Fountains Abbey is the surviving section of a ruined Cistercian
monastery in North Yorkshire, close to the market
town of Ripon. It is one of the largest Cistercian houses in
England and, together with Studley Royal Park, has been awarded
UNESCO World Heritage Status. Although in ruins, the abbey is still
one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian Houses in England,
and as such it is a Grade I listed building, now owned by the
National Trust.
The monastery was founded in 1132 following a dispute at St
Mary's Abbey in York, approximately 30 miles to the south. Thirteen
monks were promptly exiled. But with the protection and assistance
of the Archbishop of York, these monks found their favoured spot
for a new religious house in the Skell Valley. Here they
constructed their unique masterpiece of ancient architectural
craftsmanship, built from stone quarried locally.
Within three years Fountains Abbey had been accepted into the
Cistercian Order, and lay brothers were appointed to tend to and to
cultivate the land (at this time, the abbey's vast lands expanded
almost into the Lake District).