Selby Abbey — Attraction in Selby

Selby Abbey is one of England’s great monastic churches, built in what is now the heart of Selby town centre. Boasting over 950 years of history, the Abbey is renowned for its impressive architecture, incredible stained glass, and breath-taking beauty.

Filled with quirky features the Abbey is one of the only surviving churches with a ‘lepers’ squint’ and home to what is said to be the second finest stained-glass window in Britain (Jesse Window). There is plenty to do for adults and children alike, with a family trail and children’s table to keep the kids entertained.

Free to enter, the Abbey prides itself on being accessible. There is an in-depth accessibility guide available on the website and welcomers are always on hand to make sure your visit is enjoyable and provide you with any information you may need. Staff and volunteers aim to provide a warm welcome and love to meet your furry friends (please keep them on a lead when in the Abbey). Dogs are also welcome in our coffee and gift shop which serves locally sourced light refreshments, gifts, books, and souvenirs.

There are regular tours, led by expert Abbey tour guides, who would love to share the amazing heritage and history of the building and its community. Group tours, private tours and bespoke tours can be booked through the office and you can check the Abbey’s website for detailed information regarding tour dates, bookings, and specialty tours. We hope to welcome you soon!

Inspiring architecture; sacred space and a vibrant worshipping community make Selby Abbey the place it is today. Men, women and children have worshipped here and served the wider community for over 900 years. Selby is a small Yorkshire town, 12 miles South of York with one of the most superb Abbey churches to be found anywhere in England. The Abbey is not just a building it is a living and vibrant part of the local community yet provides space that allow the visitor and the worshipper alike to find peace, tranquillity and the very presence of God.

Throughout its long and turbulent history, the Abbey has undergone many changes and therefore never stands still. We look forward to welcoming you to this wonderful building and hope you will enjoy it for its history, its architecture and its space but above all for an...

Where to start and what an interesting and beautiful place . To start with Covid and isolation on my mind here you can see the lepers squint a small hole in the outside wall directed at the high altar providing a view one at a time for the poor souls suffering from leprosy . Higher up on the opposite wall you can see the Washington Window which is said to be the inspiration for the Stars and Stripes American flag . The oldest depiction of the Washington coat of arms in glass . There is also a very touching memorial to Flying Officer Cyril Joe Barton who was deservingly awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in an air raid on Nuremberg . This interesting Abbey has a very colourful and fascinating history well woth a visit . There is an amazing Reredos , Hughs Pillar beautiful architecture and friendly staff . Founded by Benedict of Auxerre in 1069 and grade 1 listed this one...

My husband and I were on our boat passing through Selby and visited the Abbey on Thursday 1st May. What a beautiful building, the architecture, carved wooden displays, stonemason work and furniture and the stain glass including the new window are all amazing. The quality of the workmanship is just amazing. We spent over an hour just looking around but what made it really special was Ruth the tour guide, she brought everything to life, gave us background information that we would not have known, explained lots of different things, her knowledge, delivery and story telling made it so much more interesting than if we had just walked around on our own. So thank you Ruth for an interesting and historical insight into the Abbey's history. We are originally from Newcastle and got a very warm welcome from Selby in general what a lovely place to visit, 5...