Studley Royal Water Garden at Fountains Abbey

About Studley Royal Water Garden

John Aislabie began reshaping the landscape at Studley Royal after becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1718. Following the collapse of the South Sea Company, in which he was implicated, he withdrew from public life and devoted himself to the garden. His son William inherited in 1742, and continued to transform the landscape in the later 18th century.

The garden channels the River Skell past the abbey ruins into moon-shaped ponds and mirrored lakes, framed by clipped hedges and laurel banks and dotted with classical buildings. Together with the abbey ruins and deer park, the estate was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and is cared for by the National Trust.

What to see

• The Moon Ponds, part of John Aislabie's original design, with the Temple of Piety beside them.
• Follies and viewpoints placed along the valley sides and paths.
• The ruins of Fountains Abbey, seen at the head of the valley.
• The deer park, around 300 acres, used for deer since the late Middle Ages and home to red, fallow and sika deer.

Planning your visit

The estate is just off the B6265 between Ripon and Pateley Bridge, about 4 miles from Ripon and 11 miles from Harrogate. Use "Fountains Abbey" in your sat nav rather than the postcode. The visitor centre has a restaurant, shop and plant centre, and parking there is free.

A level-access car park is near the West Gate entrance. Winter hours start at the end of October, when admission points open from 9.30am to 3.30pm, and the estate closes on Fridays from November to January.