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Fountain Abbey. Photo by Mike Peels. .

Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal are included in one of the biggest and well preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. This was a building that served as domestic quarters and a workplace for a Catholic religious order of monastics, monks, and nuns.

It is located in the southwest of Ripon in North Yorkshire. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal border the village of Aldfield. It was founded in 1132 and operated for 407 years. It was one of the wealthiest monasteries until it was dissolved in 1539 by order of Henry the seventh. The place was later developed by the development of Studley Royal Water Garden.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal offer a beautiful landscape that was extensively designed around the ruins in the 18^th century. It has a magnificent water garden containing ponds, lawns, canals, gateways, statutes, and elegant buildings. It is highly visited all-round the year. Let us now look at 10 Unbelievable facts about Fountain Abbey and Studley Royal.

1. It is one of the oldest and largest abbeys in Britain

Tower and church walls of Fountains Abbey south view. Photo by Geertivp. .

Yorkshire County of northern England has been a cradle of monasticism since the 7^th century. The county has several abbeys that have stood the test of time.

The Fountain Abbey church stands apart for being an expansive set of ruins. It was later taken up by monks of the Cistercian Order who used it as a base for missionary work in Scotland and England.

2. It was founded by 13 Benedictine monks

The Benedictine monks sought a simple life monastic life away from the hassle and bustle extravagance of Yorkshire. They named Fountain Abbey after the water springs in the area.

Lay brothers in the church relieved the monks of their duties giving them time to devote themselves to God. The lay brothers multiplied the wealth of Fountain Abbey through cattle rearing, stone quarrying, horse breeding, and wool production. Fountains Abbey owned vast lands thought Western Yorkshire.

3. The Abbey was shut down by the orders of King Henry

King Henry the seventh ordered the dissolution of monasteries in 1539. Fountains Abbey was one of the Abbie’s that was shut down after the order. Sir Richard Gresham acquired the property which was later on sold to Sir Stephen Proctor.

In 1611, he built Fountains Hall an Elizabethan mansion. John Aislabie an heir to the property created the Studley Royal Water Garden after acquiring the property in 1693.

4. The National Trust acquired the property in 1983

The estate was private property until the late 1960s. The National Trust bought Fountain Abbey and the Studley Royal Gardens from West Riding County. It is one of the National Trust’s most popular properties. In 2017, the property had 420,000 visitors.

5. Studley Royal Water Garden is a surviving example of a Georgian water garden in England

Water Garden – Studley Royal Park, North Yorkshire, England. Photo by Daderot.

The water garden at Studley Royal was created by John Aislabie in 1718. It is one of the best surviving examples of a Georgian water garden in England. Later on, it was expanded by his son William. He had purchased Fountain Estates.

The garden has ornamental artificial canals, lakes, cascades, and ponds. The water garden provides beautiful vistas for its visitors.

6. William Thirsk, abbot of Fountain Abbey was executed

William Thirsk was abbot of Fountain Abbey between 1526 and 1536. He was executed by King Henry at Tyburn. William Thirsk and his friend Adam de Sedbergh were executed for plotting against the king.

Adam de Sedbergh was the last abbot of Jervaulx Abbey which was an Abbey near Fountain Abbey. The two refused the oath of supremacy in 1536.

7. River Skell flows through Fountain Abbey and Studley Royal Park

Fountains Abbey from weir on River Skell The remains of Fountains Abbey rise above a little weir on the River Skell on a rather misty and damp late August afternoon. Photo by Rob Farrow. .

River Skell is a 19-kilometer-long tributary of the River Ure in North Yorkshire, England. The river enters Studley Royal Park and flows past Fountains Hall and the ruins of Fountains Abbey from east to west. The structure of Fountains Abbey casts its reflection upon the waters of River Skell.

However, when it rains heavily, the river floods. Water builds through the abbey. This is because the paths in the abbey are made out of materials that do not let the water soak through. Therefore, water remains on top of the surface.

8. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1966, the Abbey was placed in the holding of the Department of the Environment. The estate was purchased by the West Riding Council which transferred ownership to the North Yorkshire County Council in 1974. The National Trust then bought the property in 1983.

The area in which Fountain Abbey is located was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was recognized for fulfilling the criteria of ‘being a masterpiece of human creative genius’ and ‘an outstanding example of a type of building or architecture that illustrates a significant stage in human history.’  Fountain Abbey is owned by the National Trust and is maintained by the English Heritage.

9. It was originally built using timber

The original layout of Fountains Abbey was comprised of scattered timber buildings. They were later organized into formal monastic cloisters. The wooden buildings were gradually rebuilt using stone beginning with the church.

As Fountain Abbey became wealthy, the buildings were expanded and the architecture refined. The lantern tower was one of the inclusions. It spread over 3049200 feet with an 11 feet wall along the periphery. The cloister was made of white sandstone and black marble.

10. Several films have been shot on Fountain Abbey and Studley Royal

Necklace reconstruction from TV Series Witcher by Netflix. Photo by Jakub T. Jankiewicz. .

In December 1981 Fountain Abbey was used by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to film ‘Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)’.  In 1980, the final scene of Omen 3: The Final Conflict was filmed in the abbey.

Television programs that have been shot at Fountain abbey include; Antiques Roadshow, A History of Britain, Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives, Treasure Hunt, Cathedral, Flambards, and Gunpowder. The 2^nd Season of The Witcher a Netflix original series was also shot in Fountain Abbey and its surroundings in October and November 2020.