My last day in the North East and I decided to visit
Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire on my way back down south. Fountains Abbey
is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in
England. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for over 400 years, until 1539,
when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The abbey sits in an enclosed valley within Studley Royal
Park, which also features an 18th century landscaped garden, including the
Water Garden, created in 1718, which is one of the best surviving examples of a
Georgian water garden in England. It is studded with a number of follies
including a neo-Gothic castle and a palladian style banqueting house.
Unsurprisingly in 1986, the entire parkland including the abbey
was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was recognised for
fulfilling the criteria of being a
masterpiece of human creative genius, and an outstanding example of a type of
building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which
illustrates significant stages in human history. Fountains Abbey is owned
by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage.
