English Heritage
Impressive ruins remain of what was once a great Cistertcan abbey. Much of the layout of the cathedral-sized church survives, and the skyline is etched by the outline of a great ruined rose window, similar to that at York Minster. On the site there is now a museum with interpretation panels, and relics from the site.
Category: Ruin
ruins of all kinds
Old Gorhambury House, Herts
This was once an immense Elizabethan mansion, but was largely dismantled when the present Gorhambury House was built, the remains being left as a ready-made romantic ruin in the grounds.
Though the site can be visited at any reasonable time, access is awkward, as it is in the middle of a private estate and only foot access is permitted. I got to it by parking on the A4147 near the M1 & M10, and near the entry to Beechtree Lane, and making the vexatiously long walk along the permitted path to the house. (The other end of the “Gorhambury Walk” permitted path is at the Roman Amphitheatre in St Albans). If you visit Gorhambury House by car (on a Thursday afternoon only, via St. Albans) you can reach the old house by a much shorter but still significant walk, starting from the gardens at the rear. You might need directions, as there is no clear line of sight between the old and new houses, the view being blocked by trees. The ruins don’t show up well on an aerial view, but it looks like if you start at the back of the mansion you should walk away from it bearing slightly to your left. The drive continues past the old house, but the roadway is very narrow, and there is nowhere to park.
Is it worth it? Once you get there, it’s quite an interesting historic ruin, but won’t detain you for long.
Houghton House, Bedfordshire
English Heritage
The shell of a once imposing 17th century mansion, which was stripped by its owners when no longer required. The site commands some fine views (possibly why they built there). Parking is nearby, at the end of a long access roadway. An interesting visit, but probably won’t detain you very long. A free audio guide can be downloaded from the English Heritage website.
Jervaux Abbey, Yorks
The site is privately owned and is open to the public. So far as I remember the car park is nearby, also some tea rooms which I didn’t patronise. The ruins, which don’t remain at a great height anywhere, are in pleasant garden surroundings. Admission charge.
Lyveden New Bield, Northants
National Trust
An abandoned and incomplete Elizabethan building, with its surrounding gardens. The building, a shell, is interesting, and when I visited the orchard had been re-created with a planting of period fruit trees.
Re-visited 28 Aug 2021 (10 years later). The manor house (acquired 2013) and a new car park were opened earlier this year. The new car park is further from the Lodge, and a walk from car park to Lodge takes one to the manor house which houses a cafe, toilets, and an upper floor exhibition room (the latter not open when I visited). From there one can walk onwards to the orchard and the house, past some mounds and long ponds. I didn’t see the labyrinth marked in the grass in the area enclosed by mounds and long ponds – apparently it is clear cut in late summer. The stonework of the Lodge is in remarkably good condition, and various carved religious symbols decorate the exterior. Inside, one can enter the basement rooms and look upward to the sky. In the manor house I saw a model showing what the Lodge would have looked like if completed.