Fountains Abbey in Studley Royal Park

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Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey is a designated World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire, England. The site, which has an area of 323 hectares (800 acres) features an 18th-century landscaped garden, some of the largest Cistercian ruins in Europe, a Jacobean mansion and a Victorian church designed by William Burges. It was developed around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey which is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII.
For a summary of its history visit this link. It is well worth a visit and we had a great day here.




View of the ruins from one of the weirs





Fountains Abbey Mill is the only 12th century Cistercian cornmill in Britain and one of a few 
surviving in Europe. It was built originally as a huge monastic watermill and granary, but in its time has also been a sawmill, a stone masons’ workshop and even a generating station for electricity. The building, which has been in continuous use for over 850 years, measures 110 feet in length and has three storeys. Throughout its existence the mill has remained in the same ownership as Fountains Abbey. It was spared at the Dissolution of the Abbeys in 1539 because it was able to generate an income for the estate, of £3 per year!


The monks' cellarium (where food was stored)


We walked around other parts of the Studley Royal Park and came across this bridge in what is known as the Seven Bridges Valley



The magnificent St Mary's Church is one of the finest examples of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in England. It was designed in the 1870s by the flamboyant architect William Burges. Set within Studley Royal Park, a World Heritage Site which also includes the ruins of Fountains Abbey, the church has been called Burges's 'ecclesiastical masterpiece'.
The church was built by the Marquess and Marchioness of Ripon following a tragic family death in 1870. Its extravagantly decorated interior is influenced by 13th century English Gothic styles and displays coloured marble, stained glass, a splendid organ, and painted and gilded figures in all their original glory.
St Mary's Church is owned by English Heritage and managed by the National Trust.








Location: Fountains, Ripon HG4 3DY, UK

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