Fountains Abbey

Visited on 23rd December, just a few days before Christmas. It was a very cold day, but thankfully dry, so we were able to enjoy the grounds without the weather spoiling it. That said, parts of the fields were quite muddy, especially away from the main paths, so walking shoes are recommended and warm layers are a must in winter. Getting there was straightforward, with clear signage directing you to the car parks. If you are unsure whether to park in A or B, car park A has more EV charging points, which is worth noting if you are driving an electric vehicle. Adult tickets were £21 each, though entry is free with a National Trust membership. On arrival, we were advised by a member of staff on the best route to take around the grounds, which made the visit much more enjoyable. She was incredibly knowledgeable, shared some great stories, and had such a calm, soothing voice that you could happily listen to her for hours. The paths are mostly gravel and paved, but there are plenty of opportunities to wander off into open areas and fields, which adds to the sense of exploration. The grounds are vast and very scenic, and we spent around five hours walking around at a relaxed pace. One of the highlights was spotting deer near the church, including a rare white deer, which felt like a real moment of luck and made the visit extra special. The café at the end of the route is a nice stop to warm up, though the food selection is quite limited. In hindsight, bringing a packed lunch would have been a good idea, especially given how long we spent exploring. Overall, despite the cold and muddy patches, it was a fantastic experience and well worth the visit. I would highly recommend it to families and anyone who enjoys long walks, wildlife, and beautiful open grounds.

Wow, what a place! Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens completely blew me away. The abbey ruins are absolutely stunning – huge, dramatic, and full of atmosphere. You can just wander around and lose yourself in the history. The gardens are gorgeous too – so beautifully designed with lakes, statues, little follies, and surprise viewpoints. Catching a glimpse of the abbey from across the water is like something out of a painting. We also spotted deer in the park which was a bit of a treat! Loads of walking routes to choose from, so you can do a quick wander or spend the whole day exploring. There’s also two good on-site cafes, one at the visitor centre, and one lakeside venue. There are also plenty of picnic spots if you bring your own. The whole place is spotless and really well looked after. This was one of the best days out I’ve had in ages – peaceful, scenic, and full of history. It is also a World Heritage Site to boot, so you are in for a treat!

We attended an evening event with a male voice choir which was just lovely. To explore the ruins in the dark/by torchlight gave it a very different feel. The acoustics for the concert were brilliant and gave me goosebumps! We will definitely return in the daytime to see it again. Nice to do something different, we had a great time.

What an incredible place, if you are like myself you will need multiple trips to take in everything. We spent the entire day basically going around the ruins and didn't even get chance to go in the Hall or the deer park. Stunning place and it is lovely to see it busy as well, and not to mention how well maintained it is. English heritage and National Trust free entry which is a bonus. Highly recommended place to go and like I said maybe two days to explore the entire site properly but wow you won't regret it.

Absolutely Stunning place to visit. The grounds are immense and walks were beautiful. So we'll looked after. I'll definitely be going back to see the rest of it, it is so vast. Tip. Go early and take a pick nic if it's nice, or enjoy the cafe on site.

Visited over the New Year A great set of ruins with plenty of information boards. The site is large so a fair bit of walking involved if you want to take in the gardens, follies & the church,though this isn't open during the winter months but looks spectacular. A coffee shop & seating avaliable near the lake & toilets, as well as near the entrance. The only downside was the amount of children climbing over the ruins,sometimes with big drops, let alone the importance of preserving them. An adequate play area is avaliable.

The Abbey is beautiful and nd there is so much to see in the grounds. The Mill, Hall and the walk by the river through the woods to a lovely view point. The pools and statues are great. There are toilets and cafes in the grounds. Spent 5 hours there and still didn't get to see the deer park and church.

Took are rucksacks packed food, water etc etc to take with us we, when we went the weather was nice, it was a good day out and walk.

I did the park run and I enjoyed it because I was with my dog and I love my dog so I rate it 4 star

Absolutely stunning venue. Lovely walks, views, and - of course - the memorable abbey. Was lucky to visit on an unusually nice New Year's Day. Loved the whole experience!!

We visited Fountains Abbey two days ago - right after visiting Rievaulx Abbey - and the two sites are perfect for visiting on the same day. The ruins at Fountains Abbey can be seen "up close" and they're fascinating. There's also a walk along the water to the gardens, but we didn't think the gardens were at all worth the extra walk; in fact, they were rather crummy-looking. However, the abbey ruins are *very* well worth visiting (and worth the admission price). The Visitor's Center has a very attractive and good-sized gift shop with some nice items. Also, the two women working at the ticket desk were *very* friendly. Note that the amount of walking is substantial, and there's a steep climb uphill when returning to the Visitor's Center.

