Roche Abbey lies approximately 13 miles to the East of Sheffield and 9 miles to the West of Doncaster in Maltby Beck, in South Yorkshire. Although the Abbey is now in ruins it is a place that is well worth a visit if you are ever in the area, and though it was one of lesser known Cistercian Abbeys of its era it is nonetheless a very typical example of a 12th century Abbey.
THE HISTORY
Roche Abbey was built in 1147, it was a joint foundation by Richard de Busli, Lord of Maltby, and Richard Fitzturgis, Lord of Hooten, and was in this respect rather unusual. Otherwise, the Abbey's development was in many ways similar to that of many other Cistercian Abbeys in England, enjoying a steady period of growth during the twelfth and early part of the thirteenth centuries followed by a gradual decline and its eventual dissolution in 1538, under the Reign of King Henry V111.
Sadly there are very few surviving documents that relate to this Abbey as
the majority of the documents were stored in a chest in St Mary's Tower at York, and were either lost or destroyed during a Civil War siege of York in June 1644, when the Parliamentarians blasted the Tower.
The dissolution of all of England's Monasteries was undertaken by King Henry V111 who, after declaring himself the Head of the Church of England, embarked on a thorough campaign to close down and destroy all other Religious buildings.
WHAT REMAINS TODAY
The footpath that runs along the boundary of the Abbey offers excellent views of the whole site and allows the visitor to understand the layout of the Abbey as it must have been in its heyday.
Although many of the buildings and Rooms of the Abbey now survive only as low standing walls, the transepts of the Church remain almost at their original full height and these are a magnificent example of the French-influenced early Gothic architecture of the period. Later buildings were constructed on the other side of the stream, including the Abbot's lodging, kitchen and the infirmary, the remains of all of these can still be seen today and there is a 13th century arched bridge that still spans the Maltby Beck.
Secluded in a deep wooded valley called Maltby Beck, Roche Abbey lies in a beautiful setting. Access to the woodlands and surrounding area is completely free, but there is a charge to enter some of the better preserved areas of the Abbey. Some of the remaining structures are fenced off for their protection but it is possible to walk across the majority of the area and imagine what this place must have been like in the days of the Monks.
All along the footpath there are placards that tell you about the various ruins and how the Abbey must have looked. One thing that you do quickly realise as you walk around is that the Monks that occupied this Abbey were quite sophisticated for their time. Not only did the Monks have toilets, which were over Maltby Beck so that the running water took away the waste, they even dammed the stream slightly higher up to ensure fast flowing water.
The whole site is now in the care of English Heritage, and the woodland around the Abbey is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
HOW TO GET THERE
Roche Abbey is conveniently situated close to the M1 and M18 Motorways, the A1M.
From the M1 Motorway either North or Southbound leave at exit 32 and join M18 signposted Doncaster. After approximately 2 miles leave at junction 1 and turn right onto the A638 signposted Maltby. Leave the A638 approximately 1.5 miles after Maltby and turn onto the A634 from the where the Abbey is clearly signposted.
There is a small visitors' centre within the grounds and a car park, plus a small cafe selling refreshments.
OPENING HOURS & CHARGES
Roche Abbey is open from early March through to late September between the following times:
Thursday to Monday 10:00am-5:00pm Daily in August to 6:00pm
Admission Prices are as below: Adults: £2.90 Children: £1.50 Concessions: £2.20
MY THOUGHTS
I think this is a very interesting place that is definitely well worth a visit. I have visited this place on many different occasions and I always find that it has a rather strange, eerie feel to it as you walk around the ruins.
It is easy to imagine why there are so many stories of ghosts and other strange legends associated with this place, although I have never encountered anything bizarre here yet. Amongst the strangest tales are those of a mysterious vanishing wishing well, which many different people claim to have seen but it doesn't actually exist, and a whole group of soldiers that are said to ride through here on horseback complete with armour and swords.
I have visited Roche Abbey at many different times of the year and each visit always seems to different. It is a well known fact that the lighting that is cast into the valley bottom makes it appear that the stones change colour, sometimes they appear white, grey, brown and even red, this all helps add to the charm of the place and makes for some excellent photography moments.
There are some excellent walks and nature trails through the woods which are full of birds and flowers, and I have even seen Muntjac Deer here too.
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