Two Yorkshire Abbeys

This post combines two abbeys we visited during our Yorkshire Dales travels in September. One became famous as the inspiration for a well-known Gothic novel, popular this time of year. The other is the largest monastic ruin in the UK. I learned that every abbey is a monastery, but not every monastery is an abbey which is still a bit confusing to me. Here's a couple of definitions found online:

A monastery is where a community of monks or nuns lives apart from the world and follow bound rules focusing on prayer, study and spiritual devotion. 

An abbey is a specific, self-governing rank of a monastery. It's a larger autonomous religious community ruled by an elected abbot (for monks) or a convent ruled by an abbess (for nuns).

Both of the sites we visited were classified as abbeys.

High on a cliff overlooking the historic seaside town in North Yorkshire, England, stands the ruins of Whitby Abbey overlooking the North Sea. These ruins are among the most celebrated sights of North Yorkshire. 

There are a couple of ways to visit the abbey, one way is to climb the 199 steps. We didn't count them and neither did we walk up, but reached the top by traveling on a  local hop-on, hop-off tour bus.

The monastery was founded in AD 657 by King Oswiu of Northumbria who then appointed Lady Hilda, a prominent leader in early English Christianity, as abbess. It was a double monastery with both monks and nuns and known as Streoneshalh, the older name for Whitby.

In 664, it was the setting for the Synod of Whitby, a landmark council in the history of the Church in England. Clerics from different strands of English Christianity, Celtic and Roman, met to debate key points of their shared religion. This included how the date of Easter should be calculated. The Romans prevailed and over time the Pope’s authority over the British Church became the dominant faith. 

The Streoneshalh monastery was destroyed during successive Viking raids in the 9th century (867 to 870). Streoneshalh became Whitby following these invasions as Norse settlers renamed the area to mean white settlement. The abbey remained abandoned for over 200 years. Around 1078, Reinfrid, a soldier of William the Conqueror, who became a Benedictine monk, travelled there to re-establish a monastic community. After receiving a grant of land including the ruins, he founded a new monastery in the 1220s, rebuilt on a larger scale and followed the Benedictine rule.

The Benedictine abbey thrived for centuries as a center of learning. But, its possessions were confiscated as it was one of over 800 religious houses destroyed under Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1541. Afterwards, the ruins were used as a landmark by sailors. 

In the 1540s, Sir Richard Cholmley took out a 21-year lease on Whitby Abbey from King Henry VIII. Then, in 1555, he bought the abbey estate and its remaining properties with final property purchases continuing through 1563. The family converted part of the abbot's lodgings into a home renamed Whitby Abbey House. The abbey remained in the Cholmley family and later passed to their descendants, the Strickland family.

In the 18th century the Cholmleys abandoned the Abbey and it fell into ruin again. Parts of the structure collapsed; the nave fell in 1762 and the central tower in 1830.

As if things could get worse, during WW I in December 1914, the ruins were bombed by German warships whose crew was aiming for a Coastguard Station on the end of the headland. During a 10-minute attack, the buildings sustained a lot of damage.

Finding it a costly process to maintain or repair the heavily damaged and decaying ruins, the Strickland family transferred ownership to the Ministry of Works in 1920. Since 1984, the ruins have been managed by English Heritage, a registered charity that manages the National Heritage Collection of more than 400 historic sites, monuments and buildings across England.

Bram Stoker 1906

As for the novel connection. The dramatic cliffside ruins are said to have inspired Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic novel, Dracula. Stoker stayed in Whitby and used the abbey ruins, churchyard tombstones and local folklore to create his masterpiece. However, in the book, Count Dracula never enters the abbey ruins, no surprise there.

Like many UK ruins, the abbey is rumored to be haunted. And, the most famous ghost is said to be the spirit of St Hilda, the first abbess. In Dracula, her ghost is mentioned alongside the ghost of a nun who was stoned to death after breaking her vow of chastity.

Thankfully, we didn't see any ghosts during our brief visit, but we did get a good selfie of ourselves and Whitby Abbey.