This place is so cool to visit. Really old monastery ruins, beautiful gardens, and tours describing the hundreds of years worth of history at this site. Ticket prices are ridiculously high in my opinion, and watch out for swarming bees at the restaurant. But otherwise, very neat place!

This place is pretty awesome - in fact it better had be as it's an Unesco world heritage site and I'm sure they just don't give out these awards willy nilly! Situated in North Yorkshire, a great part of the world with Harrogate, York and Knaresborough just around the corner it's a load of old ruins which have stood up to the test of weathering quite well considering the Abbey's were dissolved by Henry the 8th back in the day. The painter Turner was inspired by this area and produced some great paintings back in the day - and it still draws loads of painters and photographers to the area to try and recreate these images! A National trust site, it's free with membership but £11 entry on the day - not bad value as the miles of gardens with incredible man made lakes will keep you occupied for hours. There's 2 food options - just at the main entrance there's a large cafe (scones and sausage & mash were ace) and there's a smaller tea rooms in the far part of the park near the deer grounds. Overall a fantastic place to get out to and enjoy a day - it was also such a sunny day that this made it deserve a 6th "enjoying life" star!

I've been saving up some serious players to unleash on you this week. In fact I'm thinking of changing careers and going to work for the Tourist Board. I'm just loving this amazing place we live in and once again I'm pleased to announce the awesome gem...Fountains Abbey. I'm beginning to run out of superlatives but I'll endeavour to try. Fountains Abbey is a vast estate of contrasts including the largest abbey ruins in the country and one of England's most spectacular Georgian water gardens. We are looking at acres of pure walking bliss that also includes ten historical buildings which span over 800 years. Nearly as old as the in laws (though the buildings are in better nick). I can't stress how breath taking the views actually are and the lake is also alluring to the max. What I also love about this place is their desire to keep up to date with conservation too, not only for the buildings and features, but also for the natural habitats surrounding it. They put a lot of time and effort into this and it show. The educational centre is a good stop off place if you want to find out more details about this heavenly escape and the onsite facilities include a great children's play area, tearooms and excellent picnic areas. This is a magical place made all the more appealing on a warm summer's day and a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Another one of the spectacular ruined abbeys I have made it to! I made a list of the ones I wanted to see and of course Fountains was near the top... and even better that it was just in nearby Yorkshire. I think Fountains and the gardens should be an entire day out. On a gorgeous day, bring a picnic, have lunch on the lawn, explore the Abbey ruins, and walk the gardens. While I love the legendary Glastonbury Abbey, the sheer size of Fountains is amazing. Another jungle gym for adults and children alike. If you are interested in the history of the monastery, there is an exhibit area that tells you all about it. In fact, you will learn that some of the monks at St. Mary's in York are the ones that founded Fountains. St. Mary's is another splendid ruin in the gardens there. If you are not much for ruined abbeys (yes, that was me gasping...), the gardens are spectacular as well! There are various buildings/statues to see along the walk. As you come back around toward the ruins, there are some spectacular views/Kodak moments just waiting. There is a cafe and gift shop at the top before you walk down to the abbey and gardens. For the price of admission, this is well worth it! I would love to go again and again.

What can I say other than breathtaking? Fountains abbey is simply beautiful, even on a dull, blustery, rainy summer day. Steeped in 800 years of history it truly is a magical place. You really need a guided tour or the guidebook to get the most out of the place because there aren't any information boards at the abbey itself, and it's not a place for the walking impaired. Wear good shoes and be prepared for the weather. The restaurant was also a treat, locally sourced produce (free range eggs from 6 miles away, bread baked in Harrogate etc) and the food was fresh and tasty hearty home cooked fare. I had sausage and mash served with sweet cabbage and roasted courgettes in a lovely gravy, and my companions all had the rarebit which went down a storm. Seriously impressed with the quality and quantity. They do a good cup of coffee, and there's also a little bar. Well worth the visit, can't believe it's taken me this long to go there!!

This place is amazing. If you enter after 5pm it is only £7.50 pp. We went here during the festival where history tour and chior were part of the entrance fee. I just wish I had more time. I will definitely visit during the day again as this area is so big.