and from the attractions around Helmsley, so it slots neatly into a wider day of ruins and moorland driving. It also makes a sensible starting point for longer countryside walks in the surrounding fields and woods.