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Escape the crowds and experience the serene beauty of this impressive monastic site, in the middle of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. Rievaulx Abbey was founded by St Bernard of Clairvaux in 1132 and became one of England’s wealthiest monasteries before its dissolution by King Henry VIII in 1538. Highlights of this long history are displayed in the indoor interactive museum, and The Work of God and Man exhibition shows how religion blended with business in the lives of the monks. Afterwards there’s delicious local food to enjoy in the tea room, and, for families wanting to let off steam, plenty of walking and cycling trails around the site.