Places I went: Rufford Abbey

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 :)

Things I thought: Gym classes are good fun

I’ve been a gym member since I was 16, but only recently started going to classes.

According to a 2026 fitness report, just under one in five people in the UK (19%) are gym members, with 41% of those regularly attending classes. That puts me in a surprisingly exclusive club of just over five million people who book onto them.

This may explain why I now have to plan my workouts an entire week in advance!

Numbers aside, the main reason I’ve warmed to classes is the social side. For years, I worked out almost entirely on my own – and I still do – but I’ve reached a point where getting out of the house and feeling like I'm part of wider society is appealing.

I've found working out alongside others encourages chatting and is a great way to wake up my brain after a full day working from home (remote workers unite and take over).

I suspect this feeling is widespread given how we're all navigating the complexities of a post-Covid world. It's becoming easier than ever to drift into quiet isolation and dodge social interaction, which is rarely great for mental health. 

The dopamine hit from exercise matters, but so does feeling there’s something at the end of it - a social connection - beyond just slightly bigger muscles or achieving faster running times.

To cut a long story short, since signing up in November, I’ve settled into a rhythm of:

• Boxing introduction every Wednesday (very popular)
• Core and cardio every Thursday
• The occasional strength class

That’s two to three classes a week, alongside my usual 'Monday Runday' and a couple of dumbbell-heavy gym sessions.

I’ve also upgraded to a fancy gym called Condition and ditched the doldrums of PureGym. It costs more but I don't mind. The atmosphere is noticeably better – people don’t seem scared of accidentally looking at each other when they're replacing weights.

The only downside is occasionally bumping into personal trainers out in the wild, but thankfully they’re all great: friendly, social, and honestly just very normal.

So yeah. Would recommend getting into classes. I'm enjoying it a lot :)

– Mitch