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Jervaulx Abbey History and Location
Now a great wedding venue, Jervaulx Abbey, located in East Witton near Ripon, was one of the great Cistercian abbeys of Yorkshire, England, dedicated to St. Mary in 1156. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536 to 1541), Jervaulx Abbey was passed down by families who owned Jervaulx Hall, after years of pillage and excavations the abbey was turned into a garden for the Hall.
Jervaulx Abbey Address: Jervaulx Abbey, Caravan Site, Tearoom and Wedding Venue, Jervaulx, Ripon HG4 4PH.
Jervaulx Abbey, Caravan Site, Tearoom and Wedding Venue Tel:01677460391
Jervaulx Abbey is Grade I listed.
Jervaulx Abbey remains in private ownership and does not receive any funding from the government or any charity body. Ian Burdon and his wife, Carol, opened Jervaulx Abbey Tearooms in 1994, building up a business with home baking and a visitors’ centre for Jervaulx Abbey. They have two daughters Gayle and Anna, who also work running the site, with 2021 marking 50 years of ownership. Jervaulx Abbey plays host to civil ceremonies, wedding receptions, charity events and plays, as well as being used as a film and photo shoot location.
Jervaulx Abbey is also part of the Turner Trail, celebrating the 1816 visit to the area of West Tanfield, Masham, East Witton and Jervaulx Abbey by the world-famous artist JMW Turner. A view of the ruins of Jervaulx Abbey was taken by Turner from the park to the south-east and was probably Turner’s first impression on arrival at the site. Two more detailed studies from a similar aspect, made on the same visit, are in his Yorkshire 3 sketchbook at the Tate Gallery, London. East Witton is featured in the British television series All Creatures Great and Small, in the episode “The Prodigal Returns”, as the home of the two Mrs Altons.
East Witton lies south of Leyburn, in the Richmondshire district. The parish also includes Jervaulx Abbey, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) east of the village, and Braithwaite Hall, a 17th-century manor house owned by the National Trust, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) west of the village. Jervaulx is often pronounced “Jarvis” by locals and Jar-voh by others. It is named after, or for, the River Ure and Vaulx, meaning valley. The River Cover and the River Ure are on the northern boundary of the parish. The western part of the parish is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Most of the eastern part is in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Jervaulx Abbey Weddings and Civil Ceremonies:
Jervaulx Abbey is an exclusive and stunning licenced wedding venue with 3 sites available to hire a choice of marquees, teepees or yurts, depending on the wedding party size. Two paddocks and an area at the front of Jervaulx Abbey provide a beautiful and stunning backdrop to the event.
Other interesting wedding venues include Shibden Hall and Shibden Park and the fabulous and historic Wynyard Hall
Jervaulx Abbey Caravan Site – Caravan and Motorhome Club:
Located within a walled paddock off the A6108 road, midway between Masham and Leyburn. (Enter following the tourist brown and white road signs for Jervaulx Abbey car park). There is a 2.5-acre site on the Jervaulx Estate which provides ample room in a peaceful walled orchard area with mature trees. The privately-owned ruins of Jervaulx Abbey are nearby on the same site. There are numerous electric hook-up points and a toilet block with hot and cold water. Tents are also welcome. The caravan site is situated approximately 400 yards from the River Ure and the Cover Bridge Inn is just over a mile away, via a gently meandering river walk.
Cover Bridge Inn
The Cover Bridge Inn is popular with anglers and day fishing. Permits can be obtained there for the River Cover and the River Ure for excellent trout and grayling fishing.
Walkers also have a good choice, as there are many recognised walks local to the Cover Inn, one of which follows the River Cover downstream to the confluence of the River Cover and Ure, but watch out for the legendary ‘Kelpie’ – a mythical horse-like creature whiches rises out of the waters here to stalk its prey!
Watch Middleham Moor Racehorses
The racehorses of Middleham are approximately 3.5 miles away. Middleham lies at the centre of Yorkshire’s most famous racing centres, where a dozen or so trainers handle hundreds of potentially top-class racehorses which are exercised on the wide expanse of Middleham Moor every day.
The A6108 road leads to Masham, famous in the beer-drinking world as the home of two breweries Theakston’s and Black Sheep (complete with visitor centres).
Also close by are the market towns of Leyburn (market day Friday) and Richmond (market day Saturday) with an ancient castle, riverside walks and picturesque cobbled market square.
The caravan site, for Caravan Club members only, is open all year. All wheels are sited on hardcore pitches so Jervaulx Abbey Caravan Site can accommodate any type of vehicle throughout the year.
For more ideas on days out in Yorkshire see this link for Halifax with Anne Lister and Gentleman Jack or click the links below.
