How to visit Fountains Abbey, the largest Cistercian abbey in England

If you have planned a trip through the north of england, and specifically for the region of Yorkshire, you will surely visit the very beautiful medieval city of york,

But my advice is that you should not miss coming to see the archaeological remains of the medieval Fountains Abbey, one of the most spectacular corners you can visit in Great Britain.

Of the tourist attraction that the remains of the Fountains Abbey It will be worth the fact that it was the reason why I made a weekend getaway from Spain exclusively to visit it along with the aforementioned city of Y.

Located at north of england, I can tell you that your visit will take you between two and three hours. duration that will depend on whether, in addition to touring the spectacular remains of this cistercian abbey, you take a brief walk through the annexes Studley Royal Gardens, or you go through them in their entirety.

You will find these historical remains next to the small town of Ripon, about 50 kilometers from York and less than an hour away.

Curiosities about the history of Fountains Abbey, World Heritage

El historical origin de Fountains Abbey dates back to XII century, when after some dissensions in a monastery in York, 13 monks decided to abandon it to try to return to the Order of Saint Benedict.

Finally those monks were granted some land in the Skell River Valley, where in the year 1132 they began the construction of a new monastery.

In this idyllic natural environment, as you will see when you visit, after joining the Cistercian Order, these monks finally built a monastery with a cistercian abbey which is currently the largest and best preserved in England.

In the middle of the 13th century, Fountains Abbey It had already become one of the most important religious centers in that country.

El monastery was active until 1539when the King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of monasteries throughout England, at which time in Fountains Abbey 30 Cistercian monks resided there.

After paying financial compensation to the monks, the monastery and the land surrounding it were sold by the State to a London merchant, Sir Richard Gresham.

After passing through various hands in the following centuries, it finally in 1767.  The remains of the abbey became the property of the Aislabie family, who in 1718 had begun the construction of the adjacent Studley Royal Gardens.

The beautiful remains of the Fountains Abbey They became part of the idyllic landscape of these gardens.

Currently, both the remains of the abbey and the aquatic gardens form a landscape complex managed by the entity The National Trust, and have been declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco.

This is the experience of visiting Fountains Abbey: what to see

After going through the Visitors Center, you start by walking through a meadow and after crossing a leafy forest, you arrive at the aforementioned Skell River Valley, where you will be surprised by the majesty of the remains of the old abbey.

The first thing you should do in your visit to Fountains Abbey It is simply a walk through the meadow in front of it to see its enormous dimensions and enjoy the beautiful panoramic views.

Next, it is best to access the central nave of the old abbey.

You should walk through it and its side naves, and in this way you will be able to appreciate the majesty and great historical importance that it had in the past. Fountains Abbey, where you will discover corners of great beauty and very photogenic.

On your subsequent walk through the remains of the rooms of the old Cistercian monastery, without a doubt the most surprising corner is called Crypt Bedroom.

It is a long enclosure almost one hundred meters long with a succession of vaults that give an image of great beauty.

You should also walk through the Abbey cloister and by the remains of other monastic dependencies.

Once you have finished this visit, it is advisable that you take the path that goes through the forest on the right to follow the course of the river and reach the small lake where the trails begin. Studley Royal Gardens.

Walk through Studley Royal Gardens

Walking along the same path you will see different corners in these beautiful water gardensand Anne Boleyn's Seat, a gothic temple, and the Temples of Fame and Piety, two temples with classical style columns.

Once you reach the last lake of the Studley Royal Gardens, you may as well head towards the St Mary's Church.

With a high tower, it was built at the end of the 19th century in victorian gothic style.

Then you can return along the road to the parking lot, or return to the gardens, along the other path that borders the river, to return to the Fountains Abbey.

Fountains Abbey visiting hours

El Visiting hours of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens It is from 10 a.m. to 16,30:10 p.m., from April to mid-October, and from 16 a.m. to XNUMX p.m., from mid-October to March.

The ticket prices (2024) are, £19 for adults, £9,50 for children and £52,30 for families.

El parking It is free in the Visitors Center, but it will cost you £6 if you decide to park your car in the car park that is next to the lake of the Studley Royal Gardens.

Map: where it is and how to get to Fountains Abbey

You find this beautiful landscape complex very near the town of Ripon, located about 50 kilometers west of the aforementioned medieval city of york.