Twilight at the Burghley House
“But now she loved winter. Winter was beautiful almost intolerably beautiful."
L.M. Montgomery, 'The Blue Castle.'
The frozen snow makes the most satisfying crunching sound under our boots. In hurried steps, we cross the parkland as twilight settles in. The giddy chatter is both an exclamation of our freedom from the confines of home and a distraction from the below freezing temps. Retracing my steps from earlier in the day, I ushered us to the spot that had inspired me to return with Fefe and create this image.
With a cold steady hand, Isaiah stuck a match ... and the magic set in. What is it about candlelight at twilight in the snow that conjures images of a good Dickens novel?
The candlelight illuminates Fefe's face .. behind her the grand house is aglow.
Hauntingly beautiful.
I’m caught in a moment. Mesmerized. Visions become reality like something out of a dream.
The silence is broken by a ringing bell from one of the many towers signaling it is time to go. .. or else we may be locked within the gates.
We move by candlelight to the car .. freezing and dreaming of mugs of hot cocoa.. anxious for warmth (and a slight fear of being locked in), we distract ourselves by discussing names of good mystery novels in the event we do get stuck.
To everyone’s relief, we pass through the gates of Burghley House and make our way home.
Burghley House is located outside of Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK. The parklands are open daily from 7am until 6pm. Parking is free. The house and gardens will hopefully reopen March 2021. Check the website for updates.