Now to the second abbey we visited which were are the largest monastic ruins in the UK — the ruins of Fountains Abbey located in the Skell valley near Ripon, North Yorkshire. Founded in the 12th century, the abbey became a thriving center of Cistercian religious activity. 

A model showing the size of the original Fountains Abbey

Today, its large ruins provide a backdrop of the power and wealth of medieval monastic communities in England, before they were dissolved and destroyed by Henry VIII. 

The abbey was founded in  1132 by 13 Benedictine monks who had left St Mary’s Abbey in York seeking seclusion and a more austere spiritual life. The Archbishop of York gave them a site deep in the Skell valley to found their new abbey. It was remote, but had access to natural resources, including water, wood, stone and earth. It was named after the natural springs and fountains in the Skell Valley where the monastery was built. Within three years of its founding, the community joined the French Cistercian Order. (The Cistercians are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines in the late 11th century.)

Fountains Abbey became the largest and richest abbey in the north of England. Choir monks lived in the abbey and followed the rule of St Benedict adopting a life of simplicity, solitude and austerity. Lay brothers, who were not monks, also lived in the abbey and provided labor to ensure that it ran smoothly as the monks spent time in prayer. It was thanks to the labors of the lay brothers that Fountains Abbey achieved its status as one of the richest monasteries in northern England by wool production, lead mining, cattle rearing, horse breeding and stone quarrying.

Fountains Abbey deteriorated during the 14th century as a result of economic hardship and the Black Death. After restoration work in the 15th century, the abbey was once again flourishing. However, success was short-lived. In 1539, as just like with Whitby Abbey and hundreds of other monastic houses in England, the abbey was closed as part of the English Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Over four centuries of monastic life ended. In 1540, the Crown sold the estate to Sir Richard Gresham, who stripped the buildings of valuable materials and sold a large amount of the stone, timber and lead found on the site, taking apart the monastery to do so. Stone was scavenged for construction and a local quarry.

The abbey ruins remained neglected until the 18th century, when the site was acquired and integrated into the Studley Royal Park, a landscaped garden created by British politician John Aislabie that was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. 

Even in its current state, Fountains Abbey has been described by Historic England (a public body that advises the government and manages heritage designations) as the best preserved of English abbeys and the finest picturesque ruin. The majority of the buildings were constructed in the Romanesque and early English Gothic style between 1170 and 1247 with major additions in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. 

Fountains Abbey is protected for its historic significance. It's been designated a Grade I listed building (a structure in the UK officially recognized as being of exceptional architectural or historical interest) and a Scheduled Monument by Historic England. (A scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building in the UK that receives legal protection against unauthorized change, damage, or destruction.) 

Today, the abbey is owned by the National Trust, maintained by English Heritage and open to the public with an admission fee. Visitors can explore the extremely well-preserved remains. Its vast scale, ornate stonework and towering archways gave us some idea of how important the monastic community was in medieval England.

Some members of the NH PBS tour group at Fountains Abbey

We not only had great traveling companions, but wonderful weather considering that we were in the UK. Thanks to all who have commented on my previous travel posts. There's a few more UK ones before ending this travel adventure. Our fall travel season has been exciting and packed. We're thankful to be able to travel health and money-wise and to share online. FYI, we've been telling fellow travelers we're on the SKI program, spending kids inheritance — why not?

Sunday in the Park

It's been a while since my last post. We were on another adventure and spent 9 days in the Pacific Northwest on a riverboat cruise on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The trip was wonderful with so many amazing sights and, of course, some will be shared in future posts after a few more on the September UK travels.

There's been a lot of catching up to do the past few days, everyday things like laundry, sorting through collected mail, grocery shopping and repacking. There's one more adventure in our whirlwind fall travel season. It starts next weekend and goes for a week. Destination reveal at the end of this post.

Since it was a beautiful fall weekend in Nashua, NH, we went for a long Sunday walk in nearby Mine Falls Park. This 325-acre park is located in downtown Nashua within walking distance of our mill apartment. The name dates from the 18th century, when low-quality lead was supposedly mined from islands below the falls.

