In 1132 thirteen monks came to this valley from St. Mary's Abbey in York and set about building Fountains Abbey which included the monastery and abbey church.(It always amazes me the knowledge and skills that people had in those days without any of the technology we have today).
At the time this site was soon to become the richest Cicterian abbey in the UK and it survived the dissolution of the monastries by King Henry VIII. Today we see the passages, stair cases and towers of the largest monastic ruins in the country.The arches are amazing. Come walk round with me and you will be amazed at the layout. So let's walk in the footsteps of the Monks.
The estate includes an Elizabethan mansion, a medieval deer park and one of Englands most spectacular water gardens,Studley Royal. There is also the only surviving 12th century Cicterian corn mill in Britain, and a beautiful church. We actually made 2 visits in order to see it all so it will take several posts to cover.
On the domestic front, they even had their airing cupbords for drying clothes. Apparently a fire was lit behind a very thick stone wall and as the wall heated up, it dried the clothes.
14 comments:
I had to call John in here to see those arches. Yup, he was appropriately impressed. He pointed out the keystones upon which the integrity of those arches rests. Very interesting! I often think the way you do about the intelligence and gifts of those artisans as they crafted some of the most incredible structures. It boggles the mind!
Have a great weekend, Barbara!
Amazing. I want to ramble where you ramble. Sigh.
I Know i've seen those arches in a movie once or twice. They are awesome!
What a pleasure it must have been to visit such a famous place without too many tourists and have time to look at everything very carefully.
Each photo made me think, That's my favorite, then I'd scroll down and say the same thing again. What an amazing place! I'm curious as to why the Abbey escaped dissolution by Henry VIII. There's definitely a story behind that.
Thank you for taking us on an incredible visit!
What history there is there. Such a beautiful place.
Stone buildings like these have so much character and history. I wish I could unlock all the conversations they've heard.
I recently learned that "corn" in England doesn't mean corn in the sense that we North Americans think, but rather it was a term covering all grain.
I knew corn was a New World discovery and when I read about "corn laws" and such, I wondered what they were talking about.
I love all the historical places you show. The architecture of England reveals so much of the history and thinking of those days.
Lorrie
Absolutely gorgeous. I want to step into Yorkshire right now!! thank you for sharing all this with us here.
Once again you have brought back happy memories for me.
Hia Barbara, That was wonderful- I've never been and now you've taken me! Thank you so much. I can see the similarity to St Mary's with the cross vaulting but as more survives I can also see a debt to Norman architecture. Totally fascinating!
Those stone steps were a treat. I remember asking someone how come the steps weren't built of sterner studd that they always dipped right where you walked and the guide replied that people had metal studs in their outdoor shoes often so make sure they lasted longer than leather alone, so the steps literally did take a hammering. :-)
A fascinating place with a wonderful history. You captured it well Barbara.
What an interesting place....I went to their website and read a bit more about the history of the Abbey. I wonder how many wonderful structures we'd be seeing intact today if good ole Henry VIII hadn't been so desperate for an heir.
Hi from Ibiza (Spain). Many years ago I had the opportunity to visit Fountains Abbey. Thank you very much for these wonderfull pictures where I can remember this beautiful site. Very impresive place. Wonderful blog.
Well here I am again six years later. I was just visiting the blog A Bit About Britian and this site was being discussed. I remembered your post, but would never have thought it back here in 2008.
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