Exploring further at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden

The dramatic abbey ruins at Fountains are the largest monastic ruins in the country. Step back into a rich and dramatic past and imagine what life would have been like for the monks who first came here all those years ago.

During the 18th-century John Aislabie had great plans to impress visitors to his Yorkshire estate and so turned the surrounding woods and valleys into the Georgian water gardens we see today.

Discover our hidden gems including Fountains Mill built by the Cistercians in the 12th-century, it's one of the oldest buildings on the estate. We're also home to a deer park, church and grand hall.