Half term and school holidays are a tricky time to fill. Everyone’s taking their chance to grab a break which means our usual weekend spots are often a lot busier than usual.
During February 2026 half term, Fountains Abbey are doing a free Hoppers family trail!
And that certainly was the case too for Fountains Abbey this weekend! We visited it on the very first day of half term – Saturday (technically that weird no man’s land where they’ve broken up but aren’t officially on holiday yet). And it was the busiest I’ve seen this National Trust site aside from the sunniest days of summer!
I think it helped that it was the first day that North Yorkshire has seen blue sky in maybe a month?! The sun was shining and if you stood still, it kind of felt…dare I say?…warm! But you also needed extra coats and sensible shoes because the wind was chilly and the puddles were puddling,
We always love a good day out at Fountains Abbey. We can spend hours there – doing the long walk around the woodland and all the way down into the Studley Royal Water Gardens, or just pottering around the abbey ruins. What is it about fallen stones that kids love so much!
However, we do occasionally get those “I’m bored!” or “I don’t want to walk any more!” or the worst, “When are we going to the playground?!” moans. But luckily, this day wasn’t one of them thanks to that Hoppers trail I mentioned! Honestly, anything that gets them walking willingly gets a gold star from me.
This place is HOW old?
Some of our family days out in Yorkshire are super nostalgic for me and Ben – we get to say that we went to them when we were kids. Fountains Abbey is one of these, but it dates back way further than our childhoods. Like, way further.
Fountains Abbey dates back to the 12th century. The 12th century! Sometimes I feel like I need to say that twice to really get it!
It actually kind of feels like being on a film set, and it seems crazy that these are the real abbey buildings, the real monastic buildings, the real abbey church that once housed Cistercian monks living under the Cistercian order in medieval England.
I mean, the abbey itself is in total ruins, thanks to being destroyed in the 1500s, but somehow that makes them even more beautiful, I think.
And if you’re ever trying to explain British history to someone from a much younger country, this is exactly the sort of place that makes them go, “Wait, you can just…walk around inside something that old?” Yes. Yes we can. And it’s brilliant.
The scale of it is what gets you. Fountains Abbey is often described as the largest monastic ruin in the country, and once you’re standing there looking up at the stonework, you absolutely believe it. These are properly atmospheric ruins, not a couple of leftover walls.
February Half Term Activities at Fountains Abbey
We’ve been to Fountains Abbey with kids countless times before, as I’ve said. But this February half term visit was a little different.
This time, the kids were hopping backwards along the path, spotting birds and insects, learning little nature facts without realising it, and racing ahead to find the next sign.
Thanks to the Hoppers trail!
They were each given a little activity passport at the beginning which led them through the “animal kingdoms” at Fountains Abbey – birds, bugs and bammals (I mean, mammals – I just couldn’t break that aliteration!). This is in conjunction with the release of the Pixar movie, Hoppers. And now we have another activity on our list for next month: cinema trip!
But genuinely, this was a great activity trail. I don’t mean to complain, but a lot of these trails are so generic and the kids give up after a couple of questions. This one incorporated a lot more movement which made it a super option for family-friendly activities near York that worked for young children and older kids alike. It didn’t feel like it was supposed to be educational, but it secretly was, sshh.
The Buildings at Fountains Abbey
So Fountains Abbey is more than just a pile of old stones. I mean it’s also that, but you’ve got a few more buildings and sights to see too, including Fountains Hall, the Georgian Studley Royal water garden, and the Abbey Mill. We’ve explored all of these at one time or another, and while you could pack them all into one day, it’s a lot!
On this visit, after wandering through the ruins of Fountains Abbey as usual, we headed down to the Abbey Mill.
You pass a little cafe on the way (great ice cream stop, by the way), then head inside. Here you’ll find some displays and short films explaining how the mill worked, you can see the big mill wheel (which had Archie enthralled – what is it about 4 year old boys and things with wheels?!), and a big “ding dong bell” as the kids called it that they were actually allowed to ring! It’s the worst when there are signs saying “do not touch”, and this, I can confirm, was not one of them!
It’s brilliant for curious minds. The information is there if you want it, but it’s not overwhelming. There was also a bit of plainsong playing through speakers in the background to add to the atmosphere. It’s just enough to make you picture the lay brothers going about daily life, the rhythm of work, and how this place functioned long before the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII changed everything.
Fountains Abbey is a unique place where the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside meets some pretty amazing history!
The History of Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey began in the early 13th century after a group of monks left the Benedictine monks and formed a new community. Over time it grew into a wealthy abbey, helped along by sheep farming and clever land use across acres of land in the valley of the River Skell.
It survived the Black Death, saw expansion, and then, like many religious houses, fell during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. What’s left today are the ruins of Fountains Abbey, standing stubbornly beautiful centuries later.
It’s the sort of place where history doesn’t feel locked in a museum cabinet. You’re walking through it, literally.
What we didn’t do this time, but you should
On this particular visit we didn’t continue into the full Studley Royal Water Garden or the wider Studley Royal Park. Normally we would, and it’s absolutely worth it, but this day was intentionally a short walk focused on the abbey side itself.
I’m planning a separate post soon on the full circular route including the Georgian water gardens created by John Aislabie and later William Aislabie, spotting fallow deer in the Studley Royal Deer Park, ,St Mary’s Church that beautiful Victorian church that looks like it belongs in a fairytale as you drive in, and the elegant ornamental lakes, classical statues and ancient trees.
That’s more of a full-day adventure! This February trip was about keeping it manageable and fun.
Practical bits parents actually want to know
Fountains Abbey is a National Trust site near Ripon and not too far from York (about an hour’s drive – it’s well worth it if you’re staying in York), so it works well for a half-term day trip. It’s a great place for a school holiday outing, especially during February half term when you want something outdoorsy but not exhausting.
Handy tip!
If you don’t want to walk up and down the hill from the visitors centre to the Abbey, there’s a small car at the bottom where you can enter the site near Fountains Hall and closer to Fountains Abbey. You’d still have to walk up the hill to the children’s play area at Fountains Abbey though!
What to do with kids at Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey is surprisingly good with kids! You’d think because it has such ancient ruins that they wouldn’t be allowed to do anything and they’d be bored, but we find it the exact opposite. We love clambering over the ruins and imagining what the rooms would have looked like.
There’s also a brilliant playground, one of our favourite local ones! It’s located near the visitor centre in amongst the trees. It’s described as a woodland adventure playground and I’d say fits that description well. You’ve got all sorts of obstacle courses made out of wood through the trees, balance trails, swings, slides, roundabouts, even a treehouse! We usually have to save this until last or we’d be there all day!
Little tip: when you come through the entrance, take the left path at the fork to head down to the Abbey first! You get a spectacular view of the abbey ruins this way anyway, plus at this time of year, the snowdrops through the woods here are so pretty.
The wider site is great for simple games too. We play I Spy along the paths, bear or Gruffalo hunts in the woods, hide and seek (this is “our favourite tree” apparently!) and pooh sticks on the river.
On this visit, Emmy and I took along sketch books with us and tried to draw things we could see. I think we’ll take the sketchbooks everywhere we go from now on. It was fun to get involved in something arty like this with her – I’m terrible at art, but as I always tell her, I just need a bit more practice!
Emmy has been visiting Fountains Abbey since she was just a few months old – I made this video with her in the spring, it shows how easy it is to get around with a baby in a pushchair. It was a lovely day out as a new mum.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fountains Abbey
Take a look at Fountains Abbey’s website for more information on opening times, ticket prices and activities.
