Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Today I'd like to share our last day in the north of England and Scotland.  We enjoyed two glorious weeks touring special places that were owned by The National Trust and English Heritage.  As I've mentioned before, we joined these two organizations before leaving home.  The Royal Oak Foundation is the arm of The National Trust here in the USA.  Tomorrow we will be traveling to Devon and Cornwall to explore for two more weeks while celebrating our Golden Anniversary!  So hop in the car and let's take a drive!

You can look out the window all you like as there is much beauty to be enjoyed and Grayden has it all under control! 

Isn't it wonderful to see green!  Yes, it's winter here now and I must say I'm happy to see it!  England is truly a "Green and Pleasant Land! "

You never know what you're going to see along the way.

But you can be sure it will be full of charm!

As we approach the entrance I'm struck by the beauty that has drawn people here for centuries.  We will be visiting the ruins of 400 years of monastic life that ended with the dissolution of monasteries by Henry VIII.

Monks came here in 1132 looking for a simpler life and more devout life.  They were called "white monks" because they wore undyed sheep's wool habits.  They soon kept themselves sustainable as shepherds, tanners, masons, and brewers. 

Since there are miles and miles of paths to take, and you have on your best walking shoes, we'll begin beside the recreated garden with the wattle fence.

The monks grew their own food of course.  This garden was full of lovely plants and vegetables.  Let's continue on to the path that leads us to the Abbey ruins.  Watch your step as it's quite steep!

The beauty of Fountains Abbey ruins begins to come into focus as we descend down the hill.

Wandering among these ruins made me a little sad.  How awful that Henry VIII destroyed such places of worship.  Also the welfare system that the Abbey supported was lost when it was dissolved.  

Let's continue on the path next to the Abbey to visit Studley Royal.  John Aislabie had a retreat here in Yorkshire next to the Fountains Abbey and dreamed of creating a water garden.  With the ruins next door, he thought it to be a fine spot.  John's son William did buy the ruins in 1767 and of course the ruins became part of the garden.  What a grand garden it is!  

In 1986 Fountain Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens was designated a World Heritage Site.  The fact that the Aislabies had the abbey ruins and the gardens was the main reason they were given World Heritage status.  The ruins add another eye catching layer to this lovely garden.

Looking all about there are many pheasants enjoying their life here in the gardens.

If you want you can explore the Serpentine Tunnel. 

There are many follies, statues, and interesting sights in this eighteenth century garden such as the Temple of Fame.

The Temple of Piety and Moon.

This is the Temple of Piety and Moon pond with statues.

Notice the pheasant in flight over the pond.  It's such a peaceful garden to enjoy.

As we climb a very steep hill we see the beautiful St. Mary's Church.  It was designed by William Burges and was commissioned by the Marquis of Ripon in 1870.

The Choristers' House was designed by William Burges also.  It was used as a music school, but now can be rented out for family events or as a holiday cottage.  Wouldn't that be fun?

How exciting to see a few of the deer that occupy this park.

Red, sika, and fallow deer make their home here at the deer park of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.  How lucky we are to have seen them on our visit today!  Thank you for coming along with us.  ♥