These ghostly pictures show monks returning to the derelict ruins of an abbey 500 years after it was pulled down by Henry VIII.
The men can be seen walking around the grounds of Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, which was once one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England - before it was destroyed on the orders of the king and Thomas Cromwell in 1538.
The crumbling ruins - which were visited by Father Joseph and Brother Bernard - stand out as they sit against the leafy background of the North York Moors.
The Cistercian monks read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they wondered around the shell of the ancient building.
And now many previously unseen artefacts from the abbey have gone on display in a new museum, including a half-tonne lead bar stamped with Henry's emblem – all that remains of the abbey's roofs and windows.
Return to Rievaulx: Eerie pictures show monks visiting the ruins of vast Yorkshire abbey - 500 years after it was wrecked by Henry VIII
Spooky photos show two monks returning to the derelict ruins of Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley, North Yorkshire
The monastery was once one of the most spiritually significant in country - but was destroyed in 1538 by Henry VIII
Now artefacts have gone on display in a new English Heritage museum, including gold coins and chess pieces
By Gaby Bissett For Mailonline
1 June 2016
These ghostly pictures show monks returning to the derelict ruins of an abbey 500 years after it was pulled down by Henry VIII.
The men can be seen walking around the grounds of Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, which was once one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England - before it was destroyed on the orders of the king and Thomas Cromwell in 1538.
The crumbling ruins - which were visited by Father Joseph and Brother Bernard - stand out as they sit against the leafy background of the North York Moors.
The two men stand in the middle of the ancient abbey with a prayer book while the vast building looms over them
This abbey was one of more than 800 monasteries closed by Henry VIII but the ruins later became a centre for the Picturesque art movement in the 18th century
The Cistercian monks read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they wondered around the shell of the ancient building.
And now many previously unseen artefacts from the abbey have gone on display in a new museum, including a half-tonne lead bar stamped with Henry's emblem – all that remains of the abbey's roofs and windows.
The exhibition also includes the imposing screen from the church which has been reassembled for the first time and serves as the centrepiece to the new English Heritage museum.
Other interesting exhibits include medieval stone carvings, chess pieces and gold coins which tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of the first Cistercian abbey in the north of England.
Dr Michael Carter, senior properties historian for English Heritage, said: 'Rievaulx Abbey is one of the most important abbeys in England - and the setting one of the most beautiful.
'It was a place of huge spiritual significance for the country - two of its abbots were venerated as saints - and one utterly transformed by dramatic upheavals under Henry VIII.
'Our new museum now does justice to the abbey's whole story, showcasing its most important artefacts, many of which have never been seen before.'
The new museum - which is part of a £1.8 million investment in the abbey by English Heritage - tells the story of how Rievaulx was founded in 1132 and grew to become one of the most powerful and spiritually renowned centres of monasticism in Britain.
At its peak in the 1160s, the abbey was home to a community of more than 600 men.
Many of the ruined buildings that are visible today and which are visited by thousands of people every year were constructed by Aelred, abbot from 1147 to 1167, who became the most prominent religious figure of his day in England.
This abbey was one of more than 800 monasteries closed by Henry VIII but the ruins later became a centre for the Picturesque art movement in the 18th century.
Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, was one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England in the 16th century
Father Joseph and Brother Bernard John (right) visited the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire, which was destroyed by Henry VIII
These eerie photographs show the pair of Cistercian monks wondering around the historic ruins, which are set against the background of the North York Moors
Cistercian monks Father Joseph and Brother Bernard John (right) read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they visit the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire
Historians believe the site is important in understanding the Cistercian reform - when monks of the order sought a simpler life
Historians believe the site is important in understanding the Cistercian reform - when monks of the order sought a simpler life.
Following the decision to close the abbey in 1538, by Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, the abbey was sold to Thomas Manners, the Earl of Rutland.
It was slowly decommissioned, with the windows and roof torn down and the lead melted down. The site was left as ruins until its eventual retoration in the 1900s.
Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire (located on map), was a key abbey in England before it was decommissioned in 1538
Cistercian Monks Father Joseph and Brother Bernard John (not in picture) read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they visit the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire
Following the ruling by the Tudor king and Thomas Cromwell the abbey was sold to Thomas Manners, the Earl of Rutland, at which point the windows and roof were torn down and the site developed into an ironworks
Among the artefacts are a lead fother - a half-tonne bar stamped with Henry VIII's emblem - which was made from lead from the abbey's roof (pictured)
Included in the artefacts are jet and bone chess pieces, dating from the 11th to 12th centuries, which have gone on display for the first time in nearly 500 years in a new museum
Among the artefacts recovered from Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley in North Yorkshire are gold coins (pictured) which tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of the first Cistercian abbey in the north of England
The new museum, from English Heritage (pictured), will showcase some of the artefacts from the site, which historians have hailed as one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England
HENRY VIII – THE DOMINEERING ‘MONSTER OF A MONARCH’ WHO BROKE WITH ROME AND CHANGED THE COURSE OF ENGLAND'S CULTURAL HISTORY
Henry VIII (pictured) famously married a series of six wives
Henry VIII was a domineering king who broke with Rome and changed the course of England's cultural history.
He ruled England for 36 years (1509-1547) and famously married a series of six wives in his search for political alliance and a healthy male heir.
His desire to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, without the approval of the pope led to him creating the Church of England.
Out of all of his marriages, two ended in annulment, two in natural deaths and two were beheaded for adultery and treason.
His predecessors had tried and failed to conquer France, and even Henry himself mounted two expensive, yet unsuccessful attempts.
He was known to self-medicate, even going as far as making his own medicines.
A record on a prescription for ulcer treatment in the British Museum reads: 'An Oyntment devised by the kinges Majesty made at Westminster, and devised at Grenwich to take away inflammations and to cease payne and heale ulcers called gray plaster'.
The king was also a musician and composer, owning 78 flutes, 78 recorders, five bagpipes, and has since had his songs covered by Jethro Tull.
He possessed the largest tapestry collection ever documented, and 6,500 pistols.
While most portraits show him as a slight man, he was actually very large, with one observer calling him 'an absolute monster'.
He died in 1547 - on his 56th birthday - while heavily in debt, after having such a lavish lifestyle that he spent far, far more than taxes would earn him.
His nine-year-old son, Edward VI, succeeded him as king but died six years later.
Mary I - his daughter - then took the throne and spent her five-year reign steering England back towards Catholicism
His other daughter Elizabeth I was Mary's successor, and re-instated her father’s religious reforms.
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES - AND WHY HENRY VIII DID IT
The dissolution of the monasteries was one of the key features of Henry VIII's reign.
Henry broke with the Catholic Church in Rome after his wish to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon - who had failed to give him a male heir - was refused by the pope.
It was then that he set up the Church of England and began to take over monasteries, as they were seen as a cornerstone of Catholicism.
Between 1536 and 1540, Henry took charge of more than 800 monasteries, abbeys, nunneries and friaries. By destroying the monastic system, Henry took in all its wealth and property whilst removing its Papist influence.
Many monasteries were sold off to landowners, others were taken over and became churches and some were left for ruin.
A few monks who resisted were also executed - but those who surrendered were paid or pensioned off.
Some of the funds gained from the closures financed new institutions, including Trinity College in Cambridge and Christ Church in Oxford.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RIEVAULX
Historians believe Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, is key in understanding the Cistercian reform - when monks of the order sought a simpler life.
Following the decision to close the abbey in 1538, by Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, the abbey was sold to Thomas Manners, the Earl of Rutland.
It was slowly decommissioned, with the windows and roof torn down and the lead melted down. The site before being left as ruins until its eventual restoration in the 1900s.
Read more: Return to Rievaulx: Eerie pictures show monks visiting the ruins of vast Yorkshire abbey - 500 years after it was wrecked by Henry VIII | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
The men can be seen walking around the grounds of Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, which was once one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England - before it was destroyed on the orders of the king and Thomas Cromwell in 1538.
