Fountain Abbey - World Heritage Site

As a historic building conservation student at York, Fountain Abbey is a very familiar name. Finally made the trip on Wed with my flatmate. The abbey ruin located near the town Ripon. The beginning of Fountain Abbey linked to St. Mary‘s Abbey in York, just outside of the City Wall. Leaving the luxuries lifestyle in St. Mary’s, some monks founded Fountain Abbey in 12C. Yet, a few hundred years later, they became one of the wealthiest abbey in England and made them an obvious target for Henry VIII. Currently, National Trust is managing the Abbey ruin and the Park around it. Some houses on the land are still private residence.

The Abbey located right next to a river, on the bottom of a valley. The stone on the cliff looks similar to some of the stone built the Abbey. The Abbey itself was tall and huge. You can’t help but wonder how people can built it so many years ago. And not just once, but constantly rebuilt and add on it to fit the ‘latest trend‘. Where are all the money come from; what tools had been used; how many people involved; the name of the labourers; where they come from; where have they gone.

Standing there, imagining how the site will look, smell and sound in its Hayday, it is a mixed feeling. It is an impressive site but is it good use of resources? And now, what our generation will leave behind for the next?