Stanbrook Abbey, Benedictine abbey in Wass, North Yorkshire, England
Stanbrook Abbey is a monastic complex in Wass, North Yorkshire, built in Victorian gothic style with a bell tower and expansive cloisters designed by the Pugin family. The site houses a Benedictine community that continues to occupy the grounds and use the buildings daily.
The monastery was founded in 1625 in Cambrai and moved to England following the French Revolution, first settling in Worcestershire. The community later relocated to its current location in Wass in 2009.
The printing press that once operated here produced carefully made books and religious texts, showing how the community expressed their faith through skilled handwork.
The abbey holds daily worship services that visitors may attend and provides lodging for those interested in spiritual retreats or extended stays. It helps to check ahead about which areas are open to the public and when services take place.
The former chapel floors show deep grooves worn into wooden pews from generations of monks kneeling and sitting in prayer. These physical marks silently reveal how long the community has gathered in this place.
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