Byland

Abbey church, from the south-east corner of the cloister

location:	Byland, North Yorkshire, England
founded:	1135, as Savigniac
daughter of:	Furness
current status:	ruins in the care of English Heritage
visit:	all year
pictures taken :	June 2011
The Byland monks founded their community in Cumberland, and moved sites several times before settling in Byland in 1177; by this time, the Savigniacs had been absorbed into the Cistercian order. The new church at Byland, when first built, was the largest Cistercian church in Britain, and the most highly decorated; the cloister, at 145 feet (44.2m) square, was also one of the largest in the country. The abbey was dissolved in November 1538. steps into the cloister from the nave the chapter house steps into the library and vestry from the south transept remains of the south transept, seen through the west door the nave, looking east west end, from the corner of the north transept tiled floor in the south transept view of the west end, though the window of the south transept