Squirrel Man, York, England
This morning, we departed our York lodgings after breakfast and walked to the city via the Museum Gardens where we encountered a man who had made friends of local squirrels.
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Ripon Cathedral, Yorkshire, England
This morning, our tour group departed lodgings in York and drive north towards Fountains Abbey, our intended main visit of the day. However, en-route we came across Ripon Cathedral and with time to spare in the itinerary we stopped at Ripon to provide time for a brief visit of the town and Cathedral. However, being Sunday morning a service was imminent and hence our visit restricted. Nevertheless, we had time to get an apprecation for this historic place of worship which comprises an amalgam of architecture styles starting with 7th century Saxon and incorporating Early English, Norman, Gothic and Perpendicular.
Next we drove on to our main target of Fountains Abbey and the adjacent Studley Royal Water Garden.
The Abbey was incepted in the early 1130s and by 1135 was firmly established within the Cistercian order. The Cistercians were well organised. The Abbey prospered and grew reach a peak of prosperity during the 13th century followed by a reversal in the 14th century and renewed prosperity in the early 16th century. However, the end came in 1539 with Henry VIII’s dissolution. Now a romantic ruin in a superb setting.
The principal constituent parts of the Abbey include: Nave, Crossing, Presbytery, Chapel of Nine Alters, Huby’s Tower, Cloister, Chapter House, Infirmary, Abbot’s House, Muniment Room, Warming Room, Refectory, West Range, Guesthouses and Outer Court.
Melrose Abbey, Borders Region, Scotland
This evening, my focus is on one of the great abbeys of the Scottish Borders, namely Melrose.
The origin of the name Melrose is of interest. The earliest recorded spelling is ‘Calkou’ and may mean ‘lime hill’.
There has been a religious community in the Melrose area for about 1400 years with the first such dating back to 650AD when a monastery was founded by St Aiden of Lindisfarne and populated by monks from Iona.
The deeply religious King David I of Scotland founded a new abbey at Melrose in 1136 AD This was built in the Gothic style and located about two miles away from the original monastery. The first abbot and contingent of monks were of the Cistercian order and came from Rievaulx in Yorkshire, England. Complement of monks eventually rose to 100.
Like nearby Jedburgh Abbey, Melrose’s location proved its downfall as it was in the direct route of invading armies from England who cause considerable damage in 1322, 1385 and 1544. Final denouement was the Reformation in 1560.
Also like Jedburgh, part of the ruins were used to house the local Parish Church, which lasted from 1610 to 1810.
Melrose Abbey has connection two famous Scots, viz:
- Romantic novelist, Sir Walter Scott who greatly admired the building and included a reference to it in his poem the Lady of the Lay Minstrel.
- King Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), whose heart is buried in the grounds.
This site is a ‘must’ for visitors exploring the Scottish Borders. Melrose is a very pleasant town close to the River Tweed which in turn is famous for salmon fishing.It is possible to climb up one of the Abbey towers and benefit from stunning views of Melrose and beyond. Read more on Visit Melrose Abbey, Visit Scottish Borders…
