I very often lack focus and tend to meander through my life. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, in Yorkshire, were a case in point. Looking for somewhere to admire snowdrops, I ventured there last week. I wasn’t disappointed. Swathes of them nestled beneath the trees. I captured one or two shots, but I was soon drawn into the magnificence of the water gardens.
It was a gloomy old day and I stopped to read the cheerful sign inside the fishing tabernacles. They are part of the balustrade and cascade into the lake and date back to 1719. Probably designed as a base for fishing excursions, they cleverly concealed the sluices used to drain the canal quickly in time of flooding.
The water gardens must be one of the finest sights in England, and neither I nor the swans allowed ourselves to be depressed by the weather, while the pheasants seemed positively immune. Not well focused though!
It wasn’t long before I was ambling among the ruins of the Abbey, smitten by the hues in the aged stones. Snowdrops there were aplenty but I’m afraid that they played second fiddle.
Fountains Abbey, 3 miles south west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian monasteries in England. Founded in 1132, it had an active life until 1539, when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
A full history can be found here. Today the Abbey and Water Gardens are successfully managed by the National Trust and they have some delightfully focused snowdrops on their site.
Paula focused on black and white photography in her Traces of the Past on Sunday. It’s not my forte, so I’m compromising. But I would love to draw your attention to her very beautiful Focus in Thursday’s Special.
restlessjo 
Your take on Fountains Abbey is very good, dear Jo. We’re impressed with your work! Excellent photos, very nice perspectives. 👍🏻 🙂
Good night to you from Cley and Bonn
The Fab Four of Cley
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Thanks to you sweetheart! It’s such a lovely riverside walk. I’m thinking it will be stunning now, with the leaves changing colour. Sending hugs 🙂 🙂
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Thank you, dear Jo 🙂 🙂
the weather is GREAT, suny and a crisp air, blue sky and a little wind from the sea. We love this autumn weather and the changing of the colour of all the leaves. We will go out for a little stroll before we’ll work in our garden.
Wishing you a lovely day
The Fab Four of Cley
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Dear Jo, I am none other than Detective Tony Pastry of New Scotland Yard. My informant has told me that you are the Red Herring, the notorious art thief. And my informant is very reliable: He recently sold me the Moon for £500 and a pint of mild. He’s very big in NASA, you know. He has also informed me that the Pink Panther films are not fictitious but are in fact a series of documentaries about a real Inspector Clouseau. Since then I have modelled my entire career on Clouseau’s achievements and it has not been easy, I can tell you. If you do not immediately hand yourself in at the nearest police station, I will have to come and put you under arrest.
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I shall live in fear and trembling, Tony. Or should I call you ‘sir’? 🙂
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