Following our trip to the National Centre for Birds of Prey, we drove a little further to Ampleforth Abbey, a church and monastery to the south of Helmsley. Unlike many monasteries in the area, this one was built in the 19th Century and so was long after Henry VIII disbanded them. It’s currently home to around 40 monks.
The church is open every day, with regular services that are open to the public. There’s also a new visitor centre, which opened last year, giving the history of the site and offering some activities for children. There is, of course, a tea room.
Ampleforth Abbey Cider
Nowadays, Ampleforth Abbey is probably best known for its cider. The monks have been growing apples on site since the monastery was founded, and now has the largest commercial orchard in the north of England. The cider is produced on site, and is one of my favourites – the visitor centre includes a shop which sells it by the bottle. Alas, whilst tours of the cider mill and orchard used to be on offer, they’re not available at present.
If you’re not the cider-drinking type, non-alcoholic apple juice is also available, as is a beer that’s brewed over our neck of the woods by the Little Valley Brewery, near Hebden Bridge.
Whilst I wouldn’t make a special journey to Ampleforth Abbey, it’s worth stopping off if you’re passing.
I can think of few day trips netter than an Abbey and Cider.