Beautifully set in a valley landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th Century, Roche Abbey has one of the most complete ground plans of any English Cistercian monastery, laid out as excavated foundations.
Founded in the 12th century as a monastery of the Cistercian order, Roche Abbey was once home to 50 monks and 100 lay brothers. Unlike other Cistercian monasteries in Yorkshire, such as Rievaulx or Byland Abbey, Roche was modest in size which was more typical of the order.
Despite the monastery being supressed in 1538, and most of the buildings dismantled, the soaring early Gothic transepts of this Cistercian monastery still survive to their original height and are ranked in importance with the finest early Gothic architecture in Britain. The ruins are now also the centrepiece of a beautifully designed landscape.
To complete your fun family day out in South Yorkshire why not visit close by Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, or Conisbrough Castle.
How to get here
Nearest train station: Rotherham Central
Distance from station: 11.9 miles
Directions from station: X1 Steel Link bus
Contact
Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S66 8NW
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 01709 812739
Opening times
1 April- 30 September: 10am- 5pm
Disabled access
Yes