Distance: 4 miles
Walking: Andrew & Gaynor
Weather: Overcast with sunny spells.
Starting point: Fountains Abbey Visitor Centre.
Photography: Andrew using Nikon D750 / Nikon 24-70 mm f2.8
Time to give that National Trust membership a good thrashing and what better place to start than their "jewel in the crown".
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| Fountains Hall stands close to the Abbey and was partly built with stone from its ruins in around 1600 |
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| The West Gate Lodge was built in around 1859, again using stone from the Abbey ruins. It is currently used as a holiday cottage. |
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| Fountains Abbey and the River Skell. The Abbey was founded in 1132 by Cistercian monks and operated for over 400 years until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. It is the largest and best preserved monastery ruin in England and is a World Heritage Site. |
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| This was the visitors accommodation and hospitium. |
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| To the right of the bridge, the infirmary spanned the river |
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| The Great Cloister |
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| The entrance to the Refectory |
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| I think I'm right in saying this was the toilet. |
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| The Frater House |
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| Looking out into the Cloister Court from the Parlour |
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| The South Aisle |
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| The Nave |
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| Wild garlic grows in abundance in the shade of the trees and the smell of it is really strong this time of year. |
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Studley Royal Park water gardens with the Moon Pond, the Temple of Piety and, on the hill, the Octagonal tower. After being expelled from Parliament in 1720 for his part in the South Sea Bubble, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Aislabie threw himself into creating the magnificent water garden at Studley Royal. |
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| The gates to the Deer Park |
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| The intricate plaster ceiling of the Temple of Piety's porch |
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| The statue of Neptune in the Moon Pond |
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| It was the roots that caught my eye here. |
