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The centuries-old ruins of abbeys, churches, and priories always conjure up romantic images of a monastic and pious way of life. Throughout the United Kingdom, the remains of many of these religious buildings stand as a legacy of the Reformation, when Henry VIII disbanded numerous monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in the 1530s. Today, these ecclesiastical wonders serve as evocative reminders of a distant past and rank among the most compelling of visitor attractions.
Click through this gallery and admire the ruins of some of the UK's greatest places of worship.
Perched high on cliffs overlooking the seaside town of Whitby in North Yorkshire, the imposing shell of this 13th-century abbey ranks among the largest and most impressive ecclesiastical ruins in the country. Incidentally, the abbey is a setting in Bram Stoker’s 'Dracula' (1897).
The mighty shell of Jedburgh Abbey looms large over the town of Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders. Founded in 1118 as a Augustinian abbey, Jedburgh is regarded as a architectural masterpiece, the great abbey church of St Mary the Virgin standing almost complete.
The atmospheric ruins of this Augustinian priory are set in the picturesque and secluded Vale of Ewyas, in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The priory, which dates back to around 1100, became one of the great medieval buildings in Wales.
Rievaulx Abbey was one of the most dazzling buildings in England until it was seized under Henry VIII of England in 1538 during the dissolution of the monasteries. The impressive ruins are located near Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire.
Battle Abbey was founded by William the Conqueror and built on the spot where King Harold died in 1066 during the Battle of Hastings. The abbey ruins, located near the town of Battle in East Sussex, stand as a lasting symbol of the Norman invasion that changed British history forever.
The ruins of Fountains Abbey near Ripon in North Yorkshire are the largest monastic ruins in England. Founded in 1132 by Benedictine monks, Fountains operated for 407 years, becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution, by order of Henry VIII, in 1539.
Sometimes written as Greyabbey, this abbey is the best example of Anglo-Norman Cistercian architecture in Ulster. Founded as a Cistercian priory in 1193, Grey Abbey functioned until the late Middle Ages before a fire in 1572 gutted much of the building. The ruins stand in the village of Greyabbey, County Down.
Founded in 1130 by Norman knight Sir Richard de Granville, Neath served as a Cistercian monastery, and was once the largest abbey in Wales. Its substantial ruins can still be seen, set as they are near the town of Neath, in Glamorgan.
Located in the village of New Abbey in Dumfries and Galloway, the romantic sounding 13th-century Sweetheart Abbey was named by Cistercian monks as Dulce Cor in memory of Lady Dervorguilla, who founded the abbey in tribute to her beloved husband, John Balliol. The abbey's solid ruins include the remarkably well preserved church—700 years old and still standing!
Founded in the 7th century and enlarged in the 10th, Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset was by the 14th century one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England. The Glastonbury area has for centuries been associated with the legend of King Arthur. Indeed, it's speculated that the abbey could be the burial place of the monarch, who headed the Knights of the Round Table.
Set in woodlands within the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, Mount Grace is the shell of a once great Carthusian priory. In fact, the site represents the best preserved and most accessible ruins among the nine houses of the Carthusian Order, which existed in England in the Middle Ages and which were known as charterhouses.
Located near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Roche Abbey was founded in 1147 and was home to 50 monks of the Order of Cistercians, and 100 lay brothers.
Enjoying a secluded location on scenic Holy Island off the wild Northumberland coast, the remains of Lindisfarne Priory, established 1,400 years ago, stand in tranquil silence. But it wasn't always so. In 793, a Viking raid on Holy island caused much consternation throughout the Christian west and is now often regarded as the beginning of the Viking Age.
Cleeve Abbey, set near the quaint village of Washford in Somerset, is one of the best-preserved medieval Cistercian monastic sites in Britain. Of note is the abbey's 13th-century heraldic tiled flooring.
The Impressive remains of Tintern Abbey are situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire. Founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks, it's been standing in roofless splendor for 500 years.
This ruined monastic site near Downpatrick in County Down is another superb example of Anglo-Norman Cistercian architecture. The surviving buildings are mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries.
Founded around 680 by King Merewalh of Mercia, Wenlock was later refounded in the late 11th century by the Normans. The monastery's impressive remains are found just outside the pretty town of Much Wemlock, in Shropshire.
Melrose Abbey is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire. Founded by David I in 1136, it was the first Cistercian monastery in Scotland. The abbey is known for its many carved decorative details, in fact some of the most fascinating sculpture found on any medieval church building.
The standout feature of Castle Acre Priory is the stunning west end church gable, which represents the Cluniac monk's love of intricate architecture. The priory, which dates back to 1089, is located in the village of Castle Acre in Norfolk.
The roofless medieval church of Muthill and its remarkably complete Romanesque tower lies at the heart of Muthill village in Perthshire. The church building, now just a shell, dates back to the late 1100s. But it is the tower that's of particular interest: it still stands to its full height and is roofed!
This once splendid Cistercian abbey was built in 1201 and was the last monastery of its kind to be constructed in Wales. Its solemn ruins are located in Llantysilio, in Denbighshire.
Founded in 1239, Netley is the most complete surviving abbey built by the Cistercian monks in southern England. It's found in the village of Netley near Southampton, on the south coast of Hampshire.
Surrounded by woodland, Dryburgh Abbey stands in tranquil seclusion on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. The abbey dates back to 1150 and served as a quiet retreat for monks of the Premonstratensian order. Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), author of 'Rob Roy' and 'Ivanhoe,' among other classic works, is buried in the abbey grounds.
Furness was once the second-wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country. It dates back to 1123, and surviving remnants today include much of the east end and west tower of the church, the ornately decorated chapter house, and the cloister buildings. It's located to the north of Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria.
The ruins of Bayham Old Abbey lie in open countryside near Lamberhurst, Kent. Built using golden local sandstone, Bayham functioned as an abbey until its dissolution in the 16th century.
Founded in 1178 by King William the Lion, Arbroath Abbey is the origin of the most famous document in Scottish history—the Declaration of Arbroath. Sent to the Pope in 1320, the letter is signed by Scottish nobles swearing their independence from England.
Scattered along the banks of the River Dewent at Kirkham in North Yorkshire are the evocative ruins of Kirkham Priory. The late 13th-century gatehouse (pictured) is a rare surviving example of English Gothic medieval architecture.
The ruins of St Mary's Abbey in York stand as significant survivors of medieval monastic architecture. St Mary's, founded in 1088, was once the richest abbey in the north of England.
In medieval times, the city of Reading in Berkshire was the site of a great royal abbey (a religious community centered round a magnificent church), one of the largest monasteries in Europe. The fractured ruins of that abbey, founded in 1121 by Henry I, stand today in brooding silence.
Resembling more so the gaunt ruin of an ancient castle than a graceful chapel, the remains of St Anthony's Chapel stand forlorn in Edinburgh's Holyrood Park, and are believed to date back no later than the early 15th century. It stands on a rocky outcrop high above St Margaret's Loch, commanding excellent views over north Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside.
Sources (Historic UK) (Britannica) (Live Science)
See also: These churches are the last of their kind in the world
Delve into the enchanting ruins of the UK's religious heritage
Explore abbeys, churches, and priories of old
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The centuries-old ruins of abbeys, churches, and priories always conjure up romantic images of a monastic and pious way of life. Throughout the United Kingdom, the remains of many of these religious buildings stand as a legacy of the Reformation, when Henry VIII disbanded numerous monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries in the 1530s. Today, these ecclesiastical wonders serve as evocative reminders of a distant past and rank among the most compelling of visitor attractions.
Click through this gallery and admire the ruins of some of the UK's greatest places of worship.