Since this was our first walk in the park this season, we weren't expecting to see a lot of color. That said, it was surprising to see how much color remained, even if not as spectacular as earlier in the season. It made for a pleasant outing on a warm late fall morning.

Luckily, I managed a shot of this bridge when no one was walking across it. The tree next to it was in striking shades of yellow and orange.

The vibrant colors made for some wonderful reflections in the river water.

While at first glance, this may also look like a reflection. It wasn't viewed this way. Instead, the top image was flipped to create the illusion of an identical reflection.

It wasn't too surprising to see find a few scattered wildflowers still in bloom as the weather hasn't been too cold, yet, with some daytime highs in the 60s, overnight lows in the 40s.

These two milkweed plants were ready to disperse their seeds and with a bit of wind they were on their way.

Several dead trees were surrounded by a multitude of reflecting colors.

Many areas were covered with downed leaves providing a soft and colorful walking path.

Since the next time we take a walk in Mine Falls park, it will most likely be in winter weather, this was a very enjoyable outing.

These next photos will showcase more of the beauty of fall here in New England. 

And, now the travel reveal. We're leaving on a jet plane this weekend — destination Iceland on a tour through the Hudson, NH senior center of which we're members. Yes, we're all  hoping to see the elusive Northern Lights.

Photos in this post were taken with a compact digital camera, not my cell phone. I used an Olympus Tough TG-7. This compact camera series is rugged, waterproof, and shockproof, and built for outdoor adventures, diving, and extreme weather.

All good things come to an end and this will be our final long-distance trip of 2026, aside from family holiday visits. (But, we already have a couple of trips planned for 2027.)

Friday Funnies

Animal crackers are not what they were years ago as far as price goes, but at least they're no longer caged on the box artwork.

In 1902, Nabisco (the National Biscuit Company) introduced Barnum's Animals.The crackers snack was based on P.T. Barnum’s popular circus and featured a colorful red and yellow box with illustrated animals in cages like train cars used to transport them. Before this, crackers were typically sold unpackaged in bulk from barrels or large tins.

Barnum’s crackers were cut in over 53 animal shapes. Over the years, children have bitten heads off lions, tigers, camels, kangaroos, zebras, elephants, sheep, tigers, camels, rhinos, hippos, zebras, bears, giraffes and more. While the exact animals in a box varies, rabbits nave never been included as they are not circus animals. The monkey was the only animal wearing any clothing, a pair of pants, but no reason was ever given.

Original 1902 Barnum's Animal crackers box

Back then, a box of animal crackers originally cost 5 cents. In the 1960s to 1970, individual or multi-box deals were commonly priced around two boxes for 25 cents before climbing to a dollar or more in later decades. In the late 20th (1970-1999) to early 21st century (2001-2020), single 2.13 oz boxes were in the $1.50 to $2.50 range. Prices have changed and now, a single box can go for $3 or more.

Recent price of a single box at a local CVS store

Did you know that Nabisco originally intended for the string to be used for hanging the box as an ornament on a Christmas tree? children could hang the empty box as a decoration after it was emptied. It later became a convenient way for them to tote their snacks. Around 8,000 miles of string is used annually for the boxes; over 40 million boxes are produced each year.

Animals are now uncaged on boxes

After 116 years, Nabisco uncaged the animals in 2018. They’re no longer shown behind bars in cages, but pictured roaming in grass. That change came after PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) pressured the company citing cruelty inflicted on circus animals.

Now you know a lot more about what may have been one of your favorite childhood snacks. I know they were one of mine.

Thanks for your comments on recent posts about our Yorkshire Dales trip. There's more to come in future posts. However, I'm taking a blog break for the next couple of weeks as we’re now on a(nother) adventure cruising the Snake and Columbia Rivers on an American Cruise Lines riverboat cruise.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Fall is proving to be our long-distance travel season

Bolton Was Always a Castle

Bolton Castle has always been a castle, unlike Castle Howard in the previous post.

