Things to Do
Abbeys & castles of the North York Moors
Few landscapes wear their history so visibly. The moors and their edges are studded with some of England's most romantic monastic ruins and medieval castles — Cistercian abbeys in wooded valleys, a clifftop abbey that inspired Dracula, and royal fortresses in the market towns. Here are the great ones, most in the care of English Heritage.
Placeholder photograph — owner to replace with their own abbey or castle shot.
Rievaulx Abbey
Near Helmsley, in the wooded valley of the River Rye, Rievaulx is often called England's most complete and majestic abbey ruin. Founded in 1132, it became the first great Cistercian abbey in the north, led in its heyday by the revered abbot St Aelred. The soaring Gothic ruins and excellent museum are unmissable — and there is a beautiful walk to it from Helmsley Castle.
Whitby Abbey
The dramatic clifftop ruin above Whitby has fired imaginations for over a thousand years — from Caedmon, England's first named poet, and the Synod of Whitby, to Bram Stoker, who set part of Dracula here. Climb the famous 199 steps from the harbour to reach it.
Byland Abbey
Beneath the Hambleton Hills near Coxwold, Byland was one of the most ambitious Cistercian churches of 12th-century Europe — its great rose window is said to have inspired York Minster's — and it holds the largest collection of medieval floor tiles still in their original setting (covered in winter to protect them).
Mount Grace Priory
Near Osmotherley, Mount Grace is the best-preserved Carthusian monastery in England, where monks lived as hermits in individual cells. A reconstructed two-storey cell and garden vividly show that solitary life, behind a handsome manor house.
Helmsley & Pickering Castles
Two medieval fortresses anchor the market towns. Helmsley Castle, with its dramatic ditches and ruined Great Tower, was one of the great royal strongholds, slighted after the Civil War. Pickering Castle, a superb Norman motte-and-bailey begun under William the Conqueror, served medieval kings as a hunting lodge and still commands wide views from its motte.
Planning your visit
Most of these are English Heritage sites with seasonal opening and admission (National Trust members get free entry to some, such as Rievaulx) — check current times and prices before you go. Many pair beautifully with a nearby town, a walk, or the steam railway. To base yourself among them, see where to stay.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most impressive abbey in the North York Moors?
- Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, is often described as England's most complete and majestic abbey ruin, set in a beautiful wooded valley.
- Is Whitby Abbey linked to Dracula?
- Yes — the clifftop ruin inspired part of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and the novel's 199 steps still climb from the town to the abbey.
- Which North York Moors castles can you visit?
- Helmsley Castle and Pickering Castle, both English Heritage sites in their market towns, are the main ones, with Scarborough Castle on the coast nearby.
- Do you have to pay to visit the abbeys?
- Most are English Heritage sites with admission charges and seasonal opening; National Trust members get free entry to some, including Rievaulx — check current details before visiting.