From the 11th to 12th century, many abbeys and priories were built in Yorkshire and Norman landowners increased their revenues. As a result, new towns at the time including Barnsley, Doncaster, Hull, Leeds, Scarborough and Sheffield were established.
The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 began under Henry VIII and resulted in the uprising known as Pilgrimage of Grace which started in Yorkshire as a protest. Religious architecture includes current surviving cathedrals as well as the ruins of monasteries and abbeys.
We have compiled a list of some of the oldest surviving abbeys in Yorkshire and their history.
9. Selby Abbey
This abbey is Grade I listed and is one of the few surviving abbey churches of the mediaeval period and whilst it is not a cathedral, it is one of the biggest. It was founded by Benedict of Auxerre in 1069 and was later built by the de Lacy family. Photo: Jonathan Gawthorpe