Rievaulx Abbey
Rievaulx was the first Cistercian Abbey to be founded in the north of England and was intended to be a base from which the Order could further expand. In 1132 a colony of monks arrived in Yorkshire from France and began work on the Abbey. By 1136 the Abbey was so established that they were ready to found their first daughter-houses. At its peak in the thirteenth century Rievaulx had 19 daughter houses and was famous for its wool production. However, the Abbey was hard hit by war, famine and plague and by the time of the Dissolution the community had only 23 members.

Jervaulx Abbey
A community relocating from an inhospitable house at Fors in Wensleydale founded Jervaulx in 1156. Over the years, the Abbey became famous for its skilled horse breeding, which was considered a major loss when Jervaulx was suppressed by the Dissolution in the sixteenth century. Another skill that was not lost is cheese making - the monks of Jervaulx are credited with introducing cheese making into Wensleydale.