Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal together form a beautiful and historic World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire. The ruins of the medieval abbey nestle within the pretty valley of the River Skell, part of which was landscaped in the 18th century into a stunning water garden and deer park.
View of the ruined abbey, looking east. The monastery was founded in 1132 and became a very wealthy Cistercian foundation, but like most of the great abbeys in England it was disbanded in 1539 by King Henry VIII's brutal Dissolution of the Monasteries. The buildings lay empty and were plundered for their stone.
One of the nave aisles in the abbey church
The 12th century infirmary bridge over the River Skell
Sepia-toned view of the Abbey, looking west.
There are a few more pictures and some more information on my main blog, Saltaire Daily Photo, starting here.