The crumbling ruins - which were visited by Father Joseph and Brother Bernard - stand out as they sit against the leafy background of the North York Moors.
The Cistercian monks read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they wondered around the shell of the ancient building.
And now many previously unseen artefacts from the abbey have gone on display in a new museum, including a half-tonne lead bar stamped with Henry's emblem – all that remains of the abbey's roofs and windows.
Return to Rievaulx: Eerie pictures show monks visiting the ruins of vast Yorkshire abbey - 500 years after it was wrecked by Henry VIII
Spooky photos show two monks returning to the derelict ruins of Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley, North Yorkshire
The monastery was once one of the most spiritually significant in country - but was destroyed in 1538 by Henry VIII
Now artefacts have gone on display in a new English Heritage museum, including gold coins and chess pieces
By Gaby Bissett For Mailonline
1 June 2016
These ghostly pictures show monks returning to the derelict ruins of an abbey 500 years after it was pulled down by Henry VIII.
The men can be seen walking around the grounds of Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, which was once one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England - before it was destroyed on the orders of the king and Thomas Cromwell in 1538.
The crumbling ruins - which were visited by Father Joseph and Brother Bernard - stand out as they sit against the leafy background of the North York Moors.
The two men stand in the middle of the ancient abbey with a prayer book while the vast building looms over them
This abbey was one of more than 800 monasteries closed by Henry VIII but the ruins later became a centre for the Picturesque art movement in the 18th century
The Cistercian monks read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they wondered around the shell of the ancient building.
And now many previously unseen artefacts from the abbey have gone on display in a new museum, including a half-tonne lead bar stamped with Henry's emblem – all that remains of the abbey's roofs and windows.
The exhibition also includes the imposing screen from the church which has been reassembled for the first time and serves as the centrepiece to the new English Heritage museum.
Other interesting exhibits include medieval stone carvings, chess pieces and gold coins which tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of the first Cistercian abbey in the north of England.
Dr Michael Carter, senior properties historian for English Heritage, said: 'Rievaulx Abbey is one of the most important abbeys in England - and the setting one of the most beautiful.
'It was a place of huge spiritual significance for the country - two of its abbots were venerated as saints - and one utterly transformed by dramatic upheavals under Henry VIII.
'Our new museum now does justice to the abbey's whole story, showcasing its most important artefacts, many of which have never been seen before.'
The new museum - which is part of a £1.8 million investment in the abbey by English Heritage - tells the story of how Rievaulx was founded in 1132 and grew to become one of the most powerful and spiritually renowned centres of monasticism in Britain.
At its peak in the 1160s, the abbey was home to a community of more than 600 men.
Many of the ruined buildings that are visible today and which are visited by thousands of people every year were constructed by Aelred, abbot from 1147 to 1167, who became the most prominent religious figure of his day in England.
This abbey was one of more than 800 monasteries closed by Henry VIII but the ruins later became a centre for the Picturesque art movement in the 18th century.
Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, was one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England in the 16th century
Father Joseph and Brother Bernard John (right) visited the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire, which was destroyed by Henry VIII
These eerie photographs show the pair of Cistercian monks wondering around the historic ruins, which are set against the background of the North York Moors
Cistercian monks Father Joseph and Brother Bernard John (right) read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they visit the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire
Historians believe the site is important in understanding the Cistercian reform - when monks of the order sought a simpler life
Historians believe the site is important in understanding the Cistercian reform - when monks of the order sought a simpler life.
Following the decision to close the abbey in 1538, by Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, the abbey was sold to Thomas Manners, the Earl of Rutland.
It was slowly decommissioned, with the windows and roof torn down and the lead melted down. The site was left as ruins until its eventual retoration in the 1900s.
Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire (located on map), was a key abbey in England before it was decommissioned in 1538
Cistercian Monks Father Joseph and Brother Bernard John (not in picture) read from a 500-year-old prayer book as they visit the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire
Following the ruling by the Tudor king and Thomas Cromwell the abbey was sold to Thomas Manners, the Earl of Rutland, at which point the windows and roof were torn down and the site developed into an ironworks
Among the artefacts are a lead fother - a half-tonne bar stamped with Henry VIII's emblem - which was made from lead from the abbey's roof (pictured)
Included in the artefacts are jet and bone chess pieces, dating from the 11th to 12th centuries, which have gone on display for the first time in nearly 500 years in a new museum
Among the artefacts recovered from Rievaulx Abbey near Helmsley in North Yorkshire are gold coins (pictured) which tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of the first Cistercian abbey in the north of England
The new museum, from English Heritage (pictured), will showcase some of the artefacts from the site, which historians have hailed as one of the richest and most spiritually significant abbeys in England
HENRY VIII – THE DOMINEERING ‘MONSTER OF A MONARCH’ WHO BROKE WITH ROME AND CHANGED THE COURSE OF ENGLAND'S CULTURAL HISTORY
Henry VIII (pictured) famously married a series of six wives
Henry VIII was a domineering king who broke with Rome and changed the course of England's cultural history.
He ruled England for 36 years (1509-1547) and famously married a series of six wives in his search for political alliance and a healthy male heir.
His desire to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, without the approval of the pope led to him creating the Church of England.
Out of all of his marriages, two ended in annulment, two in natural deaths and two were beheaded for adultery and treason.
His predecessors had tried and failed to conquer France, and even Henry himself mounted two expensive, yet unsuccessful attempts.
He was known to self-medicate, even going as far as making his own medicines.
A record on a prescription for ulcer treatment in the British Museum reads: 'An Oyntment devised by the kinges Majesty made at Westminster, and devised at Grenwich to take away inflammations and to cease payne and heale ulcers called gray plaster'.
The king was also a musician and composer, owning 78 flutes, 78 recorders, five bagpipes, and has since had his songs covered by Jethro Tull.
He possessed the largest tapestry collection ever documented, and 6,500 pistols.
While most portraits show him as a slight man, he was actually very large, with one observer calling him 'an absolute monster'.
He died in 1547 - on his 56th birthday - while heavily in debt, after having such a lavish lifestyle that he spent far, far more than taxes would earn him.
His nine-year-old son, Edward VI, succeeded him as king but died six years later.
Mary I - his daughter - then took the throne and spent her five-year reign steering England back towards Catholicism
His other daughter Elizabeth I was Mary's successor, and re-instated her father’s religious reforms.
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES - AND WHY HENRY VIII DID IT
The dissolution of the monasteries was one of the key features of Henry VIII's reign.
Henry broke with the Catholic Church in Rome after his wish to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon - who had failed to give him a male heir - was refused by the pope.
It was then that he set up the Church of England and began to take over monasteries, as they were seen as a cornerstone of Catholicism.
Between 1536 and 1540, Henry took charge of more than 800 monasteries, abbeys, nunneries and friaries. By destroying the monastic system, Henry took in all its wealth and property whilst removing its Papist influence.
Many monasteries were sold off to landowners, others were taken over and became churches and some were left for ruin.
A few monks who resisted were also executed - but those who surrendered were paid or pensioned off.
Some of the funds gained from the closures financed new institutions, including Trinity College in Cambridge and Christ Church in Oxford.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RIEVAULX
Historians believe Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, is key in understanding the Cistercian reform - when monks of the order sought a simpler life.
Following the decision to close the abbey in 1538, by Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell, the abbey was sold to Thomas Manners, the Earl of Rutland.
It was slowly decommissioned, with the windows and roof torn down and the lead melted down. The site before being left as ruins until its eventual restoration in the 1900s.
Read more: Return to Rievaulx: Eerie pictures show monks visiting the ruins of vast Yorkshire abbey - 500 years after it was wrecked by Henry VIII | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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