Festive feelings at Fountains

It's the time of year when holly berries dot the trees and frosts blanket the grounds. Layer up and come together to relax, unwind and embrace this festive time of year at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal for a day out you'll remember forever. 

Christmas starts here...

Tuck into a lakeside breakfast and steaming cup of tea at Studley tea-room before wrapping up and heading out for a walk through the medieval deer park. See if you can spot the deer - don't worry if not as you can find them at St Mary's Church for their mid-day feed through winter.

On the hoof

Weekends 7, 8 & 14, 15 December, 11.30am-12.30pm

Trot along to St Mary's Church to see the deer having their winter feed.

Christmas is seeing the abbey glow...

Music and Lights, weekends 23 Nov - 29 Dec.

Lights only on Mon 23 Dec, Thur 26 Dec, Fri 27 Dec, Mon 30 Dec - Sun 5 Jan.

2-4pm.

Lit up with all the colours of the rainbow on weekends throughout December, the abbey is a sight to see. Walk beneath the cellarium's vaulted ceilings, under the grand columns of the nave and listen to the choir or band as they fill the ruins with festive music. Join in if you know the tune!

The choir sing or band play between 2-3pm on the dates listed below

• Saturday 23 November – Ilkley Moornotes
• Sunday 24 November – Spa Sax
• Saturday 30 November – Thirsk Royal British Legion Band
• Sunday 1 December – White Rosettes
• Saturday 7 December – Harrogate Theatre Choir & Eurythmia Ensemble
• Saturday 14 December – St. John the Baptist Church Choir, Knaresborough
• Saturday 21 December – Ripon Trinity Singers
• Sunday 22 December – Skelldale Singers
• Monday 23 December - Lights only
• Thursday 26 December - Lights only
• Friday 27 December - Lights only
• Saturday 28 December – Ripon Choral Society
• Sunday 29 December – York Musical Society Choir
• Monday 30 December - Sunday 5 January - Lights only

Fill the cellarium with song

Sunday 8 and 15 December, 3-3.45pm

Take part in Carols by Candlelight, a service that has now become truly part of the Fountains Abbey Christmas experience. Add your singing voice and candle light to hundreds of others as we come together to belt out a selection of favourite. There's mulled wine and mince pies to tuck into, too. 

Tuck in...

12-5pm (11am-5pm on Thursday 26 December)

Toast of Harrogate and Pie & Tap will be here Sundays 8 & 15 December and 21 December - 1 January (exculding 24 & 25 December) serving tasty hot dogs, toasties and pies to keep bellies from rumbling.

Christmas is winter wanders in the water garden

Wrap up to have a walk through the winter water garden. Head up to the High Ride path and see if you can catch some of the crisp December light. The trees may be bare but that means you can see all the way out to the deer park and St Mary's Church.

Mulled wine and mince pies

Catching up over a mulled wine on a crisp winter's day beats the pinging of a phone message any day. Sit down and have a  natter with your favourites and see how many mince pies can you eat… You'll be hard pushed to stop nibbling at these tasty treats. Try them out with a steaming cup of tea or coffee in Studley tea-room as you overlook the lake with winter birds having a paddle. Or pop into Mill Café by the abbey for a light bite or warm drink with a view over the abbey.

Treat yourself in the shop

Have you seen our shop at the visitor centre yet? If not, pop in to say hello and to see the range of seasonal homewares, books and Christmas treats that deck the shelves.

Whether you find the perfect Christmas gift for your loved ones or a little something for the stocking, you know you can feel good about buying it here as the money you spend goes straight back into looking after Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.