Herb Riddle's photos with the keyword: Fountains Abbey

We are back in Studley Royal Water Gardens Park and this is just one of the lakes that form this park. The River Skell makes this all possible. Just to the left of me is a slight dam and weir then behind me is the start of the Seven Bridge valley walk. Enjoy the weekend.

We had just arrived at the abbey car park and only yards away was confronted with this view. A very nice fence where some thought had been put into the shapes of the wood. Then I wondered which church this could be as I could not find it on my plan of the abbey. Minutes later I was to discover that what I saw here was just the top of the giant abbey bell tower as the whole structure was deep in the hidden valley beyond the trees. Have a good weekend.

Fountains Hall, a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust, is situated within the World Heritage Site at Studley Royal Park which include the impressive ruins of Fountains Abbey. The late Elizabethan house dates back to between 1598 and 1604 and was built by Stephen Proctor. Stone from Fountains Abbey ruins was used in its construction. See adjacent photo for full view. Enjoy the day.

Fountains Hall, a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust, is situated within the World Heritage Site at Studley Royal Park which include the impressive ruins of Fountains Abbey. The late Elizabethan house dates back to between 1598 and 1604 and was built by Stephen Proctor. Stone from Fountains Abbey ruins was used in its construction. Enjoy the day.

As I come to the end of this series on here of Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Water Gardens I finish with a classic capture of the tower with reflections. We are nearly at the end of our walking tour here and as it is getting close to the actual closing time of the grounds there are less tourist about. The weather has remained dry but as you see, overcast. I took many more photos and no doubt, some will show up as time goes by. Hope you have enjoyed them. Please Follow the PiP for more historical information. Enjoy full screen

The old Abbey ruins hide many places like this one. “As you wander under the low roof you can easily imagine this chilly space as it once was: a food store. It's now used for events such as Carols by Candlelight at Christmas, choir performances during Fountains by Floodlight and for services throughout the year.” Enjoy full screen

An extension of the Studley Royal Water Gardens following the River Skell out of the gardens. A delightful walk by the river and over these bridges to be greeted by yet more. There were seven bridge once but now only five remain. Best full screen

The Abbey in question is Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire. A rare day out to see such a place and suffice to say, it’s Springtime. Even on this cloudy day the narcissus are in full bloom around this wonderful bench spot. This taken on our exit route out of the site and park. HBM, enjoy the week.

A panoramic view of these gardens just beyond Fountains Abbey. This very wide angle view taken with my phone following the River Skell course down river and shows the Moon Pond and Temple of Piety. If you look carefully, higher in the trees towards the top right, you can also see the Temple of Fame. Just near the end of the water on the left sits the Octagon tower. 3xPiPs. See last photo for the full Temple of Piety view. Best full screen.

A dream water feature adorning the Moon Pond of Studley Water Gardens. There is in fact also a Temple of Fame set just behind this above the trees. See next photo for more details and larger view. Enjoy full screen.

Once inside this old ruin, founded in 1132, one is amazed at the size and complexity of the building and can only gasp at the stunning architecture. Left and right of the columns are long arched aisles. Best full screen.

We’re in the Studley Royal Water Gardens Park here now, next to Fountains Abbey. We have just crossed this bridge to start on our next leg of exploration up the seven bridge valley. The weir is all part of a grand scheme to dam parts of the River Skell by past owners John Messenger and William Ailsabie in order to create a number of mirror lakes as the centre point of the gardens. Have a good weekend.

Abbey Mill built by the monks of Fountains Abbey , N Yorkshire restored by English Heritage and National Trust. The first mill was probable built in 1140 and became one of the largest corn mills in the country. By the 20th century a water turbine was added after gaining a new waterwheel in the 19th century for sawmill operations. PiP for water wheel. Enjoy the day.

A Birthdays treat to see something special. We knew about this place and its history but had never visited before. "Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York. They'd grown tired of the extravagant and rowdy way that the monks lived in York and so they escaped, seeking to live a devout and simple lifestyle elsewhere. This was how they came to Fountains. By the time three years had passed the monks had become settled into their new way of life and had been admitted to the austere Cistercian Order. With that came an important development – the introduction of the Cistercian system of lay brothers. The lay brothers (what we would now call labourers) relieved the monks from routine jobs, giving them more time to dedicate to God rather than farming the land to get by. It was because of the help of the lay brothers that Fountains became wealthy through wool production, lead mining, cattle rearing, horse breeding and stone quarrying. Bad harvests hit the monks hard and combined with raids from the Scots throughout the 14th century, they experienced economic collapse. This was worsened by the Black Death which struck the country in 1348. Despite its financial problems, the abbey remained important. The abbacy of Marmaduke Huby (1495–1526) marked a period of revival, and the great tower built by Huby symbolised his hope for the abbey’s future. The abbey was abruptly closed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. The estate of Fountains Abbey was sold by the Crown to a merchant, Sir Richard Gresham. It remained in private hands until the 1960s. The National Trust bought the estate from the West Riding County Council in 1983." Best full screen. Enjoy the day.

We're taking a walk around the perimeter of Studley Royal Water Garden here adjoining Fountains Abbey. Our views from this bench are pretty good to say the least over wonderful garden lakes and ruins of a grand Abbey too. As we sit for a few moments we smell all around us the garlic that has started to bloom at the back and sides of us. Imagine and enjoy. HBM - have a great day.

A special treat to see this new area for us and as we begin to walk down into the valley we see our first glimpse of the ruins of Fountains Abbey. A child grips her mother’s hand as they too wander towards a new adventure. Best full screen. Enjoy the day.