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Minsters & Monasteries: Ripon Cathedral and Fountains Abbey
From £165
Summary
A Study Day to mark Ripon Cathedral's 1350th anniversary
Enjoy a delightful day roaming the powerhouses of medieval North Yorkshire, set amongst the beauty of the rolling landscape. We commence at Ripon Cathedral where we are engulfed in 1350 years of history. Taking a guided tour, we hear all about the former Benedictine monastery built by St Wilfrid in the mid-7th century, heavily inspired by his trips to Rome, and about the crypt laden with relics which still survives as one of the oldest surviving structures in any cathedral in the country. Then, we hear how after neighbouring York set their sights on a new cathedral in the fashionable Gothic style, Ripon followed suit with Roger de Pont l’Évêque, Archbishop of York 1154-81, constructing a magnificent new church over Wilfrid’s crypt to promote pilgrimage. We’ll visit all of this, including an exclusive high parts tour usually inaccessible to visitors, and you’ll peer into the magical world of the Middle Ages, gazing upon Ripon’s famed 15th-century misericords (mercy seats), carved with a host of mythological creatures, some vivacious and some vulgar—and some the inspiration of local boy, author Lewis Carroll.
In the afternoon we take a short trip to the largest and best-preserved ruined Cistercian monastery in England: Fountains. A guided tour of the 12th-century abbey is first, including the medieval water mill, and the Jacobean mansion of Fountains Hall, before we enjoy the abundance of delights that the landscape boasts. We will take a stroll around one of the most magnificent Georgian water gardens and pleasure grounds ever created which surrounds the abbey ruins known as Studley Royal. Here we visit its numerous follies and the Victorian masterpiece that is St Mary’s Church, designed by William Burges in 1870.
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Meet your Experts
Dr Emma Wells
Andante Guide Lecturer
Academic, author and broadcaster, Dr Emma J. Wells is a specialist in the ecclesiastical and architectural history of medieval and reformation-era England, and the author of an array of publications.
Your itinerary
Study Day -
09.45 Meet the group outside Ripon Cathedral West Front. Dr Emma Wells will give an overview of the history of the cathedral, St Wilfrid and the city.
10.15 Dr Emma Wells takes us on a tour of the Cathedral
11.00 Coffee break
11.15 Special access to the High Parts tour / Tour of Lady Chapel and Chapter House with Dr Emma Wells
13.00 Lunch
14.15 Board transport to leave for nearby Fountains Abbey
14.30 Guided tour of the abbey and mill, and Fountains Hall with Dr Emma Wells to walk in the footsteps of the monks who devoted their lives to the service of God. Among the largest and best-preserved Cistercian monasteries, twelfth-century Fountains was also one of the wealthiest, thanks to its extensive lands, sheep farming and prosperous mill, the oldest building on the site and in use until 1927. Then we move over to the hall built as a mansion by Sir Stephen Proctor in the early 17th-century with sandstone blocks and a staircase from the Abbey itself. Today, the surroundings are just as breath-taking as they comprise the beautifully landscaped Georgian water garden. Now a World Heritage Site, the garden was created by father and son John and William in a style synonymous with that which Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown came to employ.
16.00 We return to Ripon Cathedral where our day comes to an end.
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Professional Tour Manager
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
| Tour Departure | Tour ID | Departure date | Guided by | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 July 2022 | AXRI220707 | 7 July 2022 (Thursday) | Dr Emma Wells | £165 (ex. flights) |
Book your trip |
| 9 September 2022 | AXRI220909 | 9 September 2022 (Friday) | Dr Emma Wells | £165 (ex. flights) |
Book your trip |
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