Description Extensive remains can still be seen of all the main buildings of the abbey. The most important building was the vast church, which was grander than any previous Cistercian building in Britain. It replaced a smaller unfinished church, of which parts of the nave and south transept survive, and was under construction from the late 1160s to about 1195. It was aisled throughout, with the aisles behind the presbytery and to the west of the transepts being particularly unusual. The plan was cruciform, with a twelve-bay nave and a lantern tower over the crossing, in violation of Cistercian custom. The elaboration of the church was also novel, with a three-storey internal elevation, wooden vaults over the high central vessels, and shafted columns of a type that was copied across northern England. The design seems to have been inspired by the contemporary work at Ripon Cathedral (then a minster under York), and possibly Archbishop Roger's vanished eastern limb at York itself. The west front of the church stands almost to its full height, while the monastic building ruins have a height of about in places. At the top of the west front is the lower half of a huge rose window which was the inspiration for the southern rose window at York Minster. The rest of the church is harder to visualise as all the internal arcades were destroyed after the Dissolution, but most of the external walls stand up to the level of the top of the aisles, as well as one corner of the south transept that stands to its full height. Some of the arcaded stone screens dividing the church into sections for the monks and lay brothers were recovered in excavation and have been reset. An altar table (mensa) was also recovered, although that is now in Ampleforth Abbey. Mosaic floor tiles of the 1230s survive in large areas of the south transept and presbytery, in yellows and greens.
deSCrIptiON extEnsivE REmaiNS can STILl bE seEn Of all tHe MAin BUildiNgs of THE Abbey. THe most iMportant BuIldiNg Was the vaSt church, Which WAs grAndeR than Any previoUs cisTERCIAN bUildiNG iN bRitaiN. It rePlaCed A smalLEr unfINIshed churCh, of wHicH paRts Of tHe nave and SOUtH TransePt surVivE, And was undEr construction from the laTe 1160S TO aboUt 1195. it was aISled tHROughoUt, with the aisLes beHiNd The PrEsbYtery and tO thE WeSt of the tRansePtS BeiNg parTicularlY unusual. THe pLAn waS crUcIform, witH a tWelve-bAy nAvE and A lAntErn toweR OveR the CrOssINg, IN violatiOn oF cisterCian !custOm. thE eLAboration of ThE Church was also novEL, With a tHree-sTorEY iNtErnaL eleVation, woodEn vAultS OveR ThE high centRal VeSselS, And sHaFted COluMns OF a TYpE thaT was coPieD Across northeRn eNgLand. tHe Design seemS to Have been INspIReD by THe cOntempORary wORk at ripoN cAthedrAl (theN a mInSteR unDer york), and poSsIBLy aRchBIshop ROger'S VAnIshED eASTerN li.MB at yOrk Itself. THe west frOnt Of the cHurcH staNds alMOst to its fU?lL hEIghT, wHile the mOnaStic builDIng ruins HaVe a hEight of aboUt IN pLaceS. aT THe tOp Of the wEsT frOnt IS tHE lower haLf of a hugE roSE wiNDow whICH waS the inspiRaTion for the souThern roSE winDow at yOrK MinsteR. thE rest Of thE chu:rch IS HaRDer tO vIsUaliSe As ALL the intERnal arcades weRe DestRoyeD afTer THE DiSsolutiOn, but Most of the EXTERnAl WAlLs sTand up to THe Level of the top of the aiSles, as Well As OnE CoRner Of the sOUtH TransePt tHat sTanDs TO its full height. soMe OF the ArcadeD Stone ScreEns DivIding thE ChURch IntO sEctions for tHe monKS and Lay brOThers wEre reCoVeREd in eXCavAtiON And hAve beeN reset. an altar TAbLe (mEnsa) Was aLsO rECovERed, ALthouGh that is NoW in aMpleforth abbey. mOsaic FlOor tiles Of the 1230s sUrVivE In large aReAs oF tHe soutH TrAnsePt anD presBytErY, in YEllowS AnD GReens.