Kirkstall Abbey

An impressive ruin of a cistrercian monastary that was made defunct during the dissolution of the monastaries by Henry VIII.

The monastary was founded in 1152, and considering the locale, it is nice to see very little of the Abbey had been "repurposed" to build other local building, as can be evidenced in other parts of the country. what remains is a fairly intact shell of the main ecclesiastical areas of the abbey, with only the main living & working quarters being in complete ruin. the library and chapterhouse are still there, and you can get a real feel for how much room the monks didn't have in their day to day lives in their devotion.

Looking at the map of the area, it is easy to see why the monastary was situated here, and the neccesities of the past make a fantastic backdrop to visiting the place today. there is a wonderful amount of open space, and the river runs close-by. parking is very close (on the other side of the road) there is a visitor centre and a museum nearby too (with toilet facilities!)

under current COVID restrictions, there is a sensible 1-way system in place around the main building area, but there is plenty of space and things to do if you visit during a busy time. there are several information boards placed in key areas to explain the different areas of the abbey to help give you a better feel for how the building was used