Rievaulx Abbey
One of the most complete and beautiful Cistercian abbeys in England, in a wooded valley near Helmsley.
Parish church with a complete cycle of 15th-century wall paintings, whitewashed over and rediscovered in 1852.

The paintings at Pickering cover both walls of the nave and are the most complete medieval scheme in the north of England: St George and the dragon, the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, St Christopher, the seven corporal acts of mercy and a vivid Passion sequence. Painted around 1450, hidden at the Reformation, found in 1852 and covered again by a horrified vicar before final restoration in the 1880s. Free and a five-minute walk from the station.
Occasional emails on seasonal highlights, events and new walks. No spam, unsubscribe any time.