Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015—2021 Foreword 4 Contents Introduction 7 Vision 9 Chapter 1 World Heritage Site status and Statement 11 of Outstanding Universal Value Chapter 2 Managing the World Heritage Site 19 Chapter 3 Current issues affecting the World Heritage Site 23 Chapter 4 Themes, objectives and actions 29 Chapter 5 Action plan 54 Chapter 6 Implementation and monitoring 63 Maps Map 1 World Heritage Site boundary 64 Map 2 Buffer zone 65 Appendices Appendix 1 Facts and figures about the World Heritage Site 69 Appendix 2 A short history of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal 70 Appendix 3 Planning and policy framework for the World Heritage Site 73 Appendix 4 List of World Heritage Site stakeholders 77 Appendix 5 Outcomes of public consultation 79 Appendix 6 Evaluation of delivery of objectives and actions 96 in WHS Management Plan 2009-2014 Appendix 7 English Heritage and National Trust Conservation Principles 101 Appendix 8 Conservation Action Plan 2015-2021 102 Appendix 9 Geodiversity Audit 127 Appendix 10 Landscape Character Assessments 135 Contents World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015 — 2021 3 Foreword It is an honour and a privilege to be asked His son William inherited in 1742 when Long-term planning and evaluation of to write the foreword to the Studley Royal the garden was complete and was another the management plan is key to the future and Fountains Abbey World Heritage Site visionary, continuing the work started by of this and every World Heritage Site, Management Plan. The development of his father. He extended the garden further and partnership is the crucial element the City of Ripon and Fountains Abbey north down the Skell valley, and bought in that plan. Without partners no single share the common inheritance left by John the Fountains estate in 1767 to ensure the organisation can bring the necessary and William Aislabie. Both were members backdrop of the ruined abbey became part expertise and experience into play to of parliament for Ripon, sitting between of the water garden. He ‘improved’ the ensure the sustainability of a World them for a total of more than 60 years ruins and created more vistas across the Heritage Site. The National Trust at throughout much of the 18th century. estate, and connected his ‘natural’ garden Fountains has worked in partnership John had Nicholas Hawksmoor erect the at Hackfall a few miles away with a carriage over a number of years especially with country’s tallest freestanding obelisk in drive to Studley Royal. The combined English Heritage and Natural England, Ripon Market Place in 1702 and he began estate remained in private hands until 1966 and has realised the importance of the water garden in 1716. Better known as when purchased by West Riding County connecting across cultural and natural Written by Mick Stanley, Fountains Abbey, the World Heritage Site Council and has been managed by the heritage interests. Better understanding is inscribed as a masterpiece of human National Trust since 1983 and designated of those links adds significantly to the Right Worshipful Mayor of Ripon genius and an outstanding designed a World Heritage Site in 1986. way that heritage is conserved, presented landscape. The genius was John Aislabie and promoted to the public as a World who in the second decade of the 18th I first visited this special place in the early Heritage Site — “Your local place for century had the vision to transform the 1990s, and since moving to Ripon in 2000 everyone in the world”. deep post-glacial valley of the River Skell have been a regular walker down the into the superb water gardens that we Spanish chestnut lined avenue back to see today. Ripon, one of the best walks in Yorkshire. The natural setting, the underlying geology and the ‘S’ shaped topography of the Skell valley were critical in the development of the water garden, helping to describe where the ponds, canals and follies were located and providing vistas at every turn in the valley. 4 World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015 — 2021 Foreword The Moon Pond and the Temple of Piety Foreword World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015 — 2021 5 The Surprise View of the abbey from the water garden 6 World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015 — 2021 Introduction Introduction About the World The name of the site on the World importance in their own right, being Some enjoy the peace and tranquillity Heritage List is ‘Studley Royal Park one of the few Cistercian houses to of the site, while others are inspired by Heritage Site including the ruins of Fountains Abbey’, survive from the 12th century. There its history or wish to enjoy its rich diversity rather than the name the site is usually are also Fountains Hall, St Mary’s Church, of wildlife. Managing the site as a popular Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World known by, ‘Fountains Abbey