Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds (must see)

Kirkstall Abbey is a monastery in the Diocese of York. It was established in 1152 and disestablished in 1538. The abbey was founded by Abbot Alexander. The ruins have been designated as a Grade I historic building and scheduled ancient monument.

The abbey consisted of a short chancel, three eastward chapels, a nave with a cloister, a two-aisled chapter house and a parlour. There was also a number of buildings that served as dormitories for the monks, a refectory, a kitchen, a pantry and a buttery. The remains of most of these areas are accessible when touring Kirkstall Abbey.

Other areas of the ruins include a presbytery, library, chapter house, malt house, warming house, infirmary and buildings of unknown origins.

The ruins are located in a public park on the banks of the River Aire. It is now part of the Leeds Museums & Galleries group. Visitors can tour the ruins as well as the visitor center, which has interactive exhibits that show the history of the abbey and daily living with the monks.

The grounds are accessible to the public. They are often used for festivals and open-air concerts. The British Shakespeare Company put on the Leeds Shakespeare Festival every year from 1995 to 2009. The Abbey park also has a playground, which makes it a great place to visit when traveling with children.

Kirkstall Abbey hosts an outdoor market on the abbey grounds on weekends from March through November. The market offers 40 stalls with crafts and produce. All booths feature products from Leeds and across Yorkshire.