Thursday, July 28, 2011

Fountains Abbey July '11

27 July 2011: We took a long weekend in Yorkshire (staying the night in Harrogate) , and started with a drive to Fountains Abbey near Ripon. This cistercian abbey was one of the largest monasteries in the North, and seemed to be the main node for the regional economy, health, education etc. It is difficult to believe that such cultural destruction could have occurred, but greed combined with despotic level of power knows no bounds. 

Apart from the main Abbey, the supporting outbuildings extend for a very long way. The residential population must have been huge.


Fountains has extensive grounds with the Georgian Water garden of Studley Royal.


Some kind visitor offered to take our picture


Nave interior


The small village buildings nearby are undoubtedly built from stones quarried from the Abbey.

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