Jo’s Monday walk : Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

The lovely ruins of Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire

The lovely ruins of Fountains Abbey

Classic English beauty combines with a watery world for this week’s walk at Studley Royal, in Yorkshire.  I’ve been there several times and always been cursed with dismal weather.  The balmy Autumn that we’ve been experiencing was just perfect for this visit.  A Cistercian Abbey, water gardens and a deer park- irresistible?  I think so!  But don’t forget to take your purse.  Being a National Trust property, it doesn’t come cheap. (currently £10.50- no concessions, unless you are a National Trust member)

Some things don’t change.  The monks who came here in 1132 were pretty good at amassing money too.  Thirteen Benedictine monks left St. Mary’s Abbey in York to found a Cistercian Abbey in this valley.  It became one of the richest in Europe.  Something that has changed, since my last visit, is the approach to the park.  You used to be able to drive into the estate through the deer park, but traffic now is all routed via the Visitor Centre.  Pick up a map at reception, and let’s go.

It's not long before you catch your first sight of the Abbey

It’s not long before you catch your first sight of the Abbey

The ruins are extensive and Fountains Abbey Mill is the only 12th century Cistercian cornmill left in the UK.  It was in continuous use until 1927, and today houses an interactive exhibition and the water wheel, which can still grind corn.

Wooded cliffs line the valley
Numerous pheasants scuttle around the grounds
And you follow the stream, looking back at the Abbey from time to time
As it recedes into the distance

If you’ve never been here before, you will almost certainly be impressed with what comes next. After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, the Abbey buildings and over 500 acres of land were sold by the Crown.  The property was passed down through several generations until it was inherited by John Aislabie, in 1693.  He was a socially and politically ambitious man and became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1718, but his involvement in the South Sea Bubble financial scandal had him expelled from Parliament.  On his return to Yorkshire, he turned the wooded valley of the River Skell into one of England’s most spectacular Georgian water gardens.

A basin of water opens up before you

A basin of water opens up before you

Beyond the trees, a further body of water
Dramatic sculptures line the canal
Which stretches off into the distance
And the sphinx looks idly on
The reflections in the lily pond are lovely

Reflections sparkle in the lily pond

With more sculptures

Yet more sculptures rough and tumble

A group of volunteer gardeners are raking pond weed from the canals- a pleasant enough occupation on such a sunny afternoon.  The curve of the Moon Pond stretches ahead, the pillars of the Temple of Piety a focal point on the far side.  Originally the Temple of Hercules, it is believed to have been renamed when John Aislabie’s son, William, commissioned a bas relief wall sculpture inside the temple, after his father’s death.

The Temple of Piety beyond the Moon Pond

The Temple of Piety, beyond the Moon Pond

Looking out from between the pillars
The bas relief wall sculpture
Corner detail
And looking up, inside the portico

You need to walk along the canal and cross over a narrow bridge to reach the Temple of Piety. From the bridge there’s a good view across the lake to the deer park.  I didn’t spot any deer at that distance, but was diverted by one of the park’s follies, the Octagon Tower.  A neo-Gothic castle, it looked to me very inviting, but sadly I couldn’t climb it.  Beneath it lies a Serpentine Tunnel, originally designed to give people a bit of a fright at garden parties.

The lake and deer park in the distance

The lake, with the deer park in the distance

The Octagon Tower, nestling in the trees

The Octagon Tower, nestling in the trees

I'm not sure what she was holding?

I’m not sure what she was holding?

It's a beautiful watery world

In her beautiful watery world

I couldn’t climb the tower, but I did find somewhere to look down onto the park.  A sign directing me to Anne Boleyn’s Seat and Surprise View could not be ignored.  I’ll spare you the climb because it was pretty steep, but I think you’d like the view.  You will have an advantage over Anne Boleyn, who never actually saw it.  That’s not because she didn’t have a head, but the name does come from a headless statue.

The Surprise View
Anne Boleyn’s Seat and the headless statue

Back on the path, you can return along the opposite side of the canal, steadily approaching the Abbey.  There you will have a number of diversions.  You can visit the Mill or the tea rooms, and Fountains Hall is a stately exhibition space. (with holiday flats to let!)  Any children with you will love the interpretation centre at the Porter’s Lodge. (I did too!)  And if you have time and energy to spare, there’s the Gothic extravagance of St. Mary’s Church and a stroll round the deer park.

Fountains Hall
Fun in the Porter’s Lodge

Don’t take my word for all this.  The National Trust website will tell you the whole story and provide instructions on how to get there.  I think that you would enjoy this World Heritage Site.  I know I did.  And now it really must be time to put the kettle on, don’t you think?

walking logo

Click on the logo to visit my Jo’s Monday walk page for details on how to join in.  As always we have a wonderful variety of walks to share.

