Rievaulx Abbey: The unseen treasures from the first Cistercian abbey in the north of England

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

Unseen artefacts from one of the most important monastic remains in Europe have gone on display in a new museum at Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire. Here are 15 of them

Stone heads

These faces once adorned capitals and columns within the abbey church and buildings. The abbey was one of the monastic sites ransacked during the English Reformation, leaving the now spectacular ruins enjoyed by visitors today.

Gold coins

© English Heritage

These gold coins were found in the abbey treasury. Rievaulx was at the hub of a trade network that extended as far as Italy. Fleeces from the abbey’s flocks were highly prized and Rievaulx became very rich.

Decorated floor tiles

© English Heritage

These tiles come from the nave. The left tile is inscribed with the words '[Ave] Maria', and dates from around 1300.

A lime friezestone

© English Heritage

Originally from the infirmary hall, this stone depicts the theft of a tiger cub from its mother. This allegoric scene, in which the tiger is halted by her own reflection, teaches the need to avoid deception by the devil, and shows the worldly awareness of the Rievaulx community.

The royal stamp of Henry VIII

© English Heritage

This created from lead melted down from the roof of the abbey church after the dissolution of the monasteries between 1536 and 1541.

A fragment of 14th century glass

© English Heritage

Decorated with a crowned letter 'J', this rare survival was undoubtedly from one of the stained glass windows shattered during the English Reformation.

An early 16th century Cictercian-ware cup

© English Heritage

The Cistercian monks took meals twice a day in summer and once in winter, with monastic diet depending on the seasons and produce available.

A 13th century carved boss

© English Heritage

This gem depicts the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God, which was originally from Abbot William's shrine. Abbot William, a native Yorkshireman, was the first Abbot of Rievaulx and was venerated as a saint for his piety.

A lead fother

© English Heritage

This was made in 1538-9 from the lead melted down from the roof of the abbey church, by the commissioners of Henry VIII. The royal stamp can be seen in the middle of the half tonne lead measure. A rare survival, it was discovered under fallen masonry in the abbey church, and may have been left behind as it was seen as too difficult to recover.

Christ in Majesty

© English Heritage

A late 13th century stone sculpture, probably from the pulpitum (the screen dividing the choir from the nave) at Rievaulx. This spectacular work has been given pride of place at the entrance to the new museum.

A stone animal head

© English Heritage

Found within the ruins. The new museum and exhibition tells the story of Rievaulx from its foundation in 1132 to its suppression by Henry VIII, and challenges preconceptions about monastic decline before the Reformation.

A jet chess piece

© English Heritage

Dating from the 11th to 12th centuries, this was found alongside a bone piece. It is tempting to see them as perhaps originating from the same set, with the white pieces made of bone and the black from jet and of comparable date. But these may represent chance losses.

A bone chess piece

© English Heritage

The presence of 12th century chess pieces at Rievaulx Abbey does not mean that the monks were devoting their time to pastimes at that point. They may have been an old set introduced to the site at a later date or may have belonged to visitors and be indicative of a less austere lifestyle than the earlier Cistercian statutes.

A stone frieze from the infirmary hall

© English Heritage

This early 14th century stone frieze depicts a donkey laden with corn being taken to a mill.

A plaited metal scourge

© English Heritage

This was found during clearance of the abbey in 1924. It is a very rare example of a personal scourge, and may have been used as a form of self penance. Monks and minor clerics who had broken monastic rules or fallen into theological error were punished by scourging. It was discovered in the day room in the east range of the monastery where it may have fallen from the dormitory above.

• The new museum and visitor centre is open 10am-6pm. Admission £4.80-£8 (family ticket £20.80), visit the Abbey online.

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Three medieval abbeys to explore:

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

Another great Yorkshire Abbey, Fountains boasts the spectacular ruins of a 12th century Cistercian monastery, which was once one of richest in Britain. Today the remains of arches, 168 foot church tower and vaulted undercroft make this one of the best examples of medieval architecture to visit in the UK. All of it is set within a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing a Georgian water garden and deer park.

Bayham Abbey

Another beautiful ruin on the Kent-Sussex border, Bayham Abbey is often called the Fountains of the South and it too boasts a spectacular setting, and sizeable ruins of the 13th to 15th-century church, chapter house, and picturesque 14th-century gatehouse. The abbey is set in a landscape designed by Humphry Repton, the famous landscape gardener, who also planned the grounds of Kenwood House in London.

Tintern Abbey

Another spectacular location in a wooded valley next to the River Wye, Tintern was once the richest monastery in Wales. Today its vast windows and later decorative details displayed in the walls, doorways and soaring archways make it a must visit for anyone interested in the medieval world of the monks an abbots of yore.

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/historic-buildings/art556075-rievaulx-abbey-north-england-monastic-fifteen