Description of the attraction
Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in Kirkstall, northwest of downtown Leeds in Yorkshire, UK.
The monastery was founded in 1152 and, like many monasteries, closed in 1539 by order of King Henry VII during the Reformation. Now the monastery is located in a public park on the northern bank of the Eyre River. The picturesque ruins attracted the attention of many artists, in particular, they can be seen on the canvases of Turner, Kotman and Gertin.
Despite the fact that almost 500 years have passed since the closure of the monastery, the remains of its buildings are still proudly ascending into the sky, attracting the attention of numerous visitors, because nowhere else will you find buildings that would so vividly and clearly demonstrate the way of monastic life in this period of history. The first monasteries of the Cistercian order appeared in 1120, and by 1152 their number reached 330. All of them were built according to a single plan - this can be seen from the ruins in Fountains, Rivolx, Tintern, Netley and, especially in Kirkstall, where the abbey is best preserved. The monastery church is of the so-called Cistercian type, with a small square altar ledge and two transepts, each of which is adjoined on the east side by three chapels. The building is austere, the windows are unadorned. Various buildings of the abbey are well preserved - the dormitory, the refectory, the storerooms. There were fish ponds between the abbey and the river, and there was a monastery mill to the northwest.
On November 22, 1539, the abbey was dissolved by decree of Henry VIII, and the territory passed into private hands. Buildings collapsed, stones were used to build houses and other purposes, and they were used to make the steps in front of the Leeds Bridge. In 1889, Colonel North, who bought the abbey, donated it to Leeds City Council. After restoration work, the ruins were opened to the public. Now the entrance to the monastery is free, but it is advisable to make a donation. Every year the Lida Shakespeare Festival is held here, festivals and open-air concerts are held. The gate tower houses the abbey museum.
