Jo’s Monday walk : Flamboyant Autumn at Easby Abbey

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Today’s walk is the reverse of one I took you on a couple of years ago.  Remember the story of the little Drummer Boy?  It really hadn’t been my intention to walk to Easby Abbey, but as the sun burst forth over the Autumn foliage I couldn’t imagine a finer place to be.  Such a contrast with the creeping mist that enshrouded me last time.

This walk starts from The Station at Richmond, now a fine exhibition space with a rather nice eatery, ‘Seasons’.  Have I been neglecting your stomachs lately?  I know there has been a dearth of cream scones on here, but maybe you can make up for it later.  Incentive to get you walking! From the rear of The Station a trail signed for Easby Abbey leads off into the woods.

The gurgle of water accompanies your footsteps, as you are walking above the fast flowing River Swale.  Glimpses of it flaunt themselves through gaps in the trees, along with the wider view to the countryside beyond.  Soon you come to a bridge.  This morning it is rhymed with frost so tread a little carefully.  Recent rain has ensured the boisterous nature of the water.

Once over the bridge the trail bends to the left and you are following the river more closely.  My heart always goes pitter pat at the sight and sound of rushing water.  Autumn finery weaves it’s own spell.

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Bathed in sunlight, you can make out a grand looking residence through the trees, and soon you are in sight of the Abbey.  The gatehouse stands silently, beyond a field where grazing horses sport their winter garb.  The woolly sheep don’t seem to feel the same need.

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Pastoral England at it’s finest, isn’t it?  Let’s slip through the metal gate into the churchyard.  The hamlet of Easby dates back to the Domesday survey of 1086, and the parish church of St. Agatha predates the Abbey.  It also provides a wonderful vantage point over the Abbey ruins.

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Easby Abbey was founded in about 1152, by Roald, a constable of Richmond in North Yorkshire.  It was established as a Premonstratension monastery, whose origin came from Premontre in France.  Most monks follow the 6th century Rule of St. Benedict, renouncing the world for a life of contemplation.  The Easby monks followed the older rule of St. Augustine, meaning they served the community by preaching, teaching and charitable work, and could become parish priests.  They lived communally but did not take monastic vows.  They were ordained as canons (or priests), with the authority to celebrate mass and administer sacraments.

From the earliest times, sheep farming seems to have been a mainstay of Abbey life.  Roald’s descendants continued to hold the constableship of Richmond and its lands throughout the 12th and 13th centuries.  They were variously known as de Burton or de Richmond.  By the 14th century the estates had been sold to the Scrope family, knights based at Bolton in neighbouring Wensleydale.  The Scropes made Easby their burial place and the chancel of the Abbey church was lengthened.  Prosperity seems to have continued until the suppression of the monasteries in 1536. Richmond defended its monks, but in retribution Henry VIII wrote that “St. Agatha and such other places as have made resistance… shall without pity or circumstance… be tied up (hanged) without further delay”.  Destruction followed, but the remaining ruins are hauntingly beautiful.

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Turning up the lane, another grandiloquent property looks down on you.  I imagine much doffing of caps went on at St. Agatha’s House.

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The field drops down towards the river again, and this time I find I can get really close.  Leaf strewn steps lead down almost to the water’s edge and I am awash in Autumn’s tumultuous hues.  Knotty tree roots protrude and I have to mind my step, but it’s like being in an enchanted forest.

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Always before I have taken the higher route.  My reward, a glimpse of a modern day Hansel and Gretel cottage, nestled in the woods.

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The path meets the higher route at the Drummer Boy stone, and soon you can see distant Richmond Castle through the trees.  Water trickles and drips down the mossy stone.  It feels almost primeval.

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Back at The Station, pause for refreshments, or carry on, as I do.  I can never resist the lure of the falls, and there’s a bonus.  Look who I found!

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The tumult of the falls is breathtaking.  As I walk back towards The Station, another little guy is watching me from the safety of a branch.

I hope you enjoyed sharing these last moments of Autumn.  English Heritage provide a comprehensive history of the Abbey on their website, plus details of how to get there.  I’d rather like to share this walk with Jude too. Her November theme for the Garden Challenge is Trees, and I think I’ve managed to find one or two.  Let’s put the kettle on and settle in for a read now, shall we?

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Huge thanks to all of you for the support I receive on here.  Yet again I have a wonderful selection of walks to share. Please visit as many as you can. And if you happen to have a walk you’d like to share, well, what are you waiting for? Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page, or you can click on the logo above.

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I have so many Gaudi favourites!  How about you?  Lady Lee showcases this one beautifully :

Casa Batllo 

Woolly’s strolling from the shopping centre this week :

Jo’s-Monday-Walk- Barwon Heads

Jude tries her hand at landscapes in Constable country, and makes a lovely job of it :

Walking in an artist’s footsteps

Kingston, Jamaica it’s not, but Stephanie makes her current home look very appealing :

A Walk through Downtown Kingston, WA

Jackie, meanwhile, is on the trail of more history in Virginia :

October 2016- Williamsburg, VA

While Liesbet explores California, with a very cute canine friend :

Sunny Sacramento

Yvette is never shy about sharing her views, but she shares a lot of love too :

Our Lady of Victory Basilica Lackawanna, NY

Another of those dreams I haven’t yet made come true.  Thanks, BiTi!

Big Sur

Much more intimate, but no less delightful, Drake’s childhood home :

Big, big small world

Stamina or coffee!  Which do I need to walk in Badfish’s footsteps?  Don’t miss it!

One long road to Bratislava : Part II

I’m considering myself invited to the south coast so I can do this walk with Gilly.  Any offers?

