Christmas in England is really pretty special. All of the towns are massively decorated and many places (like Castle Howard in our last post) have special Christmas events. And in a country that does not have separation of church and state, it's Christmas, not the "holidays" as most refer to the season in America.
I had heard that Fountains Abbey is lit up by colored floodlights two weekends a year in December. It seemed like a neat way to take Bev and Allen on a tour the abbey, so we went! We arrived around 3:30 in the afternoon, since we knew by 4:00 the sun would be setting. As we arrived, the sun was already going down and the floodlights were illuminated. It didn't take us long to begin to see the floodlights in all their glory.
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| Before Sundown |
In one of the few remaining enclosed halls (most ceilings have long since been torn down) a vibrant, festive display of light set the mood for a Christmas concert.
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| Festive Floodlights |
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| Festive floodlights from another angle |
A local band played Christmas carols and music for the whole time we visited. Here's a short snippet of one of their songs. (Reminder, this video will play on a computer or laptop, but not on a tablet or phone.)
Along the Abbey's ancient nave, more floodlights illuminated the stone columns. In the second picture below you can see a man and his shadow which I think gives a good perspective as to how large this nave was and is.
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| Abbey at dusk |
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| Abbey columns with stranger and his shadow |
As we left Fountains Abbey to find some much-needed warmth and refreshments, Allen turned around and noticed the full moon, perfectly situated in the center of the Abbey's window. We all had to stop and take many more pictures. It was truly a beautiful sight!
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| Posing with full moon through abbey window |
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| Bill and Beverly at Fountains Abbey |
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| Full moon at Fountains Abbey |
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