Spend a whole day exploring North Yorkshire's World Heritage Site, less than 30 miles from the centre of York.

A place of contrasts and surprises, discover the spirit of a great abbey and the elegance of a Georgian water garden…

Eye catchers and follies decorate the vast landscape. Elegant ponds and cascades entwined with rustic bridges, classical temples and statues enthral today’s visitor just as they would the pleasure-seeking Georgians. There could be no finer eye catcher, however, than the grand ruins of Fountains Abbey. Wander further into the parkland to be rewarded with views to Ripon cathedral, ancient trees and herds of hundreds of deer.

Open year-round, Fountains Abbey is fantastic for walks and each season brings its own unique delights to see. Watch wildlife awaken in the springtime, catch the colourful wildflowers during summer, enjoy autumnal splendour by floodlight and wrap up warm to see the atmospheric ruins sparkle with frost as winter returns.

Visit our website for full details of everything you can do, plus special events at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

Christmas at Fountains Abbey

Wrap up warm, grab a festive bake, see the abbey sparkle and as the afternoon light starts to fade, take a wander through the ruins aglow.

Visit three different locations through the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate and immerse yourself in four different Winter Tales: The Mitten, The Silver Pinecones, The Nutcracker and The Children and The Sun. Join the author, Dawn Casey, or our volunteers on one of our storytelling weekends too. Swanley Grange, Fountains Mill and Fountains Hall will be dressed and decorated using inspiration taken from Winter Tales by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Zanna Goldhawk.

Walk through the ruins aglow and hear live choirs fill the ever every weekend in December from 2-5pm. Live choirs will perform in the abbey cellarium from 2-3pm.

Join us for a service of Carols by Candlelight on 8 and 15 December. Tickets will be available to book through the website on 15 November.

Visiting with your dog

With acres of land to explore Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is a great place to come for some exercise with your dog. There are plenty of places to discover and some nice long walks to enjoy through the water garden, abbey and deer park. There's 'dog parking' at the play ground and the restaurant at the visitor centre welcomes waggy tails too. Dogs are very welcome almost everywhere on the estate but must be kept on a short lead at all times.

Eating

Break up your adventures at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal with some tasty refreshments. A range of seasonal food is served at the Visitor Centre restaurant, with hot meals, sandwiches and sweet treats among the items on the menu. If you're not feeling peckish, you can just enjoy a nice cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. The main Studley Royal tea-room is open, perfect if you're looking for a light bite or a cup of tea. Grab a quick lunch or snack to enjoy inside the tea-room or on the outdoor tables overlooking the lake.

Shopping

A large National Trust shop and plant centre at the visitor centre is the perfect place to browse for that perfect gift for someone special or a little treat for yourself. You’ll find it hard to resist our range of seasonal stock inspired by National Trust places, from beautiful silk scarves in unique prints to homeware pieces for every living space. Tempt your tum with a sweet treat or whet your whistle with a fruit wine. The shop has a large range of tools and accessories for the garden, as well as seasonal blooms that will add some colour to any indoor or outdoor space.

Fountains Abbey is a place for everyone to enjoy

We want to make sure everyone can enjoy a visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. If you'd like to discuss any considerations for your visit, please give us a call on (01765) 608888 and we'll do our best to help.

Some things we can offer:

• Level access to the site, or a quieter place to enter if you'd like to avoid the hustle and bustle at the main visitor centre.
• Options for special diets
• Complimentary mobility scooters and wheelchairs if you, or someone you’re visiting with would like to make use of one

With over 800 acres to explore, we know that legs can easily get tired. We offer a complimentary minibus service for our visitors with multiple stops around the site including the main car park at the visitor centre. You can hop on and off this service to help you get around all day.

Getting here

We're less than 30 miles from the centre of York. There's lots of free parking at the visitor centre, including 6 electric charging points. Just follow the brown signs off the A1 or use postcode HG4 3DY for your satnav.

The closest train station is Harrogate. The closest bus station is Ripon.

There are daily connections to Ripon on service 36 from Leeds and Harrogate. Bus 139 runs from Ripon to Fountains Abbey on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays all year. DalesBus 822 runs from Pocklington, York, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge, Grassington and Ripon to Fountains Abbey on summer Sundays and bank holidays.

There are plenty of bike racks at the visitor centre. While cycling is not permitted in the abbey and water garden, the main avenue through the deer park makes up part of the Way of the Roses coast-to-coast route.

Holiday here

Why not stay longer in one of the holiday apartments? There are 14 different cottages to choose from around the estate and you can even access the abbey and garden after hours!

Good to know

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is open year-round and there's no need to book a visit. Free entry for National Trust members and under fives.

Visiting, volunteering and spending supports the charitable work of the National Trust - thank you!

See where else to explore with the National Trust in York and North Yorkshire.