A South West Coast Path Walk

And finally, anyone up for a little skateboarding?  Or you can just stroll, with Kathrin :

Skateboarding in Huntingdon Beach

Fantastic, aren’t they?  That’s it for Autumn posts from me.  Not sure where I’ll take you next week, but I hope you can come along.  In the meantime, have a great week, and to all my US friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

151 comments

  1. Beautiful time of year…when the sun’s shining and you share such gorgeous photos. We’ve had a storm since yesterday, absolulely chucked it down, I think of the Somerset Levels… Thank you for taking me on such a beautiful walk today dear Jo, it was just what I needed. Big hugs 🙂 xxx

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      1. I bet…not nice out there today. It’s going Jo, thanks for asking. Taking a short blogging break – to blog, not away from for a change, ha! – after reworking three chapters into one, totally rewriting, my head’s spinning a bit. Back to the writing shortly… Hope you’re okay. Hugs help a lot don’t they? 🙂 xx

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  5. What a walk, Jo! I’m worn out but also invigorated by this gorgeous stroll. My heart also goes pitter patter at the sound of rushing water. And those waterfalls are wonderful. The whole scene is so pastoral and, as you say, primeval. I don’t think I could ever get enough of England’s ruins. I also love the sheep and the horses with their warm blankets wrapped around them. What a perfect time of year too, with the warm fall colors. 🙂

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    1. It was a huge treat, Cathy, because the day started grey. I had wanted to go further up into the Dales but there was snow about which can make for tricky driving on these roads. I was so glad that we went to Richmond in the end. 🙂

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  6. Pingback: From Paddington to Page #walking #london | TanGental

    1. The trees beside the river were full of squirrels, Lisa. I was astounded because they don’t usually sit for long enough for me to get a shot, but they were busy eating 🙂 🙂 Thanks for your company, hon.

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  9. Looks like a very typical piece of England. I can almost smell the damp leaves and hear the rushing waters. As always, your photographs bring the words to life. I do wish I had your energy to get out and about more often. I mean to, I even plan to, but I’m so easily persuaded the indoors is better when the weather turns a bit wet and it is certainly that at the moment.

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    1. I’ve just come back from an increasingly damp walk this morning, Maris, and no, not a lot of fun but the company is good. 🙂 Friday turned into the most glorious day when it was pure joy to be alive. You have to grab them when you can 🙂

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  10. Now that was a grand walk. A fast-flowing river, golden leaves, pastoral views and then we end up in a ruined abbey with a churchyard! You have excelled yourself this morning Jo – so many delights to see. You certainly live in a very interesting region. (And btw an extra U seems to have in the title).

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    1. My much respected other half tells me this spelling is correct so I changed it, Jude. He’s such a know it all, but I think he’s right in this instance. I don’t much like the way it looks though. My excuse this morning was that I was going with the American spelling, but I try to avoid that so I was on very dodgy ground. 🙂 🙂 Fabulous walk, isn’t it? Knew you’d approve.

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      1. Mmm.. much as I don’t want to fall out with the OH every dictionary I consult spells it without the u. Buoyancy and buoyant are correct, but flamboyant loses the u. Of course the English Oxford dictionary and Collins could be wrong…

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      8. Derived from the French “flamboyer” – perhaps you could have just used flaming or blazing? Anyway I hope the invalid is feeling better.

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  15. Old Henry has a lot to answer for. I remember going to Glastonbury Abbey a few years ago and being intrigued that people in past centuries would have felt comfortable carrying away the stones of the Church buildings to reuse. But the guide said because the stone was already cut and dressed they would have had no qualms about helping themselves. Ruins are quite beautiful and I always find myself imagining the people who lived in these places.

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  16. Pastoral England on a glorious late autumn day, Jo! What a wonderful uplifting post, and thank you very much for my virtual walk, I could almost feel the crisp air

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  18. The one thing I can not understand with these Abbey or any other ruin, is how they became a ruin. We understand they took years to build so how and why were they ever neglected. I know Henry V111 was guilty for some. Another lovely and thought provoking walk…

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    1. This one is definitely the fault of Henry VIII, Gerry. It was part of his power game with the church. Nobody was going to defy Henry and get away with it! It amazes me that it’s still standing and so beautiful after so many years. The church is beautiful inside but I didn’t go in this time. Thanks for your company, hon. 🙂

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  19. On such lovely days you can understand the setting of the abbey, stunning location and great for the sheep farming. This reminds me of both Bolton Abbey and also Fountains Abbey, though not on that scale. Every time I visit them I mourn the destruction of the buildings but at least the ruins survive and tell their story. Interesting about the split between the two forms of monasteries, a valuable history lesson this Monday morning. As for Richmond and its food although we’ve tried twice to savour its fares so far without luck – a story or two there!

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    1. The church has beautiful frescoes inside, Annika. You might remember them from the Drummer Boy post. It was too lovely to be indoors on Friday. All downhill since then 🙂 🙂 Will we hear the food stories, then?

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      1. Probably not…I don’t want to sound mean online although we did like Richmond itself.

        Wow, just read your Drummer Boy post – what a sad story…I’m sure there is a book waiting to be written. Also the frescos are amazing, so fresh and alive even though they date from 1250s!

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  20. Uplifting post, especially after a weekend of greyness and rain and wind over here (that prevented me from walking. Ugh!). That shot of the ruins as a whole is amazing. It is so large. Really makes you wonder what it was like in its prime – virtually a bustling little town, I guess.

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    1. It’s amazing how long it has stood in ruins, Denzil. The history is fascinating and the church has some stunning frescoes inside (included in my Drummer Boy post). Friday was a magical day but yesterday was wet and this morning we’re still stuck with grey. 🙂 Have a good week!

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