Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey stands in a quiet valley near Ripon, North Yorkshire. The River Skell flows through the site, which the Cistercian monks chose in 1132 for its shelter, stone and running water. Six springs gave the abbey its name and supplied the community with fresh water every day. The monks arrived after a dispute at St Mary’s Abbey in York and were placed under the protection of Archbishop Thurstan. They joined the Cistercian order in 1135 and learned their way of life from Clairvaux Abbey in Burgundy. Geoffrey of Ainai, sent from Clairvaux, taught them to build wooden structures and to keep the seven canonical hours. The abbey became one of England’s richest monasteries through large landholdings and careful management. Abbots such as Henry Murdac rebuilt the church and claustral buildings between 1143 and 1170. Richard completed the chapter house and nearly finished the new church before his death in 1170. William of Newminster led the community from 1180 to 1190, known for his ascetic life. Ralph Haget, a former soldier, became abbot in 1190 and supported local people during famine and disease. John of York, John of Hessle and John of Kent expanded the buildings in the early 13th century. Visitors walk among the standing ruins of the abbey church and claustral buildings. The chapter house, refectory and lay brothers’ dormitory survive from the 12th and 13th centuries. The abbey mill, guest houses and bridges remain near the riverbank. Marmaduke Huby added a tower in the early 16th century, still marked with his insignia and religious texts. The abbey lies within Studley Royal Park, an 18th-century landscaped garden with water features and woodland walks. The ruins and park together form a World Heritage Site owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage.