What to do and see in Yorkshire, England: The Best Ancient Ruins

We've loved having you back! Please note that you need to pre-book your ticket to visit at the moment via the website. Explore a great abbey and elegant water garden at this World Heritage Site near Harrogate. Cistercian monks chose this place to establish Fountains Abbey in 1132, and the walls echo with centuries-old stories. Follow the riverside path to Studley Royal, a playful water garden designed by visionaries John and William Aislabie in the 18th century. You can spend a day amongst statues, follies and cascades before venturing beyond the lake to Studley Royal deer park, with ancient lime tree avenues and red, fallow and sika deer. Eat, shop, stay Restaurant serving select range of hot food. Picnics welcome but please leave BBQs at home. Large shop with gardening section. Stay at one of 14 holiday cottages, including a cosy waterside lodge and elegant apartment inside Jacobean Fountains Hall. No drones please. Bikes and scooters welcome for children under 5.

No visit to York is complete without a stroll along part of the 2 miles of historic walls that have protected the city for nearly 2000 years. The walls are completely free to walk, however bespoke guided tours can be booked with your own personal tour guide, meeting you at a time and place to suit you, and showing you the extensive hidden history to be found along the walls.

OPENING TIMES: 3rd November 2014 - 29th March 2015: 10am - 4pm Saturdays and Sundays ONLY. 30Th March 2015 onwards: opening times available nearer the time. Along with Rievaulx and Fountains Abbeys, Byland Abbey was once one of the greatest Cistercian monasteries in the north of England. It boasts some of the earliest Gothic architecture in northern England as well as internationally significant medieval floor tile pavements. Much of the church survives to a great height, including the fantastic rose window, and the remains of the domestic buildings are extensive. There is also a museum packed with artefacts found on site and beautifully illustrated interpretation panels, which give visitors an insight into monastic life. There is also much to interest nature lovers as many varieties of wild flowers grow on the ruins of the abbey and a multitude of birds and small mammals can be seen around the site, including kestrels, buzzards and hedgehogs.

Set in a peaceful and picturesque wooded valley, Roche Abbey was founded in 1147, with stonework dating back to around the 1180's. Thanks to Capability Brown who landscaped the area in the 18th Century, we now boast the most complete foundations of any Cistercian monestary in the country. Although most of the excavated ruins are low lying, the transcepts still stand to their original height. Roche Abbey is closed during the winter months, re opening again March 2015. The woodland walks around the area are accessible and parking is still available.