4 Churches to Explore in South Yorkshire

Monk Bretton was a Cluniac priory established around 1154 by Adam Fitz Swane as a daughter house of St John's in Pontefract. When the monastery was built, however, the site in the wooded valley of the River Dearne was peaceful and remote. In the course of time the priory took the name of the nearby village of Bretton to be commonly known as Monk Bretton Priory.

Roche Abbey was once home to 50 monks and 100 lay brothers. Unlike other Cistercian monastries in Yorkshire, such as Rievaulx or Byland Abbey, Roche was modest in size which was more typical of the order. Beautifully set in a valley landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th Century, Roche Abbey has one of the most complete ground plans of any English Cistercian monastery, laid out as excavated foundations.

The Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop and a centre of worship for the Diocese of Sheffield, serving the whole of South Yorkshire. It is also a spiritual home for a diverse community of people. Sheffield Cathedral is one of five Grade I listed buildings in the city, along with the Town Hall, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, and the parish churches at Ecclesfield and Bradfield.

The Minster Church of Saint George, Doncaster stands at the heart of the town of Doncaster, where a church has stood for over 8 centuries. The present church was built to the designs of George Gilbert Scott between 1854-1858, after the mediaeval church was destroyed by fire in 1853.The aim of the Minster is to provide a warm welcome to all, and to serve Doncaster and surrounding area, through their worship and events, using the skills and talents of people who are the Minster Community