One of the most impressive ruins in England can be found near the town of Ripon in the English county of Yorkshire. Fountains Abbey traces nearly 1000 years of turbulent history. And today, after centuries of decay, it’s a hot spot for filming.
In the valley of the River Skell, near the town of Ripon in the English county of Yorkshire, there is a truly monumental ruin. Only a skeleton of what was once a mighty stone wall remains, yet the ancient monastery known as Fountains Abbey is now one of the most visited historic monuments in the country. But not only crowds of tourists want to see the place every year. Even the world of cinema found out after it had dozed off for several centuries.
According to “National Trust‘, which now administers Fountains Abbey and many other monuments in England, the abbey was founded as early as 1132. At that time, 13 Benedictine monks separated from their brothers in nearby York, whose way of life had become too sinful for them . Seeking a simpler life, they founded their own abbey, Fountains Abbey. The name of the monastery referred to the numerous springs in the area.
wealth and progress
There was originally little more than a stave church on the site of today’s ruins. But the brothers received the “BBCAccording to the donations of rich and powerful people from the very beginning. In exchange for financial support, they prayed for their safety. After a few years the monks became part of the even more ascetic order of the Cistercians. A decision that will have a decisive impact on the fate of the club.
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Because the Cistercians relied on so-called lay brothers as assistants to relieve the monks of their daily work. Most of them were poor and ignorant of the common people, but they knew something about handicrafts. Thus relieved, the monks of Fountains Abbey now engaged in a number of businesses, including sheep farming. The sale of wool soon became one of their most lucrative sources of income. They also focused on lead and stone mining and horse breeding.
sickness and lack of money
Fountains Abbey’s subsequent rise was so magical that at one point the abbey became the largest and richest in all of England. But after a long period of prosperity, the monastery began to decline. Beginning in the 14th century, crop failures, sheep disease and robberies from Scottish neighbors took their toll on the abbey. When the plague broke out in the area in 1438, conditions continued to deteriorate.
Fountains Abbey suddenly found itself in financial difficulty and many lay brothers fled the area. After a short period of revival, one man put an end to the famous place. In 1539, King Henry VIII had all the country’s monasteries dissolved. Three years earlier, according to “HistoricUK‘ he had already executed the abbot of Fountains Abbey and one of his friends for alleged conspiracies against the crown. Fountains Abbey and over 500 acres of its lands were later sold to businessman Sir Richard Gresham.
Rebirth as a film set
The site fell into oblivion and decay until the mid-18th century, when a local politician bought it for what was then £4,000, according to the BBC. Over the next few years he designed and laid out Studley’s Royal Water Gardens around the ruins of Fountains Abbey. The impressive park complex, inspired by models such as the Palace of Versailles, is still a highlight of landscape architecture today. Since 1983 Fountains Abbey and Gardens has been managed by the National Trust and since 1986 the site has been recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
It was probably this beautiful setting of ruins and parkland that quickly made Fountains Abbey a darling of the film industry. According to the National Trust, a number of films and series have already been filmed here, including parts of the Netflix hit ‘The Witcher’. The film “The Secret Garden” is probably even better known. Both the 1993 original and the 2020 remake are set in Abbey Gardens.
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Venerable tourist magnet
And of course the ruins of Fountains Abbey are today also an absolute tourist magnet and one of the most visited ruins managed by the ‘National Trust’. The most famous is probably its mighty 100m long vaulted cellar. To this day, unlike the rest of the complex, it is almost intact. In the summer, the attraction is open all week. For the exact times consult the website.
Admittedly, at around 20 euros for adults, admission isn’t exactly cheap. But after all, Fountains Abbey is also the largest monastic ruin in England. If you like, you can pay a small fee to help preserve the venerable ruins. And when do you ever get the chance to step inside a real secular movie set?
