Kirkstall

Leeds

Places of Interest

• -- Kirkstall Abbey -- Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in Kirkstall north-west of Leeds city center. It is set in a public park on the north bank of the River Aire. It was founded c.1152. It was disestablished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the auspices of Henry VIII. The picturesque ruins have been drawn and painted by artists such as J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Girtin and John Sell Cotman. Kirkstall Abbey was acquired by Leeds Corporation as a gift from Colonel North and opened to the public in the late 19th century. The gatehouse became a museum.