Discover folly! at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

Discover four interactive new art installations in this iconic World Heritage Site this summer. Explore the water garden as it was originally created; a playful water garden with dramatic views that criss-cross the landscape.

Foster Carter with his folly! design, The Cloud — Foster Carter, 11, won a school competition to have his design 'The Cloud' built at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

FleaFolly architects and their design, the Listening Tower

Polly viewed from Tent Hill — You can see Polly from Surprise View

folly 2018 celebrates the lost follies of Studley Royal

What is folly! 2018?

Striking, surprising, entertaining and unusual... folly! 2018 is a feast for the eyes with four new outdoor works adorning the views of this World Heritage Site.

Polly was designed by Charles Holland and sits on Tent Hill

Polly by Charles Holland

Art programme folly! goes into the landscapes of the water garden for 2018. Internationally recognised architect Charles Holland's design Polly was selected for Tent Hill, one of the sites of the lost follies of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

You can see across the garden from The Gazing Ball

The Gazing Ball by Lucy + Jorge Orta

With fantastic views down into the garden and across to the folly Octagon Tower, The Gazing Ball designed by Lucy Orta, is in prime position for giving visitors a unique view of the landscape around them.

The Listening Tower can be found in the place of the lost Bathing House

The Listening Tower by FleaFolly

Inspired by the lost folly, the Bathing House, which used to sit in sight of the moon ponds, architects FleaFolly have masterminded the Listening Tower. Hear the sounds of the lost Bathing House as you stroll through the water gardens.

Kids playing under The Cloud, folly 2018 — Visitors exploring The Cloud, part of folly! 2018

The Cloud by Foster Carter

The fourth folly, The Cloud, was designed by 11 year old Foster Carter. His design was picked out of 1,800 entries from schools all over North Yorkshire. Visitors will be able to explore his design, inspired by the Yorkshire weather, at Silver Pond near the Studley Royal entrance.

Foster enjoying his visit to Stage One who are building his design for folly! 2018

The folly! school competition entries

Foster Carter's design of The Cloud won out of over 1700 folly! competition entries. He had some very tough competition from other Yorkshire schools, some of which you can find here...

Family looking at Folly! artwork in the Banqueting House — Eye-popping artwork in the Banqueting House

folly! 2016

Featuring work by artist Mat Collishaw, one of the UK’s most thought provoking contemporary artists, two new installations were co-commissioned with London Gallery Blain|Southern to play with your senses and trick your eyes!

Surprise your eyes with Folly! at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

folly! 2015

Visitors who peered inside the Octagon Tower, Temple of Piety and the Banqueting House in folly! 2015 were surprised to find extraordinary installations created by artists to re-animate these fanciful garden follies.

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folly! Art in the garden trail

Pick up a map to explore the follies and let your creativity run wild!

Tue 19 Jun 2018

+ 138 other dates

10:00-17:00

folly! 2018

Surprising, intriguing and extraordinary... See the lost follies of the water garden re-imagined by artists and architects.

Tue 19 Jun 2018

+ 138 other dates

10:00-17:00

Daily abbey and water garden tours

A tale of two parts, revisit the abbey's monastic past before experiencing the Georgian splendour of the water garden.

Tue 19 Jun 2018

+ 138 other dates

11:00-14:00

Weaving at Swanley Grange

Weaving is a way of producing cloth by interlacing yarns at right angles.

Tue 19 Jun 2018

+ 25 other dates

11:00-16:00

Summer deer watch

Do you know your stags from your hinds and your Reds from your Sikas? Come and explore the deer park in summer with our guides...

Sat 23 Jun 2018

+ 2 other dates

14:00-16:00

Summer in the herb garden

Meet Rosemary, Angelica and Rose in the hidden herb garden opposite Fountains Hall.

Tue 26 Jun 2018

+ 2 other dates

13:30-15:30

Natural dye at Swanley Grange

Come along to watch this natural wool dyeing process, which has more than a hint of magic and alchemy about it.

Sat 07 Jul 2018

+ 5 other dates

11:00-16:00

Fascinating nature facts

Enjoy a walk bursting with interesting facts about nature on the estate.

Wed 11 Jul 2018

14:00-15:30

Children's craft at Swanley Grange

Have a go at twisting and tying yarn to make a colourful friendship bracelet this summer.

Sat 21 Jul 2018

+ 15 other dates

11:00-16:00

Spot the wildflowers

From Devil's Bit Scabious to Fairy Flax, how many species of flowers can you find in the Banqueting House Lawn?

Tue 24 Jul 2018

11:00-15:00

Pond dipping

Newts, water lice, water boatmen, molluscs, pea mussels...there's an extraordinary world just waiting to be discovered hiding under the surface of the still ponds in the water garden.

Wed 01 Aug 2018

+ 2 other dates

11:00-15:00

The Big Sing

Come along to St. Mary's church to have a sing along to well-known hymns, and listen to inspiring readings.

Sun 05 Aug 2018

15:00-16:00

Children's craft at Swanley Grange

Have a go at weaving with yarn at Swanley Grange and make a summery decoration to hang in your garden.

Mon 06 Aug 2018

+ 13 other dates

11:00-16:00

Busy Bees

Keeping bees is quite a craft, the monks would have made 'skeps' to keep bees for their honey and highly-prized wax for making candles, honeyed wines, mead and for sweetening food as they didn't have sugar.

Sat 11 Aug 2018

+ 1 other date

10:30-16:00