10 Old Ruins to Explore in North Yorkshire

Bolton Castle is a stark and imposing medieval fortress at the entrance to Wensleydale, begun by Richard le Scrope in 1378. It was a grand family home as well as a defensive fortress and, despite being partially ‘slighted’ by Cromwell’s’ men during the Civil War siege, is still preserved in outstanding condition with many interesting rooms and features to discover. The castle is still in the private ownership of Lord Bolton, the direct descendant of the castle’s original owner Sir Richard le Sc

Bolton Abbey lies in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales near Skipton. The land was gifted to the Augustinian canons by Alice de Rumilly in 1154. The canons lived and worshipped here until 1539 when the dissolution of the monasteries stripped the Priory of its assets. Despite the loss of most of the Priory buildings during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the western half of the original nave was preserved so that the local parish could continue its worship there.

Beningbrough Hall was built in 1716 for John Bourchier whose family had held the estate since Tudor times. It has baroque interiors, cantilevered stairs, wood carving, and central corridors which run the length of the house. Externally the house is a red-brick Georgian mansion with a grand drive running to the main frontage and a walled garden, The house is home to more than 100 portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. It has a restaurant, shop, and garden shop, and was shortlisted

Set amid woodland in North Yorkshire, this unusual monastery is the best preserved Carthusian priory in Britain. The monastery consisted of a church and two cloisters. The Great Cloister, to the north of the church, had seventeen cells for monks whilst the southern Lesser Cloister had six cells for the lay brothers. Wander the ruins and discover how the monks lived 600 years ago in the reconstructed monk’s cell and herb plot. Explore the rooms of the Arts and Crafts manor house and then head out

A beautiful seventeenth-century brick house and a mainly twentieth-century garden by Major Edward Compton. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade I listed building, the hall contains a collection of furniture and paintings and is surrounded by extensive gardens. Newby Hall is open to the public.

Pickering Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle built by the Normans as part of the suppression of Northern England. It was erected on a hilltop site overlooking Pickering Brook, on the main route between Helmsley and Scarborough on the coast. It was used by a succession of medieval Kings as a hunting lodge and holiday home. By the time of the Civil War, its military purpose had long been abandoned, and most of the castle was left to decay.

A majestic 700-year-old castle steeped in history with magnificent grounds, lakes, Deer Park, Walled Gardens, Hothouses, and Kitchen Garden. It has been the home of the Ingilby family for twenty-six generations and Sir Thomas and Lady Ingilby and their five children continue the tradition. A gatehouse that stands some 260 feet to the south of the main buildings is also Grade I listed, whilst the two weirs over Ripley Beck are grade II listed and the grounds and gardens are also listed at grade I

Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best-preserved medieval castles in England and is well worth a visit at any season of the year. Further major upgrades were made in the early fourteenth century when the castle passed into the hands of the Clifford family who, apart from a short period during the Wars of the Roses, owned it for almost 350 years. You may relax on the peaceful Chapel Terrace with its fine views over the town and woods, and enjoy traditional fare in the Clifford Tea-ro

The ruins of Whitby Abbey are among the most celebrated sights of North Yorkshire. The first monastery here, founded in about 657, became one of the most important religious centres in the Anglo-Saxon worldSince that time, the ruins of the abbey have continued to be used by sailors as a landmark at the headland. Since the 20th century, the substantial ruins of the church have been declared a Grade I Listed building and are in the care of English Heritage; the site museum is housed in Cholmley Ho