Fountains Hall

We spent the day at Fountains Abbey, founded in 1132 as a Benedictine abbey, coming under the Cistercians after three years. It fell into ruin after the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the order of King Henry VIII.

After coffee at the visitor centre we headed straight down to the abbey via Fountains Hall, a late-Elizabethan 'prodigy house', that is, one built by someone with plenty of spare money to show off. But it is stunningly beautiful.

Stephen Proctor was one such and had the house built using some of the stone from the ruined abbey, between 1598 and 1604. After his death in 1619 the house passed to the Messenger family; after 150 years in their possession it was sold to William Aislabie of nearby Studley Royal, but was leased out as the family remained at Studley.
Subsequently the building has survived being used for farm storage, renovation in the late 1920's, housing wartime evacuees and as a school.

Our visit continued to see the abbey ruins, with their remaining huge columns and gaping windows. Extra photo 1 taken from the southeast across the site of the Abbot's house, extra 2 of the Green Man, who watches over the northeast approach, while an angel watches the interior.

The Water Garden, with ducks, geese and swans led us back to the entrance from where we walked down past the Choristers' House to St Mary's Church - Victorian Gothic in style but stunningly decorated with stained glass windows and subtle carving on the chancel arch, including birds and insects.

Time then to head back via shopping for odd bits and bobs to make up a deficit in the house - these we will take home.