Bolton Abbey

Bolton Abbey Estate Office, Bolton Abbey, Skipton,
North Yorkshire BD23 6EX

Tel: 01756 718009

website: www.boltonabbey.com

Bolton Abbey near Skipton is the Yorkshire Estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Situated in Wharfedale, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park this historic estate is a magnet for visitors drawn to its breathtaking landscapes and excellent facilities.

Visitors have flocked to Bolton Abbey for over one hundred years. On an August Bank Holiday in the 1890's the railway brought 40,000 people to Bolton Abbey; nearly as many people as now visit York in a week. After the First World War visitors arrived by train in their "Sunday Best" with the children carrying buckets, spades and fishing nets. Some fathers never got much further than the Devonshire Arms' Refreshment Room, but many removed their boots and rolled up their trousers to paddle with their children by the sandy river bank. Little has changed over the years; visitors still come to see the landscape that inspired artists like Turner and Landseer, and poets such as Wordsworth.

As the name suggests Bolton Abbey was originally a large monastic Estate, based around the 12th century priory. Legend has it that the Priory was established in 1120 by Cecily de Romille as an expression of her grief following the drowning of her son in the nearby Strid. Today, the ruins of the Priory set in an incomparable position overlooking the river Wharfe will evoke the past glories of the Estate whilst the restored and thriving parish church shows that the Estate is still very much a living community.