Mount Grace Priory, in the foothills of the North York Moors near Osmotherley, is the best-preserved of England's Carthusian monasteries, founded in 1398 for silent, vegetarian monks who lived alone in cells around a great cloister. The National Trust owns the site but English Heritage runs it, so National Trust members get in free except on event days. One cell has been reconstructed and furnished, to show how a monk lived, and you enter through the manor house, which has restored Arts and Crafts rooms and an exhibition on the priory's history. Thirteen acres of gardens hold terraces, meadows, an orchard and a lake, and are known for their stoats. Dogs on short leads are welcome outdoors, though not inside the cafe. Reviewers praise the friendly, knowledgeable staff and the Orchard Cafe. One tip from regulars: the car park is small and fills at busy times, so arrive early.
