The Benedictine abbey of St Mary's was founded by King William II in 1088. The ruins visible today date from a re-build between 1271 and 1294.

Prior to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it was one of the wealthiest religious establishments in England.

Most of the 'ruins' we see today relate to the abbey's enormous church. Most of the building only survives at, or just above, foundation level. However, the north wall of the nave still stands to window-top height (see Image 2). The lower part of the walls feature decorative 'blind lancets' (dummy window-frames).

Image 1

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The remains of the west and north walls of the nave of the abbey church.

Image 2

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The remains of the north wall of the nave of the abbey church.

Image 3

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The foundations of the north wall of the church's east end. The east end of the church housed the choir altar, high altar and ambulatory.

Image 4

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The remains of two of the pillars that once supported the crossing tower (bottom-right) and the remains of the north transept (top-left).

Image 5

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Visitors admiring the scale and detail of what remains of the abbey church's north transept (top).

Image 6

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The remains of one of the four massive pillars that supported the church's tower (foreground), with the foundations of the north wall of the church's east end beyond. Parts of the King's Manor complex and York Minster are visible in the background.

Image 7

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The base of one of the crossing tower pillars, with a row of stone sarcophogi beyond. The latter have been moved here from various locations around the city.

Image 8

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A close-up of the stonework at the top of one of the windows in the north nave wall.

Image 9

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The remains of the exterior wall of the church's west end.

Image 10

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A close-up of the heavily weathered stonework at the top of the 'blind lancets' visible in Image 9.

Further Reading

The following publication is highly recommended for additional information about St Mary's Abbey and the King's Manor:
Wilson, Barbara and Mee, Francis: "St Mary's Abbey and the King's Manor, York - The Pictorial Evidence", published by York Archaeological Trust (2009).