Herb Riddle's photos

Situated just at the corner of our holiday cottage for a week, this was a most interesting sight to see and experience. Not only does the wheel work on certain days but one can visit the inside and see the workings too. It was originally called St Fillan’s Mill and built around 1840. It had fallen into disrepair and refurbished in 1989 and then again in 2013. It is now a folklore centre. See Pips of the actual wheel Enjoy full screen

See next photo for details.

Seen outside a preserved Scottish longhouse, now a museum. Have a great day.

Seen near the Scottish Perthshire village of Killin. This is a rare sight for me living much further south in England, as the much more aggressive grey squirrel dominates and have made the reds almost extinct in England. This was seen scampering under a bridge that I was stood on trying to catch images of the river. Sciurus vulgaris: Due to their overall population declines, red squirrels are classed as endangered on The Mammal Society's Red List for Britain's Mammals. Scotland supports 75% of the UK population, yet even here they are classed as near threatened.

Seen near the centre of Boston, Massachusetts. I liked the play of light on these aluminium fences. After some recent horrific high-rise fires here in Britain, I am sure the residents here would be glad of these precautions. Have a good weekend. Ps another break for me now.

As I come to the end of this series on here of Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Water Gardens I finish with a classic capture of the tower with reflections. We are nearly at the end of our walking tour here and as it is getting close to the actual closing time of the grounds there are less tourist about. The weather has remained dry but as you see, overcast. I took many more photos and no doubt, some will show up as time goes by. Hope you have enjoyed them. Please Follow the PiP for more historical information. Enjoy full screen

The old Abbey ruins hide many places like this one. “As you wander under the low roof you can easily imagine this chilly space as it once was: a food store. It's now used for events such as Carols by Candlelight at Christmas, choir performances during Fountains by Floodlight and for services throughout the year.” Enjoy full screen

An extension of the Studley Royal Water Gardens following the River Skell out of the gardens. A delightful walk by the river and over these bridges to be greeted by yet more. There were seven bridge once but now only five remain. Best full screen

The Abbey in question is Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire. A rare day out to see such a place and suffice to say, it’s Springtime. Even on this cloudy day the narcissus are in full bloom around this wonderful bench spot. This taken on our exit route out of the site and park. HBM, enjoy the week.

A panoramic view of these gardens just beyond Fountains Abbey. This very wide angle view taken with my phone following the River Skell course down river and shows the Moon Pond and Temple of Piety. If you look carefully, higher in the trees towards the top right, you can also see the Temple of Fame. Just near the end of the water on the left sits the Octagon tower. 3xPiPs. See last photo for the full Temple of Piety view. Best full screen.

A dream water feature adorning the Moon Pond of Studley Water Gardens. There is in fact also a Temple of Fame set just behind this above the trees. See next photo for more details and larger view. Enjoy full screen.

Once inside this old ruin, founded in 1132, one is amazed at the size and complexity of the building and can only gasp at the stunning architecture. Left and right of the columns are long arched aisles. Best full screen.

We’re in the Studley Royal Water Gardens Park here now, next to Fountains Abbey. We have just crossed this bridge to start on our next leg of exploration up the seven bridge valley. The weir is all part of a grand scheme to dam parts of the River Skell by past owners John Messenger and William Ailsabie in order to create a number of mirror lakes as the centre point of the gardens. Have a good weekend.

This was the view from in front of our holiday cottage near Earl Sterndale. Each day this view would greet us but mainly it was dull rainy weather but on this occasion the Gods were with us. I am nearly sure that the spiked hill on the left is Chrome Hill with Parkhouse Hill on the right but don’t quote me :) Best full screen. Enjoy the day.

Abbey Mill built by the monks of Fountains Abbey , N Yorkshire restored by English Heritage and National Trust. The first mill was probable built in 1140 and became one of the largest corn mills in the country. By the 20th century a water turbine was added after gaining a new waterwheel in the 19th century for sawmill operations. PiP for water wheel. Enjoy the day.

A Birthdays treat to see something special. We knew about this place and its history but had never visited before. "Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks from St Mary’s in York. They'd grown tired of the extravagant and rowdy way that the monks lived in York and so they escaped, seeking to live a devout and simple lifestyle elsewhere. This was how they came to Fountains. By the time three years had passed the monks had become settled into their new way of life and had been admitted to the austere Cistercian Order. With that came an important development – the introduction of the Cistercian system of lay brothers. The lay brothers (what we would now call labourers) relieved the monks from routine jobs, giving them more time to dedicate to God rather than farming the land to get by. It was because of the help of the lay brothers that Fountains became wealthy through wool production, lead mining, cattle rearing, horse breeding and stone quarrying. Bad harvests hit the monks hard and combined with raids from the Scots throughout the 14th century, they experienced economic collapse. This was worsened by the Black Death which struck the country in 1348. Despite its financial problems, the abbey remained important. The abbacy of Marmaduke Huby (1495–1526) marked a period of revival, and the great tower built by Huby symbolised his hope for the abbey’s future. The abbey was abruptly closed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. The estate of Fountains Abbey was sold by the Crown to a merchant, Sir Richard Gresham. It remained in private hands until the 1960s. The National Trust bought the estate from the West Riding County Council in 1983." Best full screen. Enjoy the day.

We're taking a walk around the perimeter of Studley Royal Water Garden here adjoining Fountains Abbey. Our views from this bench are pretty good to say the least over wonderful garden lakes and ruins of a grand Abbey too. As we sit for a few moments we smell all around us the garlic that has started to bloom at the back and sides of us. Imagine and enjoy. HBM - have a great day.

A special treat to see this new area for us and as we begin to walk down into the valley we see our first glimpse of the ruins of Fountains Abbey. A child grips her mother’s hand as they too wander towards a new adventure. Best full screen. Enjoy the day.