Take a Christmas Stroll Around Fountains Abbey with Matthew Wolfenden and Roxy Shahidi
Living North's columnists, actors Matthew Wolfenden and Roxy Shahidi (best known for their roles David and Leyla on Emmerdale), are exploring Yorkshire one walk at a time
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site that blends medieval history with Georgian landscape design. Founded in 1132 by Cistercian monks, the abbey grew into one of England’s wealthiest monasteries before its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1539. Today, visitors can explore its dramatic ruins, 18th-century water gardens, ornamental lakes, statues, and deer park on the popular three-mile circular walk – a National Trust route showcasing some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery and architecture.
Why Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal?
Roxy: ‘With the nights drawing in and weather turning colder as we head into winter, we wanted to suggest a slightly shorter, brisk walk this month, didn’t we?’
Matt: ‘Yeah, one to warm you up, but not too long that you’d be frozen by the end of it!’
Roxy: ‘…and the beauty of this three-mile circular is the cafés along the way!’
Matt: ‘But, not only that… this short but spectacular route blends medieval history, Georgian landscape design, and Yorkshire countryside in one walk.’
Roxy: ‘But we’re going to get a brew first, right?’
Matt: ‘Deal. Hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows for me…’
Let’s walk…
We parked up in the visitor centre car park, secured Cooper and Iggy on their leads, and headed to reception, where a friendly and knowledgeable member of staff handed us a map and gave us a rundown of the walk and what we’d see along the way. There is an entry charge for non-members, but if you’re a member of the National Trust or English Heritage, you can visit without paying the fee.
And so, with a warm brew and a hot chocolate in hand, off we set; down the sweeping path into the valley where the ruins of the abbey were just visible through the trees; their branches now shedding the last of their leaves, carpeting the ground in gold. As you descend further into the valley of the River Skell, the magnificent Fountains Abbey comes into full, glorious view, the low late-October sun shining through the abbey’s windows and archways, casting spectacular patterns of light and shadow.
We stopped for a wander around the ruins (which is well worth doing), to take in the immense sense of history as we gazed up at the towering stone structures overhead.
We then followed the River Skell for around half a mile – although walked might be a stretch; Roxy was mostly pulled along by a very excited Cooper, desperate to greet the endless pheasants dotting the grounds as far as the eye could see. Eventually, we arrived at the stunning Studley Royal Water Garden, one of the most beautiful and best-preserved 18th-century Georgian landscape gardens in England.
This formal garden is laid out with mirror-like ornamental lakes, canals, cascades and classical statues, all framed by immaculate lawns and carefully designed vistas. As you wander through, you’ll come across elegant bridges and tucked-away follies such as the Temple of Piety, Octagon Tower and Surprise View, where that iconic panorama of the abbey is perfectly framed by the trees.
At the far end of the Water Garden, you have two options: for a longer walk, you can head straight ahead into the deer park, which will likely add another three miles onto your walk. Or you can loop back round on the circular walk, which takes you down the opposite side of the Water Garden. We opted for this, as the beautiful late autumn sunshine had given way to some ominous-looking dark clouds overhead.
On the way back the rolling steep banks on your right drop down towards the water, creating a totally different perspective. Matt’s inner child took over at this point, as he proceeded to roll down the bank, narrowly avoiding a dip in the Skell at the bottom!
As you once again pass the breathtaking ruins of the abbey, you approach Fountains Mill – one of the oldest surviving buildings on the estate, and one of the few that shows how the monks supported themselves through industry as well as prayer. The Cistercian monks used the River Skell to power the mill’s waterwheel, grinding grain for bread and brewing. Today, it’s beautifully restored and open to visitors as part of the Fountains Abbey site, where you can see the mill race, original millstones, and interactive displays showing how it once operated.
Pressing on – before that rain started – we stomped through the apple and pear orchard, where Roxy helped herself to one of the biggest apples we’d ever seen, freshly dropped from a branch heavy with fruit. Moments later, we arrived at the imposing Jacobean manor house, Fountains Hall. Over the years, it’s served as a stately home, farmhouse, hunting lodge, and film set: Netflix’s The Witcher filmed scenes around the hall and abbey, while other productions include the BBC’s Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend and The Secret Garden.
Soon, we were back at the visitor centre and café, just in time as the heavens opened! So, naturally, we nipped in for a slice of tea-soaked cake and a proper cup of Yorkshire Tea… what else?!
