900 years ago, 13 monks came to a quiet green valley by the River Skell, seeking a new home. The abbey they founded there became one of the greatest in England. Jump forward 600 years and the monks are long gone, but their abbey remains. Around it are created incredible water gardens, the finest of the Georgian period. Today, we are lucky enough to be able to wander in the footsteps of both the monks and the Georgians and enjoy their gorgeous creations at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Park in York. I had heard that the site was impressive, but my visit to this beautiful place blew me away.
It was a cloudy grey morning (what else can you expect on an English spring bank holiday) and we drove out from York in search of Fountains Abbey. A World Heritage site located in a beautiful valley, we had read that it was one of the largest abbeys in England at its height, but were still astonished at the scale of the buildings from our first sight.
Started by a group of 13 monks who had been exiled from the nearby Benedictine monastery of St Mary’s in York, Fountains’ path to greatness was founded on farm and industry, as it became wealthy from wool production, cattle, horses, and even lead mining. Amongst the towering arches of the abbey, however, it was easy to imagine a simply dressed monk in brown robes, moving quietly through the cloisters on his way to services.
On this long weekend, Fountains Abbey was a popular destination and it was easy to see why – it is perfect for families with the wide green spaces, rocks to scramble over and corridors for hide-and-seek. Dog-walkers and runners were also making use of the long paths – it’s a great example of a well-used National Trust property.
After we had explored the northern side of the Abbey, we took ourselves down towards the lake. Here the landscape began to change as statutes replaced ruins and a perfectly manicured water garden took over from the tumbling stream.
Spot the Octagon Tower on the hill
The abbey was dissolved by King Henry VIII as part of his moves to seize the riches of the Church in 1539 and the lands on which it rested were sold. In 1720 the MP, John Aislabie, was the owner of Studley Estate and returned to his Yorkshire lands after being expelled from Parliament for his part in the South Sea bubble and collapse. He clearly was an industrious man with time on his hands, as he chose to create the incredible water gardens. Together with his son, these two amateurs built the beautiful ponds and lawns that we now strolled around.
Emma and Victoria admiring the lakeside fishing cottage
Octagon Tower
View back over the water gardens from the Octagon Tower
Staging our band cover at the Temple of Fame
Apart from a steep climb up to the Octagon Tower, the paths were pretty gentle, and we had chosen to take the high road as we were intrigued by the promise of the marked ‘Anne Boleyn’s Seat and Surprise View’. While the seat was unlikely to ever have been visited by the fair lady herself, we all agreed that the view was completely as billed – an astonishing view over the river and back to the Abbey ruins, which shimmered ethereally as the sun tried to break through.
Incredible, huh?!
With my lovely travel companions Emma, Victoria, Anna and Natalie
As we completed our circuit (at our easy pace, the walk around the lake and back took about 45 minutes) the views of the Abbey continued to astonish. From further away the scale was even more visible and it was easy to trace the bones of the buildings that had given way to the march of time.
We loved our visit to Fountains Abbey and only wished for a picnic so that we could have stayed longer and relaxed in the grounds. It was totally worth its World Heritage status and is definitely a must-visit if you are ever in the Yorkshire area! For more information, click here.
I love visiting historic places where you can so easily imagine their glorious past – where have you visited that has done the same for you?
Linking up for #WanderfulWednesday with Marcella, Lauren, Van and Isabel – check out their travel link-up and their fantastic blogs using the links!