Fountain's Abbey

In the sixth century, St. Benedict wrote the Rule of St. Benedict for the Cistercians. Fountains Abbey was accepted into the Cistercian order in October of 1135—it’s so old! One of the main towers is known as Huby Tower, named after the Abbot Marmadukue Huby who revitalized the abbey. The abbey became state property in 1535, under the rule of King Henry VIII. Unfortunately, the king didn’t place particular value on old, historic buildings, especially of religious significance, and allowed the tin roof to be removed from the abbey. Once this was carried out, the abbey began to disintegrate to its present state of ruins. The site has the feel of an archaeological dig, set in the most gorgeous setting and devoid of crowds of tourists. It was neat to explore the ruins, walk along the stream, and visit the old meal that was essential for the existence of life at the abbey. Despite eating only one meal a day, each monk was given about a pound of bread as part of that allotment. I think the life of a monk would be so dull and hard. I can’t imagine struggling through days spanning 2 a.m. to 8 p.m., mostly praying, enduring extreme cold and hunger. They had scheduled warming sessions by the fire to avoid literally freezing.