Bolton Abbey

Bolton Abbey is a riverside estate and historic priory site on the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire. The priory buildings date to the 12th century and sit within a larger estate owned by the Cavendish family (the Duke of Devonshire).

The site combines the partly-ruined medieval Bolton Priory with extensive riverside walks and estate parkland. Key features include a prominent riverside nave and chancel ruins, a series of waymarked trails, a scenic set of stepping stones and the narrow gorge known locally as the Strid.

An Augustinian priory was founded on the site in the 12th century; the community was suppressed during the 16th-century Dissolution of the Monasteries and the buildings partly fell into ruin. Over subsequent centuries the priory church has been used for parish worship and the surrounding land became the Bolton Abbey estate under the Cavendish family.

The priory and estate sit on the banks of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, adjacent to the village of Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire. The site is accessed from local roads serving the Wharfedale valley and is part of the wider Yorkshire Dales countryside.

• Stepping stones and the Strid: A short riverside walk from the priory finds the stepping stones that cross the River Wharfe; the Strid is a deep, fast and potentially dangerous squeeze in the river so keep to viewpoints.
• Access and trails: Parking and waymarked trails are concentrated around the priory and the estate car parks; parts of the estate are privately managed so check access signs for seasonal restrictions.

What to See #

• Bolton Priory (priory ruins): Ruins of the Augustinian priory dating to the 12th century, with a nave still used for parish services and a larger ruined chancel and transept open to the riverbank.
• River Wharfe, stepping stones and the Strid: The River Wharfe corridor featuring riverside walks, the famous stepping stones and the narrow gorge known as the Strid, all linked by a network of signed trails.
• Bolton Abbey estate: Estate woodlands and parkland managed by the Chatsworth/Devonshire estate with surfaced and unsurfaced paths used for walking and cycling.