Sometimes when you go out with your camera you have an idea of what you are hoping to capture. However, when I went to Byland Abbey recently what I witnessed was so spectacular that it took my breath away. The morning mist was still lingering in the trees and the strong sunlight created some amazing sunbeams and it is these photographs that I want to share with you.
When I moved to York in 1981 one of the first places I visited was Byland Abbey. I was driving home from Helmsley when I came across a huge ruined monastery and I stopped to explore it.
The thing that struck me about the abbey was it's peace. Byland is one of the those places where the quiet is deafening and there is a real sense of calm and 'grounding' about the atmosphere.
I visited again a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed a sandwich in the grounds whilst soaking up the atmosphere and exploring the ruins.
I didn't actually take any photographs of the abbey but after lunch I walked into the woods on the north side of the abbey to see how far the autumn leaves had turned. In the event most of the leaves were still green and gamely clinging to the trees but the sunbeams were fabulous.
I hope that my photographs do them justice.