How about a sample of Finnish nature with Vasilis?  I hope you’ve met before?  And the lingonberry tart looks so good! :

Finnish nature

Yvette’s taking street portraits and searching for a missing lady. Please share this one :

Street photos from Charlottesville, VA

Join Drake, very thoughtfully making war on waste  :

Escape from the Cityscape

Making people happy in Jerusalem- that’s Cardinal this week  :

Street Portrait : The Photographer

Amy has been having some more fun with her bird friends  :

Yoga on Water

And Jude has the most delicious selection of Michaelmas Daisies you ever saw!  :

Celebrating Saint Michael

Welcome a Blogspotter please!  Violet Sky has a very fun post to add to the collection.  Do go and say ‘hello’.  :

Lost and found

Pauline is in transit again, but has been kind enough to share a trip ‘over the border’ to New South Wales.  Safe travels, Pauline and Jack!  :

Lingering look at Heritage windows

That’s it for this week.  It just remains to wish you all ‘happy walking!’

 

 

137 comments

  5. I love Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Jo so was very excited to see this week’s post:) I’ve been there many times and it is always a lovely day out. The view of the Abbey as you come round the bend from Studley Royal is stunning. My dad is a National Trust member so we can get a discount when we go with him. After your walk, both the Fountains restaurant at the top near the car park or the cafe and tea rooms at Studley provide good refreshments. The Mill is well worth a visit – the history is fascinating! Also love Fountains Hall too. I hope to do my weekly blog post on a walk round the Perth coast and will put the link on your comments for inclusion in your Weekly Walks if you like it! Thanks for another lovely post and reminding me of Yorkshire again 🙂

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    1. Perth coast sounds good to me, Rosemay. 🙂 We have been in the restaurant before but didn’t on this occasion (penny pinching 🙂 ) Glad you enjoyed our visit. More Yorkshire to come 🙂

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  6. Pingback: Now that summer’s done, we take the Dol Idris Path… | Tish Farrell

  7. Well Jo, I can definitely see why Stourhead reminded you of Studley Royal. What a beautiful place to visit (but as with Stourhead, expensive without National Trust membership…) and I just love the photo of the Fountains Abbey ruins. Interesting about Anne Boleyn too 😉 Glad you got your walk despite the rain for this lovely post. We had a huge storm overnight Sunday into Monday bringing my poor rose down…will post about it later today so you’ll see the pics. The sun came out later on though which is just as well…nothing like a couple of hours of sorting out storm damage into the late evening 😉

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    1. Hi Sherri! Sorry I couldn’t stop to chat yesterday. Just posting up this week’s walks on Facebook at the moment. Yesterday was a total write off here but I did some catching up. 🙂 Beautiful this morning so I’m hoping to go out to play soon. 🙂 Take good care of yourself. I always appreciate your company and time.

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  8. I would love to spend time here – the water, and the lily pond make it feel so peaceful here. The statues and buildings fit very well here. Love the ceiling:) Thanks for taking us with you!

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  13. It reminds me a little of the area beyond the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. – a walk we took when our kids were 4 and just 7. There are follies scattered through the trees and lawns, and water…and lots of bugs in early September!

    It also reminds me of the gardens and grounds at Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, NY. That’s very close to us, and I think I’ll take the (now much bigger) kids there next spring – or maybe even next week, if the weather is decent.

    Lovely, lovely, lovely. I delighted in it all!

    I’m linking up my very first walk here – an apple orchard, two kids, and their mom on a softly lovely October day in upstate New York…

    http://shanjeniah.com/2014/10/06/coffee-and-conversation-our-first-monday-walk-with-jo/

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    1. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm, Shan. 🙂 It’s been a pleasure doing the walks and with this kind I get to pick up a little bit of history along the way. I’m glad you like it. Many thanks for joining in. 🙂

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      1. I love that kind of walk. =)

        In a little while, the kids and I are heading of to the New York State Museum, so I my have some great pictures for the next walk…I’d love to post one every week, and eventually may, but with NaoWriMo coming up, it’ll be a few weeks before I can do them more often then monthly or so…

        I can enjoy yours in the meantime, though!

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Pingback: Coffee and Conversation: Our First Monday Walk with Jo! | shanjeniah

  16. Everything is so green. I particularly like the octagon tower, the grappling statue and Anne Boleyn’s seat. But at last I’m re-reconciled to my own landscape and don’t feel castle-envy any more. Must be time to disrupt again and head back to your hemisphere.

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    1. Not long, I believe, Meg 🙂 December your return to Poland? Christmas with the little ones. I SO don’t want to think Christmas just yet.
      It’ll be a lot greener soon. It poured all day today but it is a lovely venue.

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  20. What a beautiful spot and ideal place for a long walk. I was interested to read that the Abbey became one of the richest in Europe. I tend to thingk of monasteries etc as austere places forgetting that was very often not the case. Lovely images. 😉

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