Bolton Castle in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England

Bolton Castle is a 14th-century castle located in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England and the nearby village of Castle Bolton takes its name from the castle. Bolton is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument which signifies structures of exceptional architectural or historic interest that receive the highest level of statutory protection in the UK.

Bolton is considered to be one of England's best preserved medieval castles. Despite being damaged in the English Civil War (1642-1651), much of it survived. It's never been sold and remains in the ownership of Scrope family descendants.

Bolton Castle was built between 1378 and 1399 by Sir Richard le Scrope, 1st Baron of Bolton. The Scropes were one of the oldest established Norman families in Britain and by the 14th century they were very powerful and extremely wealthy. A license to build the castle was granted in July 1379. The cost of construction is believed to have been about $25,000 in current U.S. dollars. 

In 1536, John, 8th Baron Scrope supported the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion against the religious reforms of King Henry VIII. Scrope fled to Skipton pursued by the King's men. In retribution, the king ordered Bolton Castle to be torched, causing extensive damage. Within a few years, some of the damage had been repaired and Sir John regained his seat in Parliament.

Restored bed chamber of Lord Scrope

After the 1630 death of Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland, without any legitimate children, Bolton Castle was inherited by Mary, the eldest of his three illegitimate daughters. 

Bolton is a prime example of a quadrangular castle and features four rectangular corner towers. While typical of the period, its rectangular towers don't extend far beyond the curtain walls. (A curtain wall is the main defensive perimeter wall of a medieval castle that encloses the inner courtyard, running continuously between projecting towers.) The physical footprint of Bolton Castle measures about 187 feet by 131 feet.

The castle was built with defense in mind. It has opening that enabled objects to be dropped onto attackers below. Private apartments were on the upper floors. 

As interesting as the castle’s history is to explore, its interior is not easily accessible for those with mobility issues due to its spiral stairways and uneven surfaces.

Internal access doors were protected by a heavy, vertical-sliding grating or gate made of wood, iron, or a combination to block the entrance of the castle. 

Members of our tour group in Mary Queen of Scots bedroom

Bolton Castle was considered an appropriate location for Mary, Queen of Scots to be imprisoned after her defeat at the Battle of Langside in 1568. It is believed that Mary, along with her retinue of 51 knights, servants and ladies-in-waiting stayed in apartments in the south-west tower. According to available information, Mary was allowed to wander the grounds, and she often went hunting and also learned to speak English while confined to the castle grounds. It seems like she didn’t have too difficult a confinement at Bolton.

Restored great hall. Bolton Castle

While a great deal of the castle remains in ruins, several rooms have been restored as period pieces with interesting features. These rooms include old kitchens, dungeon, nursery, armory and great chamber. Of course, these restorations have helped make the castle more attractive as a tourist destination.

Bolton Castle hedge maze

The property has extensive grounds with a maze, herb garden, wild flower meadow, rose garden and a vineyard. The surrounding Bolton Estate historically spanned thousands of acres. Past estate records noted upwards of 12,000 to 15,000 acres of moorland, woodland and agricultural lands.

Thomas Peter Algar Orde-Powlett and wife, Kate, owners of Bolton Castle

The castle is currently owned by Thomas Peter Algar Orde-Powlett, 9th Baron of Bolton, who inherited after the June 2023 death of his father, Harry Orde-Powlett. Unlike Castle Howard in the previous post it's not lived in by family members at the current time; however, they do live on the estate in other housing.

And, like Castle Howard, Bolton Castle has been used as a filming location for various movies and TV shows, including Ivanhoe, Elizabeth, Anne Boleyn, Heartbeat and All Creatures Great and Small.

Like so many these ancient structures, Bolton Castle is foremost a tourist attraction and is also occasionally rented out for events like weddings. It's open from April to October. However, annual visitor numbers for Bolton Castle are not publicly published by the estate or national databases. It’s a privately owned and commercial heritage site.