European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 1, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Neighbors Tea for visitors is available at stripes photos by Gus Schuettler def i England monastic ruins attract visitors by King Cruger Bureau when it comes to great romantic ruins huge brooding skeletons of Stone England Yorkshire tops the Yorkshire has a Host of imposing ecclesiastical ruins of abbeys and Priorie dating from the Depths of the Middle when King Henry Viii broke with Rome and became head of the Church of England in 1535 these monastic centers were stripped of their property and the valuable Glass and furnishings were confiscated by the Crown and Many monastic buildings were demolished to provide Stone for the construction of nearby houses and the indisputable aristocrat of British ruins is fountains Abbey and of All the remaining ruins in the country probably Only stonehenge and Hadrian Wall exceed its in the minds of Many the most Beautiful of All the treasures of Britain was built by cistercian founded in fountains was enriched by gifts from Popes and princes until it owned tens of thousands of acres Farmed by 500 600 Lay plus game quarries and Lead at its it was the richest cistercian monastery in it was abandoned in in 1768 the by then ruined Complex came into the Possession of William owner of the adjacent estate of studly Royal this took place at a time when wealthy landowners were Busy building fake ruins in expensively Laid out grounds in the Pursuit of the Ideal a Slabie took the real ruins on his Doorstep and developed the grounds around thus turning the ruins and terrain into the most spectacular and romantic of picturesque the celebrated by poets and artists is open to the Public every Day from 10 until 8 at a Cost of pounds about for adults and half that for fountains is magically floodlit every Friday and saturday from now until the lights come on at dusk and stay on fountains Abbey is a peaceful experience for any Road weary stripes Magazine August until 11 guided Tours Are Given on fridays and musical programs Are presented in an open air setting on saturday on More than a dozen hours of medieval pageantry and entertainment will take place there with jugglers and fire fireworks will round off the fountains Abbey is three Miles Southwest of Ripon and lies on the North Bank of the skell the most dramatic approach to it is made by walking from studly More information on the Abbey May be had by calling Sawley 076586 other imposing ruins that Are Well Worth devouring to visit in the area include Bolton Abbey although its ruins Are those of a Jer Vaulx Rievaulx Abbey and Kirkham