long road to ruin

Today our Cultural Heritage Conservation class took a field trip, yay! We were looking at management issues in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so we went to the nearest site -- Fountains Abbey and the adjacent Studley Royal Water Garden, located just outside of Ripon, in North Yorkshire.

Fountains Abbey, a Cistercian monastery, was founded in 1132 by monks from St. Mary's Abbey here in York. That year, there was a riot at St. Mary's and thirteen monks were exiled from the city. They were given land by the Archbishop of York and built the massive complex of Fountains Abbey. It is such a tranquil and beautiful location -- totally understandable how they got over their anger issues out there.

The tranquility lasted over four hundred years until my man Henry VIII destroyed all the monasteries in the country for his new Anglican church. Basically you can blame it all on Anne Boleyn.

It was a typical grey English day.


But the grass was so green.


Here comes the sun.


And blue skies appeared.


Bare trees.


Entering the Studley Royal Water Garden.
Designed in 1718, it features canals, lakes, cascades
and temples, and includes the abbey in its vistas.


The Banqueting House.
These gardens are straight out of The Duchess.


It's not designated an
"Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" for nothing.


I was channeling my inner Keira Knightley here.


So wonderfully Georgian.




Through the crystal, like a clear water fountain.


The Temple of Piety faces the Moon Pond.


Decorated ceiling.


Moon Pond.


Love only the tallest trees.


And the water was closing around me.


Long road to [the] ruin.


A little green resting place, nestled in the hill.


Roundabout back to the abbey.


Yet another angle.


After lunch: full stomachs, blue skies & the abbey.


And a memory is all that is left for you now.


The ruins are picturesque.


But it's sad we can only see a shadow of the glory that once was.


Cellarium.


Tower and cloisters.


Refectory.


Pink stone = love.


More refectory.


Decorative vestiges.


A coat of arms remaining.


Empty windows.


The tower.


The abbey church, looking east.


Grandeur.




Tiles from the high altar.


Leaving the abbey.


Last look eastward, down the nave.


Little white flowers were in bloom all over the property.
Spring is on its way in Yorkshire...
xx