Fountains Abbey, once one of the great monasteries in Europe. Before we move off, let me tell you a little of how it began.
In 1132, 13 monks trekked here from St Mary’s Abbey in York, seeking to create a foundation that was closer to their original vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
In the early years of the abbey, these monks, who had by then joined the Cistercian order, lived a simple life devoted to prayer and meditation, farming their land to meet their modest needs. Yet the success of the monks’ sheep farming was so great that, within a hundred and twenty years, Fountains had become the richest Cistercian House in England.
We begin our tour here at the Porter’s Lodge, an early thirteenth century entrance to the abbey buildings.