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A sunny day exploring the historic Fountains Abbey!

A sunny day exploring the historic Fountains Abbey!

May 2018 · 12 min read

Hi Steemians! I am so excited because we have had some amazing weather here this week! Today I am sharing our day out at the beautiful Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, UK. I hope you enjoy it! - Verity x

When we got up early and looked outside and clear blue skies and sun we were so excited! We grabbed our cameras and headed straight out for an adventure! I have posted a few photographs fro Fountains Abbey form trips we have done in the past but wanted to go back to do a full post on it. Its one of those places that you just spend hours walking around. The gardens are unlike anywhere else and its all set in acres and acres of gorgeous landscape. The blossoms are finally out and all the tress are finally getting their green colour back, it really does feel like summer is nearly here, and after 8 months of wintery weather we are definitely ready for it!!

The walk starts out in a nature trail which is beautiful. Trees lining each side of the path with bird hides for you to go and spot some wildlife, we did pop in but no birds were out for us! I couldn't help but look up at all the amazing branches with the gorgeous sun shinning through!

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As we continued on the path it was so nice to smell the fresh blossoms, it smelt of Spring! A gentle breeze blew the leaves back and forth and in the 23 degree C heat that was quite welcome! This is what happens in the UK we wait forever for nice weather and then when we get it we can't cope in it!

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As the trees opened up you get your first glimpse of the Abbey, all be it a very distant one! When you see how high the Abbey is later in the post you will appreciate how high up we were in this shot to have got this kind of angle on it!

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This tree really caught my eye, a beautiful plant was growing all over it and the tree looked to have so many trunks and branches leading out from its base. It such an old historic sight you have to wonder how old the trees are and also what they must have seen in their life. This one had a great view overlooking the Abbey.

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Looking up at the blue sky was amazing, a site we just haven't seen in SO long! We love to make the most of days like this and enjoy nature, I can't think of anything better to do! Places like this can look good in any weather but to look up and see the trees all happy and bursting with colour is beautiful.

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Just as we had walked down the hill to the level ground below the Abbey appears out of nowhere. The impressive ruins tower above you and reach up so high. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest ruins of its kind in England. Built in 1132 it operated as a Cistercian monastery for 407 years and became on of the wealthiest. In 1539 it became disused under the order of Henry VII, and what a shame that must have been. For so many monks and people living and working in this amazing place to leave and have to give it all up must have been heartbreaking for them.

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I get so excited when I come here because taking photographs of this place is really a joy, so much architecture and the grandeur of the place is just amazing. The Abbey covers around 70 acres next to a small flowing river. This shot is taken looking down the nave of the Abbey through one of the entrances across to a large window. Its one of my favourite view points. You can see how large the area is and also how symmetric it is. The large columns of stone look amazing leading your eye down the Abbey.

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Because of the height of the walls and the shapes that were built the light is cast into the building in such an amazing way. Here you can see how it creates these amazing arch shadows that go along the wall. It really is just the perfect place for photographic opportunities, but its so hard to do it justice!

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Couldn't resist getting a shot of Chris and our dog walking down this beautiful part of the Abbey, playing around with contrast is so fun in a place like this!

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When you look to your side when going down one of the aisles of archways you see the other side and how grand the columns really are. Its so hard to full grasp the scale of this place but all these shots are taken on my 17-40mm lens at pretty much 17mm all the time to get it all in so hopefully that gives you some idea! Fountains Abbey has long been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in fact since 1986, and deservedly so.

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The lines and architecture are just stunning, the size of the stones are so big that I can't even imagine how hard it must have been to construct such an amazing building.

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My favourite part of the Abbey is the tower. When I said earlier that you would be able to tell how high up on the hill we must have been to get that shot you might be able to tell from this one below how high we were !! It is just an amazing site looking up at such a high tower. It almost makes you a little dizzy. In this amazing weather the window gaps looked perfectly glazes with blue sky and sunshine! You can image how impressive this would have looked with a wooden roof in its prime. Considering its age what remains is truly remarkable.

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This shot was taken standing directly in the middle of the tower looking up! How amazing! It really was just an amazing sight, I took so many photographs but also stood still and just took the atmosphere in. I can imagine that when all the monks used to come here and pray it must have been an incredible experience for them.

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Everywhere you turn you get a new angle and perspective of this incredible site. This shot is looking back at to the nave area from the tower.

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The Abbey is now home to different occupants, pigeons and crows who have now made nests everywhere around in the walls!

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As you wonder through all the different rooms you see more and more impressive architecture and window frames. These ones really caught my eye, not many of them are circular so I really liked how this one at the top was!

