An electrical fault caused a fire at Fountains Abbey near Ripon yesterday.
Ripon firefighters were called to the National Trust-owned property at 12.13pm after staff discovered there had been a small fire.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said staff on site had already summoned an electrician and firefighters isolated the electricity supply.
A spokeswoman for Fountains Abbey said:
“There was a small electrical fire in the abbey on Sunday morning.
“Ripon fire service were contacted immediately and on arrival, they confirmed the fire was out and had been contained.
“Due to the nature of the fire, as a precaution, we took the decision to cancel Carols by Candlelight – despite its name, the event does require electrical power for a sound system to amplify the service to visitors, and to ensure there is sufficient lighting the abbey for the safety of our visitors.
“We’re very grateful to the fire service for their quick response and support.”
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England.
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