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Bolton Abbey is one of those places where the setting does as much work as the architecture. The ruins of the Augustinian priory — founded 1155, dissolved 1539 — stand on a broad meander of the River Wharfe in the lower dale, with the water curving around the greensward on three sides and the wooded fell rising behind. Turner painted it repeatedly. Ruskin wrote about it. Wordsworth came. The combination of medieval ruin, pastoral setting and the sound of the Wharfe over its limestone bed is one of the most complete sensory experiences the Dales offer.
The Augustinian canons who established Bolton Priory in 1155 chose the site for its combination of flat, arable riverside land, fresh water and relative shelter — the practical requirements of a medieval monastic community rather than the scenic criteria that a Romantic visitor might apply. They built a substantial church, domestic ranges and farm buildings over the following three centuries.
The priory was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539 as part of the general dissolution of the monasteries. The nave of the church was retained for use as the parish church — it is still the parish church of Bolton Abbey village and the estate — and the east end and tower were allowed to fall into ruin. The roofless east end, with its glassless windows open to the sky and the Wharfe visible beyond, is the ruin that has attracted artists and writers for two centuries.
The nave — the western section of the church is still roofed and in regular use as the parish church. It contains medieval stonework and memorials from various periods of the estate's history. Free to enter.
The ruins — the roofless east end and tower are freely accessible and can be walked through. The window openings, some still with their Gothic tracery, frame views of the dale in each direction.
The riverside — the path along the Wharfe from the priory towards The Strid passes through some of the finest Dales riverside walking. The combination of the river, the mixed woodland on the valley sides and the limestone geology is exceptional.
The stepping stones — a series of stepping stones crosses the Wharfe near the priory, giving access to the eastern bank and a different view of the ruins from the far side of the river.
Bolton Abbey is the Yorkshire estate of the Duke of Devonshire — the same family whose principal seat is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. The estate has been in Cavendish hands since the 16th century and covers approximately 30,000 acres of Wharfedale. The management philosophy of the estate — combining traditional farming, conservation, commercial forestry and visitor access — has preserved the valley landscape in a way that comparable landscapes elsewhere have not been preserved.
Bolton Abbey and Wharfedale can be included in a bespoke Yorkshire Dales tour.