Monday was a beautiful sunny day in an otherwise dreich Bank Holiday weekend in Yorkshire. Our friends had planned a walk round Fountains Abbey and Studley Roylal Estate, following this route from the Guardian. As well as the 12th century abbey, this World Heritage Site offers an Elizabethan house, a Georgian water garden, a Victorian church and a beautiful deer park. The weather was perfect for it all. Highlights follow.

St Mary’s church

This is a little gem. Commissioned in 1870 by the first Marquess and Marchioness of Ripon, whose tomb and effigies are in the church, it was designed by William Burges and consecrated in 1878. I loved the way it was a little church pretending to be a big cathedral, and its colourful interior.

Deer Park

Water Park

The Abbey

Fountains Hall