Fountains Abbey Studley Royal Water Garden North Yorkshire
One of England's most diverse collections of landscape architecture is located in this sprawling site, four miles south west of Ripon. Headlining the historic role call are the dramatic remains of Britain's largest monastic ruin, a 360-acre medieval deer park and an elaborate water garden. Inbetween, a profusion of woodland secludes an eclectic assortment of temples, while the 17th-century Fountain Hall and the splendid Gothic church of St Mary's serve as the area's elaborate bookends.
The site's oldest construction is Fountains Abbey. Its story began in 1132, when 13 Benedictine monks were exiled here from York and subsequently taken into the protection of Thurstan, the city's archbishop. Three years later, the monks became part of the Cistercian Order. They adopted a punitive lifestyle that demanded a strict diet, long periods of silence and the wearing of the regulation habit made from untreated sheep's wool (which earned them the moniker "the White Monks"). Also in accordance with the Cistercian ethos, the building itself was designed to appear simple and austere (although the sheer size of the end product ensured it was anything but demure). Remarkably, despite such humble origins, the abbey had become Britain's wealthiest by the mid-12th century, but its fortunes were to change drastically with the Dissolution in 1539. The abbey quickly fell into ruin (with much of its stone used for construction in Ripon and York) and, after a number of owners, the land was eventually purchased in 1718 by local MP John Aislabie, who was to create the site's water garden and Classical temples. His work was expanded on posthumously by son William, who renamed the prettiest of the temples, which was previously dedicated to Hercules, as the "Temple of Piety" is honour of his father. Today, the men's collaboration is classed as one of the best examples of a Georgian green garden in England.
Another beneficiary of the abbey's plentiful supply of sandstone was Fountains Hall, which was built by Stephen Proctor between 1598 and 1604. A Grade I listed building and a fine example of Elizabethan architecture, it boasts picturesque views overlooking the River Skell from its elevated position amongst the surrounding woodlands. Its closest neighbour is the fascinating Fountains Mill, one of Britain's finest monastic watermills, which opened to the public for the first time in over 800 years, in 2001.
St Mary's Church, constructed in the 1870s, is the newest addition to the grounds. Considered a masterpiece of Gothic design, it was built for the first Marquess of Ripon and features some interesting internal sculpture, notably a set of multicoloured parrots. Encircling the church is the Deer Park, which is still home to 500 Red, Fallow and Sika deer.
In 1987, Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Water Garden were jointly designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together they constitute the National Trust's most visited pay-for-entry property, attracting approximately 300,000 visitors per year.
If you're visiting during the summertime, make sure to catch one of the atmospheric floodlit tours of the abbey at night.
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