It’s no secret that the ruined (and a couple of not-so-ruined) abbeys of Great Britain are among my favourite places to visit. Jervaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire is awe-inspiring any time of year but in May there is a distinctive atmosphere with the scattering of wildflowers and the tumbling of blossoms among the ancient stones. I’m reminded of one of the less-well known poems of Robert Browning:
From Love Among The Ruins:
Where
the quiet-coloured end of evening smiles,
Miles
and miles
On
the solitary pastures where our sheep
Half-asleep
Tinkle
homeward thro' the twilight, stray or stop
As
they crop…..
…..Now—the
single little turret that remains
On
the plains,
By
the caper overrooted, by the gourd
Overscored,
While
the patching houseleek's head of blossom winks
Through
the chinks—
Marks
the basement whence a tower in ancient time
Sprang
sublime….
Jervaulx Abbey, the largest Cistercian Abbey in the UK, is well worth a visit, as is the tea shop nearby in the car park.
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| Abbey model and, the day after, Juliet's birthday cakes.... |
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