Fountains Abbey

fr

Great circular walk to visit Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the famous ruins of Fountains Abbey. Fees apply to visit the Fountains Abbey.

Details

n°30782249
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
–
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.42 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 427 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 423 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 486 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 249 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Description of the walk

Start: West Gate Car Park (Fountains Abbey), Ripon (HG4 3DZ), Fees apply to non-members of the National Trust. Grid ref. SE 270 681

(S/E) Exit the car park and turn right on the road. Continue straight on this road for around 500m until seeing a footpath on the left-hand side.

(1) Turn left and continue on the footpath with the Abbey dry stones wall on your right hand side. Continue on this path until reaching a farm. Bypass the farm by using the indicated footpath and continue straight on this main footpath for around 2 Km until reaching Whitcliffe Hall and an intersection of paths.

(2) At Whitcliff Hall take right (South) and continue straight until Markenfield Hall and an intersection of paths. Take right and straight left. Continue straight (South) on this main path across fields until reaching an intersection of paths.

(3) Take right on Strait Lane (West then North-West) and continue straight ahead on this path until reaching a small road.

(4) Take left and continue straight (South-West) until reaching an intersection of roads.

(5) Take right at the intersection, and continue straight on this road until seeing the entrance of Fountains Abbey on your right hand side. (You can stop the walk here as you will pass in front of the car park, if you don't want to visit Fountain Abbey otherwise carry on past it).

(6) Enter Fountains Abbey ground (Fees apply from here) and continue on the main path towards the main of Fountains Abbey. Continue straight toward the water garden then the lake and the Obelisk. At the Obelisk go left and continue on the footpath until seeing an intersection of paths. Take left to finish the circle and come back to the entrance of Fountain Abbey. Exit Fountains Abbey ground and take left on the road to find the car park (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 289 ft - West Gate Car Park (Fountains Abbey)
  2. 1 : mi 0.32 - alt. 371 ft - Left on footpath - dry stone wall on the right
  3. 2 : mi 2.08 - alt. 253 ft - Take right
  4. 3 : mi 3.67 - alt. 295 ft - Take right
  5. 4 : mi 4.65 - alt. 397 ft - Take left
  6. 5 : mi 5.18 - alt. 479 ft - Take right
  7. 6 : mi 6.19 - alt. 305 ft - Entrance of Fountains Abbey
  8. S/E : mi 8.42 - alt. 289 ft - West Gate Car Park (Fountains Abbey)

Notes

Start: West Gate Car Park (Fountains Abbey), Ripon (HG4 3DZ), Fees apply to non-members of the National Trust. Grid ref. SE 270 681

Car park: West Gate Car Park (Fountains Abbey), Ripon HG4 3DZ, Fees apply to non-members of the National Trust

Terrain: Road, fields

Note: You will need to buy a ticket to visit Fountains Abbey ( and ) if you are not a National Trust member. You can find more information on their website

Find more information and walks on Our Lake District Escapades website

Worth a visit

Fountains Abbey ruins

Reviews and comments

Other walks in the area

Walking Hackfall Woods Loop

Visorando Member
Hackfall Woods Loop
↔3.97 mi ↗+515 ft ↘-515 ft ◔2h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Burton-on-Yore (North Yorkshire)
A lovely walk through Hackfall Woods, taking in all the features (highlighted in bold) and with a detour to visit to the tea shop in Grewelthorpe mid way. Lots of interest and different seasons provide changing views as the follies and grottoes are hidden or revealed by the trees.

Walking River Ure & Nutwith Common from Masham

Visorando Member
↔6.63 mi ↗+466 ft ↘-440 ft ◔3h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Masham (North Yorkshire)
A pleasant North Yorkshire walk that starts from the brewing town of Masham. The outward route follows the banks of the River Ure. The return uses paths and lanes to return via Nutwith Common.

Walking Grimwith Reservoir

Visorando Member
↔6.76 mi ↗+404 ft ↘-390 ft ◔3h 30 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Appletreewick (North Yorkshire)
Circular reservoir walk, fresh around Grimwith Reservoir.

Walking Circular loop from Appletreewick, A Day in the Dales

Visorando Member
↔11.10 mi ↗+666 ft ↘-692 ft ◔5h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Appletreewick (North Yorkshire)
A walk from Appletreewick and back along the Wharfe to Burnsall and around Grimwith Reservoir.

Walking Barden Bridge and the Strid from Bolton Abbey

Visorando Member
↔4.58 mi ↗+207 ft ↘-207 ft ◔2h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bolton Abbey (North Yorkshire)
This walk follows the River Wharfe from Bolton Abbey to Barden Bridge in the Yorkshire Dales. One of the highlights of the walk is the Strid, a narrow rocky defile, through which the River Wharfe thunders through. The walk has few gradients and includes some pleasant woodland.

Walking River Wharfe and Ilkley Moor

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔4.88 mi ↗+728 ft ↘-702 ft ◔2h 55 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Ilkley (West Yorkshire)
A walk alongside the River Wharfe to historic Ilkley town centre, with a return via the Cow & Calf.

Walking Cow and Calf

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔3.33 mi ↗+623 ft ↘-617 ft ◔2h 05 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Ilkley (West Yorkshire)
Onto Ilkley Moor for fine views, a historic well cottage and iconic rock formations.

Walking The Swastika and Badger Stones

Association / Club / Walk leader
↔6.91 mi ↗+899 ft ↘-873 ft ◔4h 00 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Ilkley (West Yorkshire)
Enigmatic rock carvings and all the best-loved highlights of Ilkley Moor.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.