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Roche Abbey

Matthew Blurton
Apr 3, 2019
1 min read

There are a number of English Heritage and National Trust places to visit within a 25 mile radius of Doncaster. Today we went to explore Roche Abbey, the remains of a small Cistercian abbey at the bottom of a valley. Capability Brown landscaped the area during the 1760s.

The Abbey of Roche, built for the White Monks, as the Cistercians were known, had an almost otherworldly air. It was built at the northern end of an area once covered by Sherwood Forest, and it was said that Robin Hood went to Mass here. At its height it supported a community of around 175 men, of whom about 60 were choir monks, the remainder being lay brothers, a Cistercian innovation.

Plenty of car parking available and snacks/drinks available in the shop. There is also parking in Maltby, with a footpath down to the abbey - just over a mile walk through woodland.

A footpath runs around the edge of the abbey, through the woods to a lake and waterfall. Dogs are allowed, but there is fast flowing water.