Fountains earned a reputation for its liberal hospitality.
Robert of Pipewell,
who was responsible for building the large, aisled guesthall, was
praised for showing fitting honour to guests.(104) His
successor, Abbot John, was commended for participating with guests
and for his generosity at table; it was also noted that he managed
to extend hospitality even during
the
persecution of King John’s reign. However, there were less positive
reviews and Abbot Ralph Haget was
reprimanded by the General
Chapter on
two occasions for his unsatisfactory reception of visiting Cistercians.
In 1199 Ralph was punished for showing ‘unequal hospitality’ to
Cistercian abbots who had stayed at Fountains en route to the General
Chapter meeting at Cîteaux,
presumably abbots from the Cistercian houses in Scotland. It would
seem that whilst Ralph had extended a warm welcome to
some of these abbots, others had received a rather lukewarm reception.(105) The
following year Ralph was censured for receiving his Father Immediate,
Abbot Guy of Clairvaux, less
reverently than was deemed appropriate.(106)