WIREDGOV

New visitor centre puts Rievaulx Abbey artefacts on display for the first time in 500 years.

Previously unseen artefacts have gone on display at Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire. A new museum and exhibition at the site form part of a £1.6 million investment into telling the story of the abbey from its foundation in 1132 to its suppression in 1538.

Dr Michael Carter, Senior Properties Historian for English Heritage, said:

"Rievaulx Abbey is one of the most important abbeys in England - and it's setting one of the most beautiful. It was a place of huge spiritual significance for the country - and one utterly transformed by dramatic upheaval under Henry VIII. Our new museum now does justice to the abbey's whole story, showcasing its most important artefacts, many of which have never been seen before."

WEALTH AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

Elaborate medieval stone carvings, book bindings and gold coins tell the story of the rise of the first Cistercian abbey in the North of England. One of the richest and most important monasteries in England, Rievaulx was home to over 600 men in its heyday, and the craftsmanship of the monks is evident. Meanwhile, daily objects like chess pieces and pottery give us a glimpse of the lives of the monks who worked, prayed and studied at Rievaulx.

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