Stanbrook Abbey

The ruins of Stanbrook Abbey sit quietly near York, a proper testament to what happens when religious houses fall out of favour. What remains is essentially a collection of stone walls and arches - medieval masonry that's held up rather better than you might expect given it's been eight centuries since the nuns packed up and left.

You're looking at the ghost of a Benedictine community that thrived here from the 12th century onwards. The abbey was dissolved during Henry VIII's rampage through England's monasteries, and what you see now is what survived centuries of deliberate neglect and casual stone-robbing. There's enough standing to understand the scale of the place - the church, some claustral buildings, bits of the refectory. It's atmospheric in the way old ruins are, especially when the light's right and there's nobody else about.

History enthusiasts will find it worth the detour from York, though it's not going to keep you occupied for hours. Thirty minutes to an hour does it. Walkers might incorporate it into a longer ramble around the countryside. Families with restless kids will find it less engaging than something with more hands-on activity.

The site itself appears to be freely accessible, which is a bonus. If you're based at The Hideaway@Baxby Manor nearby, it's an easy run to combine with exploring York's medieval centre - much more dramatic than these ruins, but this place has a quieter appeal. Best visited on a day when the weather's decent. Mud and stone walls don't make for pleasant photography when it's been raining.