The first major monastery to be built by Cistercians, Rievaulx was founded c 1132. The monastic buildings were probably completed in the early 12C and the austere nave dates back to same period. The sanctuary walls, in the 13C Early English style, still stand three storeys high. The tomb of the first abbot, William, is in the western wall of the chapter house. The museum was renovated in 2016 and illustrates the abbey's history.