A MULTI-thousand pound museum and exhibition were today unveiled at Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, by Sir Neil Cossons, new chairman of English Heritage.

Scores of relics, many unseen by the public, have been put on display in the £300,000 museum to tell the story of what was arguably the region's first multi-national business centre, as well as being an important centre of the Cistercian faith.

Sir Neil, on his first visit to Yorkshire as English Heritage chairman, said: "The Rievaulx Abbey Museum is the result of years of research and hard work. Our aim is to provide visitors with a vivid and often startling insight into the life and times of England's greatest monastic ruin. It is hard to imagine today, but Rievaulx was both a hub of industrial activity and a cradle of technology.

"Its most famous Abbot, St Aelred, spoke of Rievaulx's 'serenity', but the picture emerging of medieval life is very different. The exhibition shows how the monks combined zealous faith with business acumen to build the crowning glory of Cistercian architecture in Western Europe."

Rievaulx's 750,000 annual visitors are captivated by its modern tranquillity, but in its medieval heyday the walls would have echoed to the sound of hammering, iron forges and building works.

To recapture Rievaulx in its prime, visitors will be guided through a series of themed displays showing the importance of industry, agriculture, commerce, spirituality, education and water engineering. Each of the displays is illustrated with original artefacts ranging from rosary beads and pendants to floor tiles and chess pieces.

A 12th century masonry hoist and leather tanning vat are exhibits making up part of the display.

Back in the 12th century the existence of Rievaulx was jeopardised when the monks had an ill- fated dabble in the futures market. Sheep scab decimated the flock making it impossible to fulfil contracts with Italian merchants and the community never fully recovered from the financial crisis.

New research is used to show how the monks developed technology and were on the brink of mastering the blast furnace, centuries before the industrial revolution.

The Abbey's darkest hour came in the 16th century when Rievaulx became one of many monasteries broken up and sold off by Henry VIII.

The abbey was asset stripped, including lead from the roof, some of which was eventually used to re-lead the Five Sisters stained glass window at York Minster after the First World War.

Even when building the museum itself new finds were unearthed including the remnants of medieval burials. The museum and exhibition has received support from the European Regional Development Fund and was opened to mark the launch of Museums and Galleries Month.