The construction of fish ponds or ‘stews’ as
they were known, meant a guaranteed supply of freshwater fish,
such as trout, pike, perch, roach and bream. These ponds could
be extensive, and the ponds
at Fountains’ home grange at Haddockstones, which lay to the south
of the abbey precinct, covered sixteen hectares. These ponds were
arranged in four groups and had their own associated smokehouse,
where the fish was
cured.(114) Remains of these ponds survive
at Park House Farm.(115) Fishponds were generally
enclosed by a wall, to keep out hungry predators. The upkeep of
these ponds was not only time-consuming
but expensive, for they had to be drained and cleaned regularly
if they were not to stagnate,
there were repairs to be made and of course, they had to be restocked
with fish.(116)
Fountains has been described as ‘the main monastic
pioneer’ in
fish-farming.(117) The community established
an important fish-farming centre in Lower Nidderdale, at Cayton
grange, which was about four miles
from the
abbey.(118) In the late twelfth century,
certainly by 1185, Fountains damned the waters at Cayton Gill to
construct a series
of ponds,
and developed valuable techniques and methods here.(119)