Abbeys were often built in the middle of nowhere to ensure the temptations of town life were well away. Monks could then devote themselves to their offices while lay workers toiled to keep the money pouring in. However, it wasn’t always peaceful. In Yorkshire, at St Mary’s Abbey, at riot broke out in 1132 and 13 monks were expelled for their determination to return the life of the abbey back to the origin Rule of St Benedict.
These exiled Benedictine monks were given land by the River Skell by the powerful Archbishop of York. From humble beginnings, Fountains Abbey developed into a huge complex and later, the biggest monastic ruins in England and a World Heritage Site.
As for those early expelled monks, they turned to the Clairvaux Abbey in France and the Cistercian Order founded by Saint Bernard – this order proliferated in the 11th Century Europe – and Fountains became the second Cistercian abbey after Rivaulx to be established in the North of England. The new order suited their needs: austere and self-denying.
It wasn’t all easy. In 1146 an angry mob burnt down the abbey. Only the church was left standing. It seems that the election of the archbishop who supported the monks stirred up rivalries and it took until 1170 before stability arrived at Fountains, allowing it to expand and prosper. The abbey had 70 acres of land enclosed by a wall and the stone church was completed in 1170 at 91m long. A lantern crossing was added in the late 12th Century, the famed Chapel of the Nine Altars in the 13th Century and the 49m tall tower added to the north transept just before the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Fountains made its wealth from sheep. Wool production boomed in Medieval times. The abbey also relied on lead mining, cattle breeding, horse rearing and stone quarrying, turning the place into a small industry with the church at its centre. However, its success attracted raiders from Scotland who brought about an economic collapse and the Black Death probably didn’t help either. By 1539 when the abbey was dissolved, the monks might have been happy to be pensioned off. The vast abbey must have been a challenge to maintain.
The abbot’s house was one of the largest built and straddled over the river on arches. Little is left to see of this house and the extensive water management system that helped maintain all of the abbey’s activities.
What is left is the awesome vaulted roof of the dormitory cellarium, which runs the length of the abbey at 91.5 meters. The light manages somehow to creep in and turn the stone golden. It doesn’t look cold, but it must have been, since Cistercian weren’t allowed to heat their monasteries with the exception of one room – the warming house – which was heated by a solitary fire.
Today, the estate is part of the Studley Royal Water Gardens and is a beautiful place to walk around. One of the biggest attractions in Yorkshire. When you arrive at the visitors centre there is nothing to see of the vast ruins. You walk down the valley, through the trees and level to the path is the top of the tower. Down you go, until eventually you emerge on a plateaux, the valley floor. Now, you can explore and appreciate the peaceful sanctuary those expelled monks must have seen when they started to build a small wooden church.
The Quiet Writer 
A gem I wasn’t aware of. Informative post as always.
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It’s one of those places you never forget once you’ve visited.
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I been to Fountains Abbey – such an amazing place. I did not know all the history though, thank you for enlightening me.
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings – Shapeshifters and Werewolves
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Happy to enlighten. I found out a few things too.
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One of our favourite places to visit A Fantastic and beautiful place.
F for Ferryside http://bit.ly/2oGYR5e
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It is beautiful and peaceful. Thanks for stopping by.
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For a set of ruins, there is still quite a lot left. Beautiful. Funny about the top of the tower being level with the path too – shows how much the landscape has changed.
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The undercroft is quite intact, and the tower, but much of it is ruins.
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What an amazing place, and stunning given the time when it was built. Interesting that it looks like the infirmary was adjacent to or over the river – perfect for flushing all your nasty diseases downstream!
Phillip | F is for Found Poetry (and Fauxhio)
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Quite a few buildings were placed over the river and there was an extensive system of water control. Further up the valley is a water mill.
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I love Fountains Abbey (not as much as Rievaulx, but almost) and last time we were there we made friends with the jackdaws who wait around the picnic tables for the odd scrap of food 🙂
Sophie
Sophie’s Thoughts & Fumbles – Dragon Diaries
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It’s a good place for a picnic and plenty of walking. Rievaulx is something special and more compact.
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I would love to visit this one. Such a tumultuous history.
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It’s recognition as a World Heritage Site is an important accolade. Worth a visit.
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It looks beautiful. It’s mindblowing thinking that so many people lived here and there was a thriving activity for many century… and now that’s a ruin. But at least, these ruins remind us of the past, which is a treasure for us.
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – 1940s Film Noir
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Exploring ruins is great fun – plenty guesswork for historians. Once you take into account the lay brothers and guests would stay there, it must have been quite busy.
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Such a beautiful place. Thanks for this informative post and the lovely photos.
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