Boxing Day tradition Blog #3

Thank you for giving up your time to read my holiday musings.

If you aren't familiar with the term, Boxing Day is 26 December. The name originated in Victorian times, and was the day when the rich boxed up gifts to give to the poor. Nowadays, Boxing Day is a day for shaking off the excesses of Christmas Day by going for a walk, usually in the countryside, or attending one of the many Boxing Day sporting events, such as a football match or horse race meeting.

I have never been to a Boxing Day football match; I have been to several horse race meetings; my favoured activity is now a walk in the fresh air at Fountains Abbey and the water gardens of Studley Royal.

The history of both are set out elsewhere, but for now all you need to know is that the abbey, which was founded in the 12th century, but fell victim to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century under Henry VIII. Studley Royal is a fine example of a Georgian garden and landscape. The abbey grounds and the water gardens form a continuous area around which the visitor can walk. 

So it was at 10am that my wife and I set off from the visitor's carpark to tackle the 4 mile walk. We immediately felt the icy wind as we got out of the car. No problem, we'd soon warm up once we get walking. We were right. 

I am very familiar with Fountains and Studley so studying the vistas, the ruined buildings or the lakes wasn't a priority. Although I already have hundreds of photos of just about every inch of the abbey and the gardens, I did want to take some photographs, but looking for unusual angles and images.

Part way around we bumped into two friends, and stopped for 15-20 minutes chatting and catching up. It must be 5 years since we last saw them. We parted only when their 2 dogs made it plain that they weren't happy standing around and that they wanted to continue their walk.

Even if we've not yet worked up a sweat, the last bit of our walk up the steep incline is sure to. Staggering back to the visitor's centre, we gathered our strength, removed a layer or two and made for the restaurant for a bite of lunch.

By the time we were ready to head for home, the restaurant was rammed. I was glad we'd arrived early. 

The theme for today's photography was 'Open Doors, an idea I borrowed from BBC News.

Thankfully the Boxing Day weather was dry, which meant we could get out and walk without risking catching a cold. My wife and I will probably return on 26 December 2023 and do the same walk, have lunch in the restaurant, and make the same 90 mile drive. It's traditional. 

From my wife and I, we hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and that you were able to spend time with friends and family. 

All the best for 2023.

Cheers 

Mike.

©Mike Young 2022.