and Studley Fountains Mill and the deer park. Together visitor attraction whilst still protecting Heritage Site is special for its spectacular Royal’. The site was inscribed as a WHS these buildings and landscapes combine and enhancing the WHS is a complex 18th century landscape and water garden, by UNESCO as ‘a masterpiece of human to make a harmonious whole which and challenging task. integrating the ruins of Fountains Abbey. creative genius’ which is one of the ten UNESCO considers to be ‘an outstanding It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site WHS selection criteria. Studley Royal is example of a type of building, architectural (WHS) in 1986 as ‘Studley Royal Park considered an outstanding example of the or technological ensemble which illustrates Further information about including the ruins of Fountains Abbey’. ‘English’ garden style. The early parts of significant stages in human history’, the site is included in: The site is 822 acres (333 hectares), lies a the garden created by John Aislabie from another of the ten WHS criteria. few miles west of the city of Ripon in North 1718 are influenced by earlier formal French Appendix 1 — Facts and figures about Yorkshire and sits within the Borough of and Dutch geometric designs though The National Trust has owned the estate the World Heritage Site Harrogate and the Nidderdale Area of moving in a more naturalistic, English, since 1983 and manages the WHS in Outstanding Natural Beauty. direction. Instead of imposing a design partnership with Historic England and the Appendix 2 — A short history of upon nature, this style worked in harmony English Heritage Trust. The National Trust Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal The 18th century water garden, with it. Later in the 18th century this has around 68 regular staff, 20 seasonal Map 1 — World Heritage Site incorporating some of the largest move towards a more natural approach staff and over 400 volunteers that work Cistercian abbey ruins in Europe, shares progressed further. William Aislabie, John’s in a range of roles at Fountains Abbey the landscape with a deer park, Jacobean son, further developed the garden while and Studley Royal. mansion and a magnificent Victorian maintaining much of his father’s earlier Today the WHS welcomes approximately church designed by William Burges. designs at its core. Studley Royal therefore 350,000 visitors every year from the local demonstrates the evolving garden tastes To be inscribed as a WHS, a place must area and further afield. It is one of the of the 18th century in one landscape. not only demonstrate ‘outstanding most visited places owned by the National There are other significant buildings and universal value’, it must also fit at least Trust and one of the most popular tourism landscapes on the site which contribute one of ten criteria established by the attractions in Yorkshire. There are many towards the WHS status. The abbey ruins United Nations Educational, Scientific reasons why people choose to visit are not only a key eye-catcher in the 18th and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. century garden but also of international Introduction World Heritage Site Management Plan 2015 — 2021 7 Map 1 Location in North Yorkshire About the plan The WHS Management Plan for Fountains Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Abbey and Studley Royal was first WHS Management Plan and Landscape Setting This is the management plan for the published in 2001. This plan is the second Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal review and will run for six years from 2015 World Heritage Site. It is a plan for to 2021. It builds upon the objectives all those with an interest in, and and actions in the earlier plans. The responsibility for, managing the WHS. plan also includes the new Statement COUNTY OF The UNESCO Operational Guidelines for of Outstanding Universal Value (SOUV) the Implementation of the World Heritage defining the site’s significance which was NORTH YORKSHIRE Convention state that ‘each nominated approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2012. The successful delivery A1(M) property should have an appropriate NEWCASTLE of the plan relies on all partners working DURHAM management plan or other documented management system which must specify together to achieve the management CUMBRIA DURHAM how the outstanding universal value objectives and actions. Middlesbrough Darlington (OUV) of a property should be preserved, preferably through participatory means’. Whitby Richmond UK Government policy aims to ensure A19 A6270 Northallerton a management plan is in place for all A170 A6108 Scarborough UK WHSs. Hawes Leyburn A1(M) Helmsley Pickering Thirsk The main purpose of the plan is therefore Masham Kendal Ripon to sustain the OUV of the WHS to ensure Pateley A19 Bridge Malton it can be passed on for future generations Studley Royal Park & A65 B6265 Ruins of Fountains Abbey to enjoy.