Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

Grab a picnic and spend a full day running, jumping and exploring here at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. Rosy cheeks and muddy knees are the aim of the day and families can spend hours together discovering the abbey ruin and pathways in the Studley water garden. You might even get a glimpse of a new baby deer in the deer park.

Imagine a stillness which will likely never come to this special place again. Through the lens of Joe Cornish, explore the tactile beauty of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal over three years and during the silence of the coronavirus lockdown.

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal sits on the world stage. The 18th-century water garden, incorporating some of the largest Cistercian abbey ruins in Europe achieved the status of a World Heritage Site. Find out what exactly a World Heritage Site is and how that impacts the work we do.

Following a successful bid for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are now in the delivery phase of the Skell Valley Project. The £2.5 million scheme will start later in 2021 and run to 2024.

Discover the past, present and future of Fountains Abbey, as archaeologist Mark Newman takes us on a journey of his discoveries. From ancient floor tiles to monks graves and the new visitor centre at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden in North Yorkshire.

After an energetic walk or a short stroll why not enjoy a bite to eat with us. Our food hasn't travelled far and tastes all the better for it. Tuck into a scone, indulge in some cake or revive yourself with a hearty meal in the visitor centre restaurant.

Find delicious chutneys, unique teas and find fresh blooms in the plant centre as well as gifts and seasonal products in our visitor centre shop.