Distance 4.5 miles (7.2km)
Classification Easy
Duration 2 hours
Begins Fountains Abbey visitor centre
OS grid reference SE272687

Walk in a nutshell
An easy circuit, with some moderate hills, around a collection of buildings and gardens so extraordinary that Unesco has given them world heritage status. Children are welcome, with a play area, organised activities and buggy-friendly paths. Dogs are also welcome, but they must be kept on a lead at all times (there's a deer park).

Why it's special
Even if they prove immune to the beauty of the place, children are bound to have some fun in the grounds. There's a timber play area with jumping, balancing, swinging and climbing apparatus. The field opposite Swanley Grange is perfect for football. You can also visit the 12th-century Fountains Mill, which continued working until 1927 and now contains an interactive exhibition where visitors can have a go at grinding grain themselves. There are also nature-spotting, geocaching (hide-and-seek with GPS) and seed-planting activities.

Keep your eyes peeled for
The water gardens are playful as well as beautiful. The Temple of Fame in the water garden appears to be made of stone but is, in fact, painted wood. The eerily dark Serpentine Tunnel has been spooking visitors since the 1700s. And there's the 12th-century Cistercian abbey itself, of course – one of the best-preserved ruins of its kind.

Recover afterwards
There is a large restaurant in the visitor centre, serving both light and substantial breakfasts, lunches and teas, using locally grown, seasonal and sustainably produced food wherever possible. You may even find venison from the estate on the menu. There are also two tearooms, at Studley Royal and beside the mill. Both serve cakes, scones and ice-cream, as well as hot and cold drinks. For something a little posher, try the Grantley Arms , a traditional pub and restaurant about four miles west of the park.

If it's tipping down
Ripon is just 4 miles away, and holds a market every Thursday in the town centre. It also has a fair–sized swimming pool, the Ripon Spa Baths , and the spectacular house and gardens of Newby Hall, if your children have mature tastes .

How to get there
There are no train stations within easy reach of the abbey and gardens, but there are good bus links to Ripon from the railway stations at York, Harrogate and Leeds. From April to October, there are daily buses from Ripon to the estate. Fountains Abbey is linked by bus from Ripon. For details of all buses to Fountains Abbey, call Traveline on 0871 200 2233. The Ripon Roweller, number 139 bus, service runs Monday to Saturday throughout the year.

Step by step

1 Leave the visitor centre and follow the footpath signs to St Mary's church, deer park and water garden.

2 Follow the well-defined bridle path that runs parallel to the main drive, until you reach the large gates on your right that give access to St Mary's church and the deer park. Go through the pedestrian gate and proceed down the road.

3 Further down the road, take the left turn at a small crossroads. Pass the converted stable block on your left and continue for about 50m then take the grass track that veers off to the right.

4 Follow the path down a slight slope and cross the stone bridge at the bottom, known as Rough Bridge. The track splits into two – take the right-hand path, going up a slight incline, and follow it as it bends to the left and continues between two lines of oak trees. Continue along the path as it dips. Follow the path as it bends sharply to the right.

5 Turn left and cross over the cattle grids underneath the East gate lodge – beware the traffic as you passthrough the archway. Walk along the tarmac path until you reach the estate boundary. Turn right and continue, passing Plumpton Hall. Follow the public bridleway as you ascend into a wooded area. When you reach a junction with another bridleway, keep right as you enter the Chinese Wood and descend into the Seven Bridges valley. At the lake, head towards the Victorian tearoom.

6 By paying admission you can complete the walk through the water gardens and the abbey ruins, also visiting the adventure playground. Otherwise, from the rear of the nearby car park, take a grassy path, gently uphill, signed St Mary's church and the visitor centre.

7 At the crest of the hill head for the old sweet chestnut, then take the left-hand path when it joins, heading to the main gates of the deer park. Go through the pedestrian gate and turn sharp left to follow the footpath back to the visitor centre and main car park.