Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in Yorkshire, marks the arrival of the Cistercians in the north of England. It was founded in 1132, and became one of England’s grandest monasteries, making its money from mining and sheep. It also ran an early version of a blast furnace to process iron.  By the middle of the 12^th century Rievaulx had around 140 monks and 500 lay brothers, and property extending to around 6,000 acres. Five daughter houses were established in Scotland and northern England.
  The abbey was badly hit by the Black Death in the 14^th century, and the number of monks and lay brothers was drastically reduced.