A new idea for the blog I’ve been toying with over recent weeks is writing about random places I visit, so that’s where we’re heading with this first one – Rufford Abbey.
Rufford Abbey is a historic site situated a little north of Nottingham, which is where I moved away from a couple of years ago. These days it’s essentially a glorified country park with the remains of a once great estate largely sitting in ruins. The grounds aren't what they once were but remain lively, with little shops, gardens, and even an adventure golf area for families to enjoy.
During my visit, I learned it came into being as a refuge for Cistercian monks. Since though it's suffered centuries of weather and decay, destroying much of the original structure. Still standing is a Jacobean house and the ruins of one impressive wing (I forget which). There was a handy diagram showing that the abbey was once five or six times larger, complete with a charming courtyard at its centre – it was a place to live, work and farm for the Cistercians who believed in self-sufficiency.
Subsequent research informs me that the remains of the west cloister is among the best preserved of any Cistercian abbey in the UK(!). This includes a rather dank underground area filled with ornamental carvings and modern displays, which I admit was pretty cool.
Another history lesson informs that the area fell into disrepair around 1530 when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries after breaking with the Church of Rome. The estate passed into the hands of the Savile family in the 1600s, giving ir a new lease of life as they developed it throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. One addition they brought was a corn mill situated at the far end, just past the lake, which had a lovely bridge called a folly (an architectural term for a decorative building used to improve the landscape).
The estate later became costly to maintain and was eventually sold serving as a base for troops during the Second World War (as well as housing Italian prisoners of war). It then came under the ownership of Nottinghamshire County Council who've been maintaining the site for the best part of 75 years — although they did demolish the north and east wings which they deemed beyond repair (sad).
All in all, it was a thoroughly successful trip from Leeds and we were back home in just over an hour. My girlfriend didn’t even mind that, while driving into the car park, I randomly realised I’d already visited two years ago :)


