THE artistic talents and business acumen of 13th Century monks are being tapped into as part of an unusual venture.

Ancient patterned mosaics, which once covered the floors at the 900-year-old Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, have been revived on a range of pottery featuring the intricate designs.

The initiative is the brainchild of the monastery's English Heritage custodians, John Lax and Janet Smith, who worked with archaeologists and retail specialists to create the souvenirs.

Mr Lax, the head custodian, said: "The Cistercian monks were sharp-eyed entrepreneurs who used their business acumen to raise funds for the abbey's construction.

"We're following that example to maintain their legacy today. The new pottery really does capture some of Rievaulx's glory, and I am sure it will prove very popular."

The abbey's mosaic patterns have been seen before on the high street when they were replicated on a 1950s brand of lino.

Nowadays, about 800 original tiles remain at Rievaulx, with a further 20,000 stored at English Heritage's warehouse in Helmsley.