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Once one of England’s wealthiest Benedictine monasteries, St Mary’s Abbey in York was founded in 1088 by William II to reinforce his hold in the north after the Battle of Hastings. It stood opposite York Minster for 500 years before the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. Today, you can explore the Grade I-listed ruin during a visit to the ten-acre York Museum Gardens (yorkmuseumgardens.org.uk).