The Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Estate lies a few miles west of Ripon, North Yorkshire. The site is 330 hectares and includes the parklands of Studley Royal Deer Park and Mackershaw Deer Park. The whole site is owned by the National Trust. It is a landscape of exceptional significance, which is demonstrated by its designation as a World Heritage Site (WHS), ‘Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey’. In addition the site is designated as a Grade I Registered Park and Garden.

Southern Green was commissioned by the National Trust to prepare a Parkland Management Plan (PMP) for the parklands of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Estate, in response to a brief prepared as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier application.

The project involved a large team of specialists led by Southern Green who developed the PMP through close consultation with the on-site and national National Trust team as well as other stakeholders including Historic England and Nidderdale National Landscape.