Easby Abbey

Easby Abbey is such a great place to explore. There is only a small car park, so we usually walk from Richmond which is a lovely short stroll and it means we can leave the spaces for those who really need to park close by. The walk in is peaceful and adds to the experience, especially with the views along the way. The abbey itself is fascinating and much larger than you expect when you first see it. The ruins are really impressive, full of history and character, and there is plenty of space to wander around and take it all in. It is one of those places that feels calm and interesting at the same time, perfect for a gentle explore on a nice day. We would definitely recommend a visit here if you enjoy history and peaceful spots with a bit of magic about them.

Lovely walk in Richmond called the horse shoe walk. Starts at the old railway station now a cinema with cafes, micro brewery and a few shops worth a visit it it's own, plenty of parking. The walk is easy going, you cross the river and arrive at Easby Abbey, free to walk around there's a lovely cafe over looking the river, a few benches where you can sit and enjoy the views. The walk from the Abbey is a little more rugged and brings you to the main bridge going in to Richmond. Takes around an hour and a half.

On our way south we stopped by the Easby Abbey. And it was a surprisingly great place to visit. A lot bigger than it looked online. Parking is very limited on the carpark - park elsewhere or wait to get lucky. We waited...and got lucky after around 15-20mins. Easby is one of the best preserved monasteries of the Premonstratensian 'white canons'. Founded in 1152, Easby Abbey was suppressed in 1536 and within two years most of its buildings had been stripped and demolished. And the remains still stand here today. And there are lot of them to explore. The whole grounds are free to roam around with only few restrictions. And it's quite a large area. Dogs are welcome as well. We enjoyed our visit very much - and lots of signs giving interesting insights in the history of the Abbey. There was a good number of visitors, but didn't feel crowded, because of the grounds size. Many times we tried to imagine how big and impressive it must have been when it was still standing in all its glory. Because the ruins are already impressive. It must have been an amazing sight back then. A really enjoyable visit. And it's even free to enter. Surprisingly. For the carpark there's an honesty box, a donation is appreciated.

Well worth the trip or walk to this site - very impressive ruins, maybe not as extensive as Fountains, but still far larger than we expected given its lack of fame.

Absolutely amazing. What a step back in time. Such an interesting site. A large site, it must have been very busy in its day, very peaceful and very picturesque - most definitely worth a visit! Parking can be a bit of a challenge on a busy day but we manage to park on site see picture of for car park. There is an honesty box for car park £2 for all day and £1 for parking which is used to maintain the car park . It is an English Heritage, but it doesn't cost anything to get in. There is no shelter, no toilets or restaurants so good on a nice day! It is a four mile circular walk from Richmond so if you can leave your car there and walk you won’t regret it.