When I pulled back the curtains last Saturday morning, I decided that to spend the day doing chores as I'd planned was criminally insane. It was clearly going to be a splendid day - and it was... more like summer than spring. So I grabbed my camera and set off for Fountains Abbey, which is a very famous beauty spot north of Harrogate, about an hour's drive from here. It also happens to be another World Heritage Site like Saltaire. And since we are celebrating World Heritage Day on Monday 18th, it seems a good time to show you some of its beauty.
In actual fact the site is 'Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal' - a huge medieval monastery (reduced to ruins by Henry VIII's brutal dissolution of the abbeys in the 16th century) set within the beautiful valley of the River Skell, which was transformed in the 18th century into a stunning water garden and deer park by the Aislabie family who lived at Studley Royal, adjacent to the Abbey.
You could easily write a book about its history and the estate as it is today (and people have done!) so I won't try and cover everything here. Please have a look at the website for more information and pictures - and enjoy my photos of this lovely spot.
This is my entry for 'Weekend Reflections' hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo - the gathering place for beautiful and creative interpretations of that theme from bloggers far and wide. Do have a look at this week's other entries - click here.
Beautiful shot and reflection is crystal clear.
ReplyDeleteSeeing such beautiful images like this really makes me miss the UK. Love it.
ReplyDeleteA great building Jenny.
ReplyDeleteAnd beautiful reflections also.
Costas
Gorgeous building, marvelous reflections, Jenny! Such a perfect scene and perfect capture! Hope you have a lovely weekend! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Oh, Jenny! This is absolutely beautiful! Another of your truly frameworthy pictures! Such a lovely sight for teary eyes as mine have been this week.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to enjoy another lovely weekend! I hope, too, that your Mom's condition is better, although I know that the situation is serious. I hope for good days!
Hugs,
Des xoxo
woww the reflections look amazing :D
ReplyDeletebeautifulllll capture :D loved it :)
Extraordinary place ; those ruins are fantastic ! And you choose well your daylight to take your picture : they look so bright... Nice choice for the week contest...
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful photo. You are right about last Saturday. It was a glorious day :)
ReplyDeleteThe reflection is fabulous! and so is the abbey! i love this kind of place, full of history, rich of symbol, especially with this very gothic mood..Great picture!
ReplyDeleteOooh, so glad you set aside the work for a camera day. Smart lady. This is a gorgeous catch. Been wanting to visit since you left a kind comment last week. Yes-hard of hearing-not completely deaf. Meniere's disease.
ReplyDeleteI think you're perhaps the 4th or 5th blogger I've met with hearing loss. We shold start a club.
This is a gorgeous photo, I'm so glad you didn't do chores!
ReplyDeletePerfect reflection. Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely - beautiful reflection and such colour!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great shot! And how about the weather. Glorious. There are lots of ruined Abbeys in the UK, ruined by the Tudors, especially Henry VIII. We've been to a few when we visited the UK. Must put Fountains Abbey on our 'Bucket List'.
ReplyDeleteI would have ditched the chores too on such a lovely day. Such beautiful vivid spring colour! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteA fine decision, jenny! I've visited several ruined abbeys -- all fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThe ruin of a huge medieval monastery stands majestically on the ground as well as in the water.
ReplyDeleteIt looks happy now surrounded by such a beautiful nature.
Have a great weekend.
What an absolutely beautiful structure, and the reflection is lovely--nice work!!!! Mickie :)
ReplyDeleteSimply stunning photograph and place!
ReplyDeleteA top shot of the ruins. Very picturesque. That Henry V111 was a nasty piece of work. We watched The Tudors.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky for us that you decided to drop your chores, and captured this beautiful scene! It speaks peace and calmness, summer, warmth and bees humming. I love english country side scenes, and all the beautiful old abbeys and castles. I lived in a castle near Carnforth for 5 months in 1972/73! Your photo is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit, comment and kind words on my blog! :-)
Beautiful image of what is a beautiful and very special place. I am sure I have an old postcard image very similar to this but with a cow grazing in the meadow.
ReplyDeleteLots of history and beautiful pictures, interesting blog. Greetings from Ustka. Poland
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you decided to skip the chores and show us this! It is absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThat Henry VIII was quite the character, wasn't he!
ReplyDeleteThe photo is just lovely...what a great choice to let the chores wait on a beautiful day! And they always wait, don't they...still there when you get home! ha.
Good call on skipping the chores. My what a beautiful day I've just clicked into! ~Lili
ReplyDeleteThat's marvellous.
ReplyDeleteSydney - City and Suburbs
Chores can wait, Jenny. You were smart to take advantage of a nice day to be outside and have an adventure.
ReplyDeleteI have seen old prints of Fountains Abbey but I don't remember seeing photographs before. This is a nice one.
Wow! Wonderful reflection!
ReplyDeleteFabulous post... the place, the reflection, the photo. And you were SO sane to go out into the spring day instead of doing house chores, Jenny!(I'm just catching up on weekend reflections... yikes!)
ReplyDelete