England 2023- Roche Abbey

One of the things about being in a country with tangible ancient history is that you’re never far from that history. Our airbnb was 6 miles east of the ruins of the haunting Roche Abbey. Built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks who heralded from Northumberland, the abbey is tucked just off of the main road. You get a tantalizing glimpse of it as you round a corner with a low stone wall, a tease of what you’ll find if you leave that main road in search of the medieval pathway.  It took 25 years to complete the stone church and surrounding buildings but only one stroke of the pen from King Henry VIII almost 400 years later to damn it to the ruin we see today. When Daniel and I visit ruined abbeys and great houses I always try to imagine what they looked like in their prime without their toppled towers and empty windows.

Reconstruction of Roche Abbey at its heyday in 1220. Illustration by Peter Urmston

This particular day started with no destination in mind. My husband is pretty familiar with the area from his previous cycling days when he would set out from his home in Sheffield to the sanctuary of the surrounding countryside. One of his favorite cycling destinations is the very rural Netherthorpe Airfield, a private airfield run by the Sheffield Aero Club. Lucky for us we happened upon the airfield just as a plane was landing. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with light blue sky and low fluffy clouds, the birds were chirping happily and made for the best soundtrack to this idyllic moment. We remained pulled over on the side of the road for a moment just to take in this little slice of heaven before we decided on a whim to seek out the ruins that had charmed us from the road. 

When you turn off the A634 there are a few houses and farms dotted along the country lane, one of these came up for sale earlier this year and let me tell you if I had had the funds I would have purchased it sight unseen. I wonder if the people that live on the road that runs parallel to Roche Abbey know how lucky they are?

When you walk up to the property you are first met with the ruins of the gatehouse. This gatehouse dates from the mid 14th century replacing an earlier one. Lucky for us much of the medieval roadway survives so you find yourself walking the path the founding monks would have tread themselves. This path leads to the banqueting lodge built in the 1770s when the property was being revived by landscape architect Lancelot “Capability” Brown (commissioned by the 4th Earl of Scarborough, owner of the ruins at that time). Capability Brown was known for a sterile kind of landscaping that completely erased the formal gardens of old and left his clients with never ending grass, a few ponds, and a smattering of clumps of trees. My favorite quote from a contemporary is: “so many puddings turned out of one common mould”. A rather poetic way of saying he was a one trick pony and everyone got a cookie cutter garden. 

The 18the century banqueting lodge that is now the visitors center

Inside the gatehouse

At first glance you think to yourself that Capability Brown didn’t do such a bad job and then you research and find out that he desecrated the southern buildings by covering them and manufacturing a lake over top. He went even further and leveled the irregular walls to create an unbroken view of grass from the newly built banqueting lodge. So you decide there and then that the man deserved his fate of dying from a fall, which isn’t very kind but damn it he buried history so could put in a pool.

At second glance you learn that the current view is actually courtesy of later Earls of Scarborough who about 100 years after the folly of their predecessor decided they needed to restore the ruins to the Pre-Brown era. We have them to thank for the rediscovering of many of the buildings and the study of the property as a whole. This process took more than 80  years but Roche Abbey finally had it medieval identity back. To my knowledge the only thing that remains of Brown’s modifications is the waterfall that cascades from Laughton Pond. Which I must say is beautiful, so I’m glad they left it even if it wasn’t there during the time of the monks. 

The most impressive part of the ruins are what remains of the transepts, the walls of which are the only thing that are their original height. They absolutely dwarf you and help you get a sense of the scale of what the entire property would have been like. One of the interesting things I found out while researching is the cistercians take a vow of poverty and live simply with no ornamentation. This means the empty window panes were not filled with colorful stained glass but plain glass called grisaille. While they don’t take a vow of silence they believe in “watching over one’s tongue” cultivating solitude and silence allowing them to fully take in the sounds of the babbling canals, the birdsong and the rain on the roof on a wet day. The grounds of Roche Abbey are the absolute perfect place for a Cistercian monk to lose himself in his devotion. 

Daniel and I both felt an immense sense of peace wandering the grounds of the abbey. It invites you to stay. Lucky for us there were only a few other visitors, and eventually they disappeared and we had it to ourselves. This day at Roche Abbey was my absolute favorite and wins out over my previous favorite days at Kenilworth Castle (read HERE) and Louth (read HERE).

In writing this, I’ve realized how much weather can play a part in how charming a place can be. In all of the previously mentioned favorite days in England the one thing they have in common were beautiful sunny days with blue skies interrupted by low hanging white cotton candy clouds. But I would imagine that Roche Abbey would illicit the same kind of peace even on a rainy day. The monks were gifted the land and they made great use of the space they were given, creating a sanctuary for both themselves and the people who would seek spiritual fraternity.

While wandering the grounds we were both drawn to the canals that bisect the property. These channels were fully uncovered and restored in the 1930’s and help us understand the system the monks would have used to power their mill but also would have provided them with drinking water. The sound of the slow flowing water is one of the elements that brought so much peace- to me wherever there is water flowing there is magic and tranquility. I found myself walking along one of these channels following a fish which was trying to swim against the current. I have no idea what kind of fish it was but I was so mesmerized I wasn’t paying attention to my footing and I nearly fell into the canal. It was at this moment I knew I needed to take my eyes off of my phone and just take in the beauty of the ruins. 

We stayed for almost 2 hours soaking in the beauty before it was time for us to head back to our Airbnb. Lucky for us Roche Abbey is only a 15 minute drive from my in-laws house. And as of this writing we have booked an airbnb that is half a mile from the ruins, with a direct path to the Abbey. I predict many more peaceful afternoons exploring the ruins. Next time I think a picnic is in order!