Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire was founded in 1132 by twelve monks from Clairvaux Abbey as a mission centre. The remote location was ideal for the Cistercians, whose desire was to follow a strict life of prayer and self-sufficiency with as little contact as possible with the outside world.
Someday I would love to wander around these ruins!
(click for a full-size image; taken by user JuanJ on Flickr; I just Photoshopped it a bit to cut down on the fluorescent green he used)
