Howden Minster © Si Homfray
Howden Minster The church of St Peter and St Paul in Howden was one of the largest and finest in East Yorkshire and reflected the very great prosperity of these agricultural lands at the end of the middle ages. Although the minster was not destroyed in the Dissolution, the chancel fell into ruin; the roof eventually collapsed in 1696 and the chapter house roof collapsed in 1750. Turner’s enthusiasm for observation and careful notation was as powerful and penetrating as ever and he made two particularly
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Jervaulx Abbey © Si Homfray
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Jervaulx Abbey
finely detailed pencil studies of the east end of Howden Minster, starting on the left page with the chapter house and finishing with the great east window on the right.
Market Place, Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire DN14 7BL
Park House, Jervaulx, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 4PH
Tel: 01430 430332 Web: www.english-heritage.org. uk/daysout/properties/howdenminster/
Tel: 01677 460226 Web: www.jervaulxabbey.com
OS Map Ref: SE749282
Turner’s exact viewpoint of Howden Minster is still accessible. While the core of the church still serves as Howden’s parish church, the collegiate structures, including the chapter house and chancel, are beautifully decorated ruins with Gothic carvings. The ruins are in the care of English Heritage and are viewable only from the outside.
Directions: Near the junction of A63 and A614 in the centre of Howden.
Directions: Jervaulx is situated halfway between Masham and Leyburn on the A6108.
Opening: All year round. 24-26 Dec and 1 Jan closed. Prices: Free.
OS Map Ref: SE172857 (Turner Trails bench) SE175856 (Turner’s viewpoint)
Opening: Dawn until dusk all year round. Prices: Honesty box payment for entry into Jervaulx Abbey.
Founded in 1156, Jervaulx Abbey was once a great Cistercian monastery before being ravaged and pillaged during the Dissolution of Monasteries, and dissolved in 1587. The abbey is a charming and atmospheric ruin; Turner was searching for a view that would show its tranquil setting in the wide sweep of Wensleydale. He always noticed signs of human activity in the landscape and his sketch includes two distinct plumes of smoke rising from fields in the valley floor; it is possible that
farmers were burning stubble to prepare for late summer ploughing. Turner concentrated on vantage points in the park to the east of Jervaulx and found one from a slightly elevated viewpoint where he could look over the abbey to the valley stretching away towards Danby Hall and Middleham. This viewpoint is still accessible today by following the public footpath that leads away south east from the Abbey.
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