Trip 6: May 2026, Orchard Cottage, Fountains Abbey, Ripon
It is a long first half of the drive up the A1 and then we headed for Ripon. The only problem was that after leaving the motorway we joined the A61, after a couple of miles we came to a road block and the road was closed. Back to the motorway heading south and then the sat nav took over and we joined a narrow B road to Ripon before getting back on our planned route.
The rally field was well sign posted and we signed in and found a pitch in the sun. It was a very hot day again after yesterday’s record temperatures so we stayed by the van and chilled, my stress levels were soon back to normal.
We had a great Chinese style tea and while Sue watched the TV I wandered to the stewards area where they were having a skittles evening. Not the pub skittles that I have played but numbered skittles spread in a random pattern. You got the points for which ever number skittle was hit. It was very competitive and amusing to watch.
Tomorrow it is forecast to be cooler so we are going to walk around the deer park and the lakes.
Day 2: Cloudy today but still warm so we are going to head out on our walk mid morning with a packed lunch. We have been offered Passes to the National Trust areas but that maybe tomorrow.
We left the campsite and walked to the deer park. The first stop was the Obelisk and then the church. The church was not open until later so we carried on past another of the estate houses, this was the Chorister house where music was taught.
The path across the parkland headed towards to Royal Studley Hall which burnt down in 1946. However the very elaborate stables remain and they have been converted into dwellings.
We headed back across the parkland avoiding a herd of deer, Sue was convinced they would charge at us.
St Mary’s Church was now open so we went in for a look around. It was built for the estate and no money was spared. Some of the pilars were made with marble that came from all over the world. The estate owners were somehow linked to the East India Company. The Marquis of Ripon and his wife are buried in the church in elaborate tombs.
We headed back across the parkland avoiding the formal gardens but we could only walk around the lake unless we paid to get into the main National Trust site. We had planned that for tomorrow, we grabbed an ice cream and walked across the parkland to a bench where we ate our lunch.We headed back to the campsite and sat in the sun until supper. We had done 5 miles today.
Day 3’
We woke to heavy rain that continued until 10.30 when it started to brighten up. I went to find a man who had some National Trust Tickets. We got setup and headed to the Fountain Abbey visitors centre. We got a map and started our tour of the entire estate.
We set off to try and see everything in a circular route. The main attractions are Fountains Hall which is open and has lots of information, there is a pretty garden to walk around.
We passed the old water mill where they milled grain and cut timber.
Next we went to the Abbey itself which is huge. Again there is lots to see and after looking in every ‘room’ we found ourselves in the ruins of the infirmary. We got seated on a wall and had our lunch.
We went back through the Abbey and joined a main path alongside the river towards the formal gardens, stopping now and then to see the various follies, some of which were reached via very steep hills.
The path went into what appeared to be a cave, but on removing my sunglasses I saw light at the end of the (Serpentine) tunnel. This path led us to the formal ponds and canal.
We spent time walking around the ponds and eventually crossed over the Canal towards the east entrance and the cafe.
We rejoined the main path and followed it back to the Abbey along the opposite side of the river. Once back at the main visitor centre we stopped for an ice cream before the final yards back to the campsite. We had been nearly 5 hours, so the entrance fee is worth the money for the amount that there is to see. We had walked 8 miles in total.
We stayed around the van and had tea. Sue wanted to watch something on TV so I went to the Stewards tents where there was a game of Skittles. Tonight I joined in and it was good fun with lots of banter. I lost my three ‘lives’ in the first game quite quickly. In the second game I managed to stay alive longer and I finished third. By then the sun had gone down and the wind was quite cold so we all headed for our vans.
Day 4:
Today we head to the deer park and take the seven bridges trail along the river Schell.
We followed the path and we got to bridge 4 and the river had dried up. We reversed and followed the dry river bed until we found that the river was disappearing down a hole in the river bed.
We continue alongside the dry river bed and we met two local residents who confirmed that it had been like it for years and that the river reappears some miles further on. In the winter the river does flow further until once again disappearing. So some of the river bed in dry stones while further along the grass and weeds are taking over where the water no longer reaches.
We left the National Trust deer park and followed the path up a steep hill to the cliff top. The path took us past the Machershaw plantation to the ruins of Machershaw Lodge, that was once a gatehouse to the parkland.
Here you could carry on or re-enter the National Trust land, across a field and back down to the river Schell where we started the Seven Bridges trail.
We walked around the Fountains Abbey lake to the car park and headed home across the deer park. Our short walk was nearly 5 miles and the hills provided a good workout.
Iona’s Travels 