Yorkshire Heritage

Yorkshire Wildlife

Byland Abbey

Although a slightly smaller site than either Rievaulx Abbey or Mount Grace Priory, Byland Abbey also has its share of voles and shrews living on the site.

However, it is perhaps the grassland that surrounds the perimeter of the site that provides the most biodiversity - over 95 species of plant and grass have been recorded within the grounds, with the longer grass providing cover for mice and other small mammals, as well as a myriad of butterflies and moths that can be seen there during the summer months.

The moths in particular provide a nourishing food source for colonies of bats living in the area, including some living in the loftspace of the adjacent Abbey Inn. As a maternity roost, during the summer months, the male bats are likely to move into the walls and crevices of the ruins themselves.