Discover folly! at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

Outdoor art returns to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal this year for folly! Bigger and bolder than ever, folly! 2018 will celebrate the playful, whimsical style of Studley Royal water garden, and the four designs which will bring fresh colour and curiosity to the landscape in April have been revealed.

folly 2018 celebrates the lost follies of Studley Royal

Discover folly! 2018

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

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.

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.

Fleafolly have designed the Listening Tower

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.

Foster Carter's design of The Raining Cloud

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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Stitch and embroidery at Swanley Grange

Come and have a go at basic stitches of needle-craft which the monks would have used from running stitch to chain stitch.

Thu 19 Apr 2018

+ 9 other dates

11:00-16:00

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.

Fri 20 Apr 2018

+ 198 other dates

11:00-14:00

folly! Art in the garden trail

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

Sat 28 Apr 2018

+ 190 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.

Sat 28 Apr 2018

+ 190 other dates

10:00-17:00

Carding and spinning at Swanley Grange

Before spinning the wool it needs to be carded to straighten the fibres. It's similar to combing your hair! Have a go yourself at Swanley Grange ...

Tue 01 May 2018

+ 25 other dates

11:00-16:00

Fascinating nature facts

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

Wed 02 May 2018

+ 2 other dates

14:00-15:30

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 05 May 2018

+ 7 other dates

11:00-16:00

Early Birds

Set your alarm and come along to listen to the chatter of the early birds.

Sat 12 May 2018

07:00-09:00

Herbal habits

Discover stories about the herbs and plants that grow around the abbey and in the Fountains Hall herb garden.

Wed 23 May 2018

13:30-15:00

Children's craft at Swanley Grange

Give those green fingers some practice.

Sat 26 May 2018

+ 8 other dates

11:00-16:00

Make your own medieval thumb pot

Get your hands working squeezing and squishing clay to make a medieval style watering can- a thumb pot! Drop in whilst stocks last.

Wed 30 May 2018

+ 2 other dates

11:00-15:00

Spot the birdy

What birds can you see on the lake?

Wed 30 May 2018

11:00-15:00

Weaving at Swanley Grange

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

Fri 01 Jun 2018

+ 43 other dates

11:00-16:00

Panasonic Photography Roadshow

Borrow a Lumix and take a photo walk across the estate.

Sat 16 Jun 2018

+ 1 other date

10:00-16:00

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