Dating from the 1100s, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful abbey and monastary in England (second to Fountains Abbey, which I visited a few years ago: Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden). The abbey was powerful in this remote area of Cumbria, south of the Lake District on a small bit of land. Its monks controlled the Isle of Man as well as build Piel Castle for trade and protection; the monks were powerful land and mine owners and often found themselves in the struggle between the English and Scottish problems. In the mid-1500s, the abbey and monastary was destroyed by Henry VIII because he grew angry at the Catholics for not allowing him to annul his marriage to Spanish Catherine of Aragon.
Furness Abbey was founded by monks from the Savigniac Order. Around twenty years later or so, the layout of the buildings and the abbey was changed to meet the style and needs of the Cisterian monks. They opted for a more plain style whereas the Savigniac Order had rich decorations and a different layout of the abbey.
A few years ago while completing repair works on the abbey ruins, the grave of an abbot was uncovered. The man had a gold staff, ring, and other items buried with him. These items, stone caskets, and stone decoration uncovered on the site showed the craftsmanship of the medieval workers. The most important people were buried within the church and then closer to the church.
The abbey here was in use for 20 generations, so this meant that people were buried and the site evolved.
Unfortunately, the abbey was constructed using local red sandstone and grey limestone, which is soft, so many of the carvings have been weathered away. Also, the abbey itself was sinking and cracking due to the way it was built and the materials used, so it was pinned in the 1920s and then work was carried out more recently to save it from completely collapsing.
In modern times, the abbey is rumoured to be haunted. It was also the site for mystery plays until the late 1980s when it became difficult to recruit the number of people needed to host the plays. A mystery play is a play telling a Bible-related story, and they were held over several nights. Today, the site is open to visitors for a small fee.
This is actually a really impressive abbey, although out-of-the-way and less busy than other abbeys such as Fountains Abbey. I recommend a visit if in the area.
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