Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercianmonasteries in England. It is sits approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire. It was founded in 1132 and operated for 407 years. It one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until it was dissolved in 1539, under the order of Henry VIII.
After a riot in 1132 at the Benedictine abbey of St Mary's in York, 13 monks were expelled. Among them was Saint Robert of Newminster. They were taken under the protection of Thurstan, Archbishop of York.[3] He provided them with land in the valley of the River Skell, which is a tributary of the Ure. The enclosed valley had all the natural features needed for the creation of a monastery. It provided shelter from the weather as well as stone and timber for building. It also had a good supply of running water.[4]
After a harsh winter in 1133, the monks applied to join the Cistercian order. At that time, it was a fast-growing reform movement. By the beginning of the 13th century, it had over 500 houses. In 1135, Fountains became the second Cistercian house in northern England, just after Rievaulx.
The Fountains monks were under Clairvaux Abbey, in Burgundy. It was under the rule of St Bernard. Under the guidance of Geoffrey of Ainai, a monk sent in from Clairvaux, the group learned how to celebrate the seven Canonical Hours. According to Cistercian usage, they were shown how to construct wooden buildings in accordance with Cistercian architecture.[5][6][7]
Architecture
Interior of the abbey church looking down the nave
The abbey precinct covers 70 acres (28 ha) and is surrounded by an 11-foot (3.4 m) wall. The wall was built in the 13th century. Some parts of it are visible to the south and west of the abbey.
The precinct can be divided into different groups of buildings. The central group is the abbey church, the cloister, and the buildings round the cloister. This was where the monks lived, prayed, ate, slept, and worked. The inner court has other buildings for the daily life of the abbey. These are buildings such as the infirmary, the abbot's house, and guest houses for visitors. The infirmary was a place where monks could stay when they were ill.
The outer court had buildings for farming and industry, such as the watermill and the wool house. Over the years Fountains Abbey became very rich, mostly by selling wool.
The original abbey church was built of wood and "was probably" two stories high. It was, however, quickly replaced with stone. The church was damaged in the attack on the abbey in 1146 and was rebuilt as a larger church on the same site. Building work was completed c.1170.[8] This second church was completed around 1170. It was 300 ft (91 m) long , made up of 11 bays.
View of Fountains Abbey looking from west to south.
The infirmary (marked "Abbots House" on the plan) had one of the largest halls in England in the middle ages ,[9] It had its own chapel and kitchens. Parts of it are on top of tunnels where the River Skell flows.[1]
Ground plan of Fountains Abbey. Scholars' understanding of the abbey has changed since this plan was made, and some parts would have different labels today. The "Abbots House" on the plan is the monks' infirmary.
Becoming a World Heritage Site
The archaeological excavation of the site began under the supervision of John Richard Walbran. In 1846, he published a paper On the Necessity of clearing out the Conventual Church of Fountains.[10] In 1966, the Abbey was placed in the guardianship of the Department of the Environment and the estate. It was purchased by the West RidingCounty Council, which later transferred its ownership to the North Yorkshire County Council in 1974.
The National Trust bought the 674-acre (273 ha) Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate from North Yorkshire County Council in 1983.[11] In 1986 the parkland in where the abbey stands was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
It was recognised for fulfilling the criteria of "being a masterpiece of human creative genius". It was described "as an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history".
In January 2010, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal became two of the first National Trust properties to be included in Google Street View, using the Google Trike.[13]
↑ 1.01.1Newcomb, Rexford (1997). "Abbey". In Johnston, Bernard (ed.). Collier's Encyclopedia. Vol. I A to Ameland (First ed.). New York, NY: P.F. Collier. pp. 8–11.
↑Coppack, 2007, p. 81 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFCoppack,_2007 (help)
↑Sutton, Charles William (1899). "Walbran, John Richard" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 59. London: Smith, Elder & Co. sources:[Canon J. Raine's preface to Memorials of Fountains, 1878, vol. ii; Memoir by Edward Peacock, F.S.A., in Walbran's Guide to Ripon, 11th edit. 1875; Ripon Millenary Record, 1892, ii. 175; portraits are given in the last two works.]
