Fountains Abbey was founded in 1132 by Benedictine monks who left St Mary's Abbey, York to follow the Cistercian order. After the end of the monasteries in 1539 by Henry VIII, the Abbey buildings and over 500 acres (200 ha) of land were sold by the Crown to a merchant named Sir Richard Gresham. The property was passed down through several generations of Sir Gresham's family. Between 1598 and 1604, it was sold to Stephen Proctor, who built Fountains Hall. 