Summer Festival at Kirkstall Abbey
| Published: 26th June 2008 23:20 |
NEW SUMMER FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED FOR KIRKSTALL ABBEY
Kirkstall Abbey will be the place to be this Summer as a six-week festival of events is to be held there for the first time.
Running from July 23 to August 31, the new festival organised by Leeds City Council will feature activities for all ages and different themes each week.
The events will begin on Wednesday July 23 with Abbey History Week, which will tell the tale of Kirkstall Abbey through guided tours, medieval monks and children's activities.
The following week will see an exploration of The Natural Abbey, which will look at the wide range of wildlife to be found in an around the ruins. Visitors will have the chance to discover new nature trails and perhaps see some of the bats, Kestrels and otters which make their home in the area.
Week three is entitled ‘Romantic Ruins', and will focus on the artistic inspiration to be taken from the ruins of the Ancient Scheduled Monument which date back to the 12th Century. The week will see an artist-in-residence, calligraphy, arts and crafts and workshops.
Fresh Air in the City comes next, celebrating the stunning setting of the abbey with a range of outdoor activities such as kite-making and juggling. The penultimate week is The Sound of Music, and the ruins will be echoing to the tune of various musical performances.
The festival will conclude with Medieval Week, which will focus on traditional crafts carried out at the abbey and will feature clay-tile making and children's activities. Kirkstall Abbey is renowned for being one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in the country, dating back to the 12 century when it was founded by Cistercian monks. The abbey was closed in 1539 as part of the Dissolution of religious houses by King Henry VIII.
Leeds City Council Executive Member for Leisure Councillor John Procter said:
"We are always looking at exciting new ideas and this festival with all the various themes will be a great way for families and people of all ages to discover everything that wonderful Kirkstall Abbey has to offer."
Another first at Kirkstall Abbey this Summer is weekend tours which take place every Saturday and Sunday from now until October. Starting at 10am, the tours explain the history of the abbey and the lives of the people who lived and worked there.
Booking is essential for the tours, which cost £2.50 per person and are aimed at an adult audience. To make sure of a place contact Abbey House Museum on 0113 230 5492 or email abbey.house@leeds.gov.uk
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