Rievaulx
Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Cistercian monastery at Rievaulx in Rye, Yorkshire, was established in 1131 by William Espec, whom Bernard of Clairvaux had sent to England to set up a monastery. Rievaulx became the center of Cistercian life in England: a historical school developed there in the late XII Century, and its literary tradition, begun by St. Aelred, continued until the XIV Century. The monks also made significant contributions to the study of agriculture. Rievaulx had five daughter houses, including one at Melrose, the first Cistercian monastery in Scotland. In 1322, a Scottish raiding party destroyed the monastery as they sought Edward II of England, who had been dining with the monks. Edward escaped to York. Although the monastery was rebuilt, it was no longer a cultural and spiritual center. By the time it was dissolved in 1538, an abbot and 23 monks resided there.
Karen Rae Keck
including the header and this copyright remain intact.