Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, 1850-1910. Unknown photographer, albumen print. The ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, the first Cistercian abbey in the north of England, have been a tourist destination since the 18th century. In the Victorian era photographers were also drawn to record the picturesque, ivy-clad ruins. By 1917 these were in danger of collapse and Rievaulx Abbey was taken into the care of the Office of Works. Sir Charles Peers, Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments, caused controversy by clearing the site of vegetation and establishing the principle of presenting historic monuments in neat, tidy, unobstructed settings.