We love the shop at the visitor centre with its good selection of high quality gifts, books, home ware, gardening things, scarves, rugs, greeting cards, preserves, cookies, chocolates and so on.
It is only there that you pay to get to the Abbey - up until this point, everything we did and saw was for free.
One of the original farms has been turned into a fully working "medieaval" show farm, where you can learn about wool making, bee keeping and many other farm-related things. This is their herbs and vegetable garden;
First view of the abbey ruins. Can anyone decipher the inscription on the tower?
Fountains Hall, inside and out:
Fountains Mill:
There we are - Fountains Abbey! More (much more) in my next post. (If you want to know more about the mill and Fountains Hall, simply use the search button at the top left corner of my blog to find posts about both buildings from previous years, with a bit of history.)
I'd really love the 'show farm', the herbs look healthy! Of course I would be right with you and your sis at the gift shop - I love looking around places such as that - the books and cards are interesting and of course who doesn't want chocolate - and it's allowed after a good hike, right?
ReplyDeleteSorry, even enlarged, can't really make out that inscription! Latin I'm sure.
Lovely place - and looks like good weather. Enjoy each moment of your holiday.
Thanks for trying with the inscription, Mary! I'm sure we would pretty much like to do the same things if we were to visit Fountains Abbey together - a long, leisurely browse at the shop, and then a good look at the show farm before a stop at the tea rooms.
Deletetried several times to comment since our new computer and the power outage this morning.....Maybe this will work.
ReplyDeleteI love Skansens...The first was done in Sweden in the 1890s, I think. We have one of those living museums nearby - Hale Farm and Village. I like the one in Toronto, too. It's called Black Creek Pioneer Village. But my favorite is in Szentendre near Budapest. They have eight villages, for the eight regions of Hungary. Each is probably from the late 1800s.
I also love the Fountains Hall photos.
Thank you for persevering, Kristi!
DeleteGlad you like the Fountains Hall photos. I was unsure about putting nearly the same views up twice (of the Hall and the summer house), but they are slightly different, viewed from different points, and I could not decide which ones I like better.
I've seen the "Show Farm" on YouTube a few times! How neat that you got to visit! How lovely everything looks!
ReplyDeleteOh, I have to look them up on Youtube, too! Thanks for getting me the idea, Jennifer :-)
DeleteHow much I would love to see this! According to Wikipedia...
ReplyDeleteIn 1986 the parkland in which the abbey is situated and the abbey was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was recognised for fulfilling the criteria of being a masterpiece of human creative genius, and an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history.
And YOU get to see it every time you are in Yorkshire! LUCKY you!
Yes, we know it is an UNESCO world heritage site - and rightly so! No wonder it is one of my favourite places on this planet :-)
DeleteOH, I also see that they filmed "The Secret Garden" there in 1993, it is the one with Maggie Smith, and is very good.
ReplyDeleteNow, that is something I didn't know - must find that film (I love the book!) and watch it!
DeleteThey have filmed many versions of the book, but that one from the early 90's is my favorite!
DeleteLike Mary I tried hard to decipher the wording on the bell tower and think that the words 'love and honor' (sic) and 'all one Lord' appear but I can't be too sure.
ReplyDeleteI did find this in my searches though: 'The bell tower built by Abbot Marmaduke Huby (1495–1526) at the Cistercian monastery of Fountains has often been regarded as self-aggrandizement. However, a different interpretation is possible when the content of the three bands of inscriptions around the tower's upper storeys are considered. These contain texts from the offices sung at a Cistercian monastery on a Sunday. Several have been adapted to express devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. The inscriptions, and the identity and location of the three saints' images on the tower, mean that the structure can be interpreted as an expression of Huby's personal devotions and of his dedication to monastic reform.'
This is very interesting, Graham, thank you very much! And don't you just love the idea of an Abbot Marmaduke?
DeleteI wonder why I have never looked at the inscription before - I have been coming to this place regularly since 2003, after all!
The Idea of a 'Marmaduke' in any serious position cracks me up.
DeleteAh yes - I see you did!
ReplyDeleteYou see I did what, Mike? I am puzzled.
Delete