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Ampleforth Abbey
Attractions in Ampleforth

Ampleforth Abbey: Ampleforth’s one place to visit

Most of what there is to see is castles or historic places: 6 of 9. One place to visit is mapped inside Ampleforth’s built-up area, with 8 more within 5 km of its edge. 2 of the places on the list are maintained by English Heritage. A drive of 16 km brings you to Castle Howard.

Photo: Ampleforth Abbey, martin dawes (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Ampleforth
1
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
8
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
1
in or near town
Castles & historic places
6
in or near town
Cared for
2
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Ampleforth’s best known

Beyond Ampleforth Abbey, there are 2 castles, 2 abbeys or priories and a historic house.

Abbey or prioryAmpleforth Abbeyin townCastle · English HeritageHelmsley Castle4.4 km outside town, to the northeastAbbey or priory · English HeritageByland Abbey2.7 km outside town, to the westCastleGilling Castle1.1 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric houseDuncombe Park3.7 km outside town, to the northeastAbbey or prioryNewburgh Priory4.1 km outside town, to the southwest

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Finding your way

Shandy Hall, 5.7 km away, is the farthest on the map.

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The dashed line is Ampleforth’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What kind of places

The biggest group is castles or historic places, with 6 of the 9.

Museums & galleries 1 museum0 in town · 1 nearby
Castles & historic places 3 abbeys or priories · 2 castles · 1 historic house1 in town · 5 nearby
Gardens & estates 1 garden0 in town · 1 nearby
Other attractions 1 attraction0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Ampleforth. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

2 places are cared for by English Heritage (Helmsley Castle and Byland Abbey).

Every place

All the places to visit

It starts in town with one place and goes on to 8 within 5 km of its edge.

The one inside Ampleforth comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

16 listed buildings are on Ampleforth’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Ampleforth →

Big names nearby

Bigger names, a drive away

Out of town, Castle Howard (16 km) leads 12 names to know.

Historic houseCastle Howard16 km southeastChurchYork Minster27 km southAbbey or priory · English HeritageRievaulx Abbey Museum6.3 km northMuseumBig drawMuseumNational Railway Museum27 km south · 808K visitors a yearAbbey or priory · English HeritageFountains Abbey33 km westGarden · National TrustStudley Royal Park32 km westCastle · English HeritageClifford's Tower27 km southMuseumYorkshire Museum27 km south · 164K visitors a year (2019)MuseumYork Castle Museum27 km south · 284K visitors a year (2013)CathedralRipon Cathedral28 km westCastleCrayke Castle8.5 km southCastle · English HeritagePickering Castle22 km east

Places well known beyond Ampleforth (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Know before you go to Ampleforth

What are the main attractions in Ampleforth?

The place to visit inside Ampleforth’s built-up area is Ampleforth Abbey. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 8 more within 5 km.

Does Ampleforth have a museum?

1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of Ampleforth: Shandy Hall.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Ampleforth?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Ampleforth, 2 places are cared for by English Heritage (Helmsley Castle and Byland Abbey).

What are the best-known days out near Ampleforth?

Within 40 km: Castle Howard (16 km), York Minster (27 km), Rievaulx Abbey Museum (6.3 km), National Railway Museum (27 km).

Where are Ampleforth’s historic buildings listed?

Ampleforth has 16 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Ampleforth when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (18)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.