1891.
Aug. 24.
Fountains Abbey.
Ripon to Durham, England.
  Cloudy and cool with light showers.  
  Started for Fountain's Abbey at 10 A.M. in a landau. 3 miles.
First open country, then through a gate into a park more broken
and diversified than usual with fine old trees, many cattle, a
few deer, and a very few rabbits. Birds numerous and Robins
singing well. Passed around edge of pond where keeper was exer-
cising a pack of a dozen or more Dachhunds and alighted at gate
of Abbey grounds. 1s each admittance.  From here we had to walk
three quarters of a mile through winding drive bordered by yew
hedges with vista views, one over a meadow with ponds and river
thus;  There were noble trees and luxuriant
shrubbery on every side with dense woods in the background. One
Norway spruce 132 feet high. As a piece of landscape gardening
I have seen nothing to compare with these grounds. There were
no flowers or artificial groups of shrubs. It reminded me of
our Payson place. Birds swarmed. The trees were alive with 
them, the majority Tits I thought. There were also Wrens and
Robins, both singing freely and delightfully. Finally we reach-
ed Fountains and feasted our eyes on its many beauties for about
3 hours. It is a noble ruin, impressive and beautiful beyond
belief. All the time we were there Robins and Wrens were sing-
ing constantly. Several Pigeons (C. aenas) flying about the town
where they nest. Keeper says Barn Owl have nested up to last