Christmas at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal

30/11/2024 to 29/12/2024

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Discover what’s happening at Fountains Abbey this Christmas. Wrap up warm, grab a festive bake, see the abbey sparkle and as the afternoon light starts to fade, take a wander through the ruins aglow.

Winter Tales at Fountains Abbey

Wrap up warm and join the Winter Tales at Fountains Abbey. Visit three different locations through the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate and become immersed in four different Winter Tales: The Mitten, The Silver Pinecones, The Nutcracker and The Children and The Sun. Join the author, Dawn Casey, or a volunteers on one of the storytelling weekends too.

Meet the author

Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December at 11am, 12pm and 2pm.

Head to Fountains Mill and meet the author of Winter Tales, Dawn Casey. Explore frozen lands and follow heroes and heroines on epic journeys with the author performing extra special readings of her heartwarming tales celebrating the wonders of winter. There will be an opportunity to chat with Dawn and buy a signed and dedicated copy of Winter Tales or the new book Nature Tales – perfect for a Christmas gift! Tickets need to be prebooked for this event and will go on sale in October and will be free with standard admission.

*There will be a limited number of signed copies available.

Dawn Casey’s work is inspired by a deep love of nature, respect for the tales of old, and delight in the wonder of the world. The collection The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales won the Gold Nautilus Award for books that ‘support conscious living, green values, spiritual growth and positive social change.’ Dawn published Winter Tales in 2020 and Nature Tales in 2024. She lives with family, on the South Downs of Sussex.

Group storytelling sessions

Every weekend from 7 December to 29 December.

Volunteers will be holding storytelling sessions in the lead up to Christmas and during the Christmas holidays. Drop in every weekend at 11am and 12pm to hear some of the Winter Tale stories read to you.

Hear The Mitten read on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 December in Swanley Grange.
Hear The Silver Pinecones read on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 December upstairs in Fountains Mill
Hear The Nutcracker read on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December in Fountains Hall
Hear The Children and The Sun read on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 December in Fountains Hall

Unfortunately, sometimes volunteers are unavailable and may have to cancel storytelling sessions at short notice. Please ask the admission staff on arrival for the schedule on that day.

Swanley Grange, Fountains Mill and Fountains Hall will be dressed and decorated using inspiration taken from Winter Tales by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Zanna Goldhawk.