The ruins of the great Cistercian Fountains Abbey are the largest monastic ruins in the United Kingdom. The monastery stood for some four centuries and can be atmospheric – but also crowded. Highlights include the east window in the Chapel of the Nine Altars, the enormous nave of the abbey church and the cellarium. Fountains Abbey and the adjoining Studley Royal water garden and park, including the Victorian Gothic church of St Mary’s, are all part of a World Heritage Site.
The ancient settlement at Earls Barton is particularly notable for its parish church, All Saints’. It is one of several Northamptonshire churches with Saxon roots and is particularly renowned for its unique tower, which dates from the 10th century. This has been described as “the finest existing specimen of pre-Conquest work and the most noteworthy architectural monument of its period in England”.
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The evocative ruins of Clun Castle are set in magnificent countryside on the edge of the tiny town of Clun, whilst kites soar overhead. It is a dominating position on natural high ground in a loop in the river, built to help dominate the border between Wales and England.
Glastonbury Tor is a magical place, with links to Celtic mythology and the legend of King Arthur. Some say this almost perfect cconical hill, rising from the Somerset levels, is the Isle of Avalon. Now topped with the roofless tower of 14th century St Michael’s church, there is evidence of other structures on the site
The magnificent Hereford Cathedral was founded in the year 696, although its current buildings date from the 11th and 12th centuries. It is possibly most famous for its chained library and the Mappa Mundi, a graphical representation of the medieval world, made in the early 14th century.
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Ashby St Ledgers is a small, attractive, village between Daventry and Rugby. The largely Jacobean manor, remnodelled in the 20th century, was owned by the Catesby family from 1365 to 1611 and the gatehouse is famous for being the place where the Gunpowder Plot was planned. Neither gatehouse nor manor is open to the general public, but the manor is available for private hire. Also in the village is a wonderful medieval church, dedicated to St Leodegarius, a pub (the Olde Coach House) and a series of attractive thatched estate workers’ cottages designed by Lutyens.
Pendragon Castle is a beguiling place, in a remote location by a small road, surrounded by places with names out of a fantasy novel. Despite being a ruin, it has an atmosphere all of its own. According to legend, it was the fortress of Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur, who battled the Saxons here in the mists of the Dark ages. Sadly, that is unlikely to be true – the current ruins date from the 12th century, long after Arthur is said to have lived – but they do have their own stories to tell.
The site of the Battle of Towton lies a little to the south of Tadcaster, along the B1217, where a battlefield cross is located. The battle was fought on 29 March 1461, Palm Sunday, and is reputedly the longest, biggest and bloodiest battle ever on British soil.
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Strata Florida Abbey, founded as a Cistercian order on the banks of the river Teifi in 1201, is the burial place for generations of Welsh princes. Although ruined, it is a focal point for Welsh culture and heritage.
Beverley Minster is a stunning medieval Gothic church, one of the largest parish churches in England and larger than many cathedrals. It is known for its associaions with Bishop John of York and Athelstan, first King of England.
Bibury in the Cotswolds has been described as “the most beautiful village in England.” It is a particular favourite of Instagrammers, who love Arlington Row. But there’s more to it than that.
Historic Christchurch Greyfriars, destroyed in the Great Fire and again by German bombs, is now a tranquil, haunted, garden.
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