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FOUNTAINS ABBEY & STUDLEY ROYAL - 03/06/06

Photographs from the National Trust's Fountains Abbey estate are featured on this latest page update to Boots and Paws. The remains of the Cistercian abbey and gardens are located in Yorkshire approximately four miles from Ripon. Dogs on leads are welcome at the estate.

Our circular route through the site started from the Visitor Centre from where we walked downhill towards Fountains Hall. The hall was built between 1598 and 1604 partly using stone from the ruins of the abbey, today it is partially open to the public with some areas used as holiday apartments.
The imposing ruins of Fountains Abbey greet us a short distance away from the hall. The abbey, now a World Heritage Site was first established in 1132 by 13 monks exiled from St Mary's Abbey after a dispute over reforms. The Cistercian abbey remains are the most complete in Britain and give a realistic impression of the scale of the abbey before it fell to ruin.
A hazy view back to the abbey ruins with the River Skell in the foreground as we walked from the abbey towards Studley Royal Water Gardens. The gardens, dating from the early 18th century provide a perfect backdrop to the abbey with spectacular viewpoints towards the ruins. The gardens feature ornamental lakes as well as a temple, (below left) statues and an octagon tower as shown above on the right.
A short uphill walk from the water gardens takes you through a medieval deer park towards the imposing Victorian Church of St Mary's before we completed our circular route of this 760 acre estate walking back towards the Visitor Centre.