Monking Around.

I have a thing for religious buildings. And castles. Despite not being religious, or indeed a King.

In Yorkshire there is a ruined Cistercian Monastery called Fountains Abbey. Its golden walls, destroyed by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries, still sat at the bottom of a beautiful green valley deep in the dales. 

Now owned and cared for by The National Trust, Fountains is open to the public all year round. Through the years, the land surrounding the old Abbey has also become the home to some wonderful architecture, including Graeco-Roman water features running all the way into a flat lake, at the edge of which sits one of the best spots for afternoon tea in all of England. 

You can just imagine Mr Darcy walking through these fields.

Whether you're a complete Medieval Geek, or you just enjoy a good day out, one day go and see Fountains. The history, the architecture, the story, is all completely breath-taking. That a small group of men could build something that, despite being completely ransacked, is still a stunning example of craftsmanship, is really quite something.