Fountains Abbey – Water Garden sits within the ancient Cistercian abbey complex near Ripon, where centuries of monastic life meet 18th-century landscape artistry. The Water Garden, part of the Studley Royal estate, was laid out in the early 1700s by visionary designers to create a serene procession of lakes, stone terraces, and winding channels that reflect light across the lawns. The abbey ruins frame the garden with weathered arches and expansive skies, giving the site a hushed, reverent atmosphere that lingers with visitors. The location has become a cinematic touchstone, famously doubling as Aretuza’s courtyard and cloisters in The Witcher, lending the historic stones a mythic, otherworldly aura that still resonates with fans.

Fountains Abbey – Chapter House sits within the vast, UNESCO-listed ruins of one of England’s great Cistercian foundations. The Chapter House itself survives as a vaulted, contemplative space where monks once gathered to read, debate, and plan the abbey’s affairs, its stone walls softened by moss and gentle light. Today the atmosphere is hushed and timeless, with arcades framing the approach and the surrounding Studley Royal gardens lending bursts of color to the ancient stone. The site also carries a cinematic legacy, having been used as Aretuza’s courtyard and cloisters in The Witcher, infusing the ruins with a touch of fantasy while preserving their austere beauty.

Fountains Abbey’s ruins, part of the Studley Royal estate, endure as one of England’s most evocative monastic landscapes, where stone cloisters and archways tell centuries of devotion and landscape design. In The Witcher, the site was repurposed as Aretuza’s courtyard and cloisters, lending mythic weight to the ruins long after the monks departed. The atmosphere is hushed and otherworldly, with moss-covered stone, dappled light, and the soft murmur of water weaving through the grounds. Today visitors wander among winding passages and ruined halls, feeling a palpable connection between history and fantasy.