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This shot is taken looking down the nave from the other side which looks equally impressive. Its so wide as well as long creating such an impact. I loved how in this amazing light all the brick work was glowing, showing you how much work has gone in to construct it all.

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This photograph below is looking towards the Chapel of Altars, what an amazing view.

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The detail that has gone into all the building is really amazing, here you can see the shapes of all the stones on the walls down to the little seats. This lines all the walls down the nave and must have been quite a lot of work for the builders to complete!

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Another view of this amazing place!

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We decided to leave the Abbey on this side and walk around the gardens and loop back on ourselves to the other side of the Abbey on the way back! As you leave the Abbey next to the tower you get such an amazing view of it from outside. Even from this angle you can get the sheer scale of the building!

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As you get further and further away finally my 17mm lens can get most of the Abbey in!! Its normally way too wide for most things but this lens really is the best option for this place and I was so glad to have it! You can see how perfectly set into the landscape the Abbey is and what a perfect location they chose for it! A long flat grass land next to glorious woodland and a stream, it really is idyllic. All you can hear are the birds and the water as you are so far into the Yorkshire dales, it really is so amazing.

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Walking quite far we then looked back at got this stunning view of the Abbey, the light was casting this amazing golden light and looked so pretty. I don't often shoot portrait but in this case I think it was necessary!

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I wanted to capture all the beautiful bluebells in the shot too so that involved getting quite close to floor to get them all in! Its been a great year so far for bluebells so I am excited to see some colour back.

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As you continue on the long walk you get to the wonderful Studley Royal Park, over 800 acres of landscaped gardens. The water gardens which are just spectacular were created by John Aislabie in 1718 and is one of the best examples of Georgian water gardens in the UK. It is so pretty and really looks like somewhere were old oil paintings must have been painted!

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The lines that have been created to make different ponds are so precise. Each pond has a different fountain or ornament and I can just imagine how nice it must have been to walk along these gardens in the summer... and still is! Its amazing to me that these have been so well looked after for so long for people like us to enjoy just as they did back then.

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I don't think I have been anywhere quite as beautiful as this place. Its so vast but yet so maintained.

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Little follies were built around the gardens and lakes for people to enjoy. This one below is called the Temple of Piety and was designed to impress. Apparently in 1778 the historians know that 6 chairs and a tea table were delivered for the table, how amazing to think that this is the exact place that 18th century people sat and had tea and watched the gardens.

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This is the amazing view they would have had looking out onto the ponds!

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There were some amazing trees along the way, in fact some the tallest I have seen, including this amazing one!! Thinking about it I wish I had got a photo of me stood near the base because that would have given it more scale!

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The primroses this year have been amazing, I thought maybe it was in just in Scotland that they were thriving but then we came across this amazing bank just covered with these amazing little flower!

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The landscaping around the gardens must take so much up-keep and a whole bunch of gardeners! This entire bank was amazing! The shape that has been created from these plants is so effective and in this sunshine looks like it could be somewhere else in the World!

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The gardens are now over 300 years old so to celebrate the National Trust have installed art installations around the park. Some are interactive like this one below that you listen to drops of water inside the structure to image the sounds of people bathing in centuries past.

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There is a little cafe half way around the walk so after a quick drink and a cake we headed back around the lake the other way to get different views on the way back! There was another of these amazing high trees with people enjoying some reading sat below it!

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You can really see from this angle the extent of the gardens. There are beautiful trees leading into the water and creating lovely reflections!

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As you walk along the path you start to get amazing view of the Abbey from the other side of the river. It just look so amazing perched in the landscape. It was starting to get so busy as we made our way back around so I think we chose the right time to visit it! People were enjoying picnics and having fun in the sunshine, and what a place to do it!

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The forest along the way was covered in blue bells and the sunshine was really making it all look so beautiful!

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Then you get amazing views of the Abbey with the ruins to the side! Its nice to get this view with some elevation to make sure you can appreciate the scale of the building!

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As we made our way back to the Abbey we went back inside to see the amazing storage area where all the food for monastery used to be stored. Why it had to be so ornately decorated I don't know, but the archways are just stunning, letting only a small amount of light in, possibly to keep the food cold, it really is quite atmospheric.

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The number of alcoves and shapes is just crazy, there really us just a photograph around every corner and I don't think if I came to this place once every month I would get the same photograph, or manage to photograph every part of it!

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Walking around this place was a true honour. I have been twice before but on this day that was so sunny I don't think I have appreciated it more. The light was really capturing all the little details in this place and bringing it to life. What an amazing way to spend a sunny morning!

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I really hope you have enjoyed exploring this amazing Abbey with me, and I can't wait to share my next adventure with you all!

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- Verity x

Photography by me and copyrighted to me.
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