Fountains Abbey: Largest Monastic Ruins In Britain
The ruins at Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire are the largest monastic ruins in Britain.
The Grade I listed abbey is owned by the National Trust and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today, its atmospheric ruins give an idea of the power and wealth of medieval monastic communities in England, before being dissolved by Henry VIII.
The abbey was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York.
The Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York decided they'd rather be part of the more austere Cistercian Order.
It's incredible to think that out of that wish for a more austere life, came the incredible, and ornate structure of Fountains Abbey, together with a very rich business empire.
While the Cistercian monks dedicated their lives to prayer, their lay brothers farmed and worked on other tasks.
Over time the Fountains Abbey estate grew, particularly thanks to the wealth created through wool production.
Their other commercial interests included horse breeding, lead mining and stone quarrying.
By 1300, Fountains Abbey was a leading producer and exporter of wool.
Their extensive lands stretched over to Malham Moor, with connections to many well-known spots such as Kilnsey Park where fish were bred for the monks.
It's thanks to sheep trading that Masham has such an extensive market place.
Fountains Abbey had an enormous wool warehouse, a fulling mill and dye-vats, probably using natural materials such as lichen for dye.
Over the next years the wool and textile industry flourished. The monks used wool for clothing and bedding and sold it at market alongside lamb, cheese and butter.
They even used sheep skins for parchment.
In the 14th century bad harvests, sheep disease and the Black Death led to a decline in Fountain Abbey's fortunes and some lay brothers left.
Over time dairy farming became more popular.
The Abbey's success came to an abrupt halt in 1539 with the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII.
This was worsened by the Black Death which struck the country in 1348.
After that much of the land was sold off and let to local people.
It remained in private hands until the 1960s - the National Trust bought the estate from the West Riding County Council in 1983.
Today, Fountains Abbey is the largest set of monastic ruins in England, attaining UNESCO World Heritage status in 1986.
Visitors can explore these extremely well-preserved remains, including the cloisters and the cellarium – interestingly, the cellarium of Fountains Abbey is home to several species of bats, but these only come out after dusk.
The abbey’s vast scale gives an idea just how important the monastic community was in medieval England, with its ornate stonework and towering archways a delight to explore.
In the surrounding grounds may also be found sprawling Georgian water gardens, an Elizabethan hall, and a medieval deer park, for a full day of activities spanning 900 years of history!
Fountains Abbey is located in Ripon, Yorkshire off the B6265 to Pateley Bridge.
It can be accessed via the A1, following which the brown tourist signs lead to the site, where there is free parking.
The 36 bus service offers daily connections from Leeds and Harrogate to Ripon, from which the 139 bus service alights at the site’s Visitor Centre, however this route is long and a taxi may instead be advisable.
The picturesque remains are no stranger to the big and small screen, having appeared in films such as The History Boys (2006), Death Comes to Pemberley (2013), TV drama Gunpowder (2017) and most recently The Secret Garden (2020).
Someone who recently visited Fountians Abbey said: “What can I say about this absolutely stunning place.....wow!
”I am not surprised it was voted joint top spot in a survey to find Britains best heritage site. It’s just amazing.
”We went in January so the weather wasn't the best, so imagine in the warmer months it’s just spectacular.
”It is very dog friendly, and some of the views from the top are just incredible. I don't have enough words to describe how beautiful this place is.”
If you’d like to visit, the address is: Fountains, Ripon HG4 3DY.
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