Donna Fletcher Crow, Novelist of British History, has written more than 50 books specializing in British Christianity. These books include: The Monastery Murders, clerical mysteries; Lord Danvers Investigates, Victorian true-crime; The Elizabeth and Richard series, literary suspense; and Glastonbury, The Novel of Christian England. She loves research and sharing you-are-there experiences with her readers.
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Donna Fletcher Crow, Novelist of British History
A traveling researcher engages people and places from Britain's past and present, drawing comparisons and contrasts between past and present for today's reader.
Day 9: Harvest Festival at the Abbey and How I became the Most Photographed Woman in Bath
By Donna Fletcher Crow ~ August 8, 2025
Sunday in Bath, and not just any Sunday—but Harvest Festival! What a perfect conclusion to my amazing adventure at the Jane Austen Festival. I couldn’t have been more excited.
Harvest Festival, that uniquely English service, is one that Jane Austen could have known, and is 'one of my favorite feast days in the (quasi) liturgical calendar. A wonderful worship service celebrating the Lord of the harvest and His great bounty, followed by a Harvest Feast, and then Choral Evensong—another quintessential English service, known as “the jewel of Anglican worship.” I played it over in my head many times as Glenda and I dressed in our Regency attire. As a nod to the dark clouds gathering overhead, I chose a sturdy velvet turban instead of the green silk bonnet I had planned. And I carried my parasol—just in case.
This event would be the first of three Harvest Festivals I would attend this autumn since my local church would be holding our annual festival upon my return home. Then, to top it off, we planned to visit our daughter and her family in Victoria, B.C. for Canadian Thanksgiving—which would include Harvest Festival at their church.
It started out exactly as glorious as I had played it in my mind: The abbey with its decorative displays is full to the brim, We sing “For the Beauty of the Earth,” then join in the Harvest Acclamation, “The earth has yielded its harvest; God, our God, has blessed us.” The collect is BCP poetic perfection: “Eternal God, you crown the year with your goodness and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season…” Hymns include “For the Fruits of all creation,” and “Great is thy Faithfulness,” and during the offertory gifts of foods and produce are placed on the altar. All just as I’m accustomed to—only much grander.
After the service Glenda and I walk around, admiring the artful décor,
as ladies from the parish prepare the feast.
There is about an hour to wait until dining begins, so, in spite of the bucketing rain (which, indeed, did start during the service) Glenda and I go out into the deserted churchyard to stroll through the surrounding shops. A bit ahead of the appointed time we return to the now-closed abbey door, “I know we’re early, but we’ve come for the harvest feast,” I tell the burly guard.
“Ticket?” he asks.
“Oh, we have our money,” I open my lace-mitted hand holding the required pound coins.
“No. You need a ticket.”
He was adamant. Ticket sales had closed. There was no waiting list.
“May we wait inside for Evensong?” I didn’t have to eat. I could just see it. And it would be dry inside. The sky was a low, looming grey, and the drops were now making splashes in the puddles.
“Doors open for Evensong at 3:00.”
Glenda and I slunk away to a nearby café for lunch. Then she left to attend a class she had pre-registered for. I considered my options. I could make my way through the downpour back up the hill to our cozy flat. But that would then require walking back down for Evensong—which I was determined not to miss. (We had experienced notoriously bad luck calling Ubers—even on sunny days). Or I could find a place to sit and wait it out. After all, I had my phone with an engrossing ebook tucked in my reticule.
But where to sit? The shops were small and crowded with tourists like myself sheltering from the rain. The only public seats were the wooden benches in the courtyard—normally crowded with visitors enjoying jugglers, musicians, and assorted entertainers, or simply reveling in sitting in the sun in one of the most beautiful churchyards in England.
But not today. It was entirely deserted. The puddles in the paving stones were spreading, and the wooden benches soaking. And I was wearing my white gown.
Right. I needed a bench cover. I chose a steaming, over-crowded souvenir shop. I did need some gifts to take home to family, so this would be worthwhile. I chose tea towels and soft toys that I could sit on and asked for their largest plastic bag—a gloriously bright Union Jack. It was perfect.
I placed my do-it-yourself cushion on the bench nearest the abbey door and sheltered under my parasol, giving thanks that it was unfashionably large for a Regency lady to have carried, and not made of lace as so many modern versions are.
In spite of the steady rat-a-tat-tat on my umbrella I was soon engrossed in the intricacies of Agatha Christie’s Sparkling Cyanide. Until a lady interrupted, “Do you mind if we take your picture?”
Of course, I didn’t mind in the least. People had been taking our pictures all week—but in more favorable circumstances. Still, how often did one see a Regency-clad lady sitting in front of Bath Abbey in a drenching rain?
It followed the next hour and a half that those brave souls who ventured across the courtyard encountered just such a scene and many chose to take an unusual photo memento as a reward for their trek.
And, finally, I was rewarded with Choral Evensong--sitting in a dry pew in one of England’s loveliest abbeys, surrounded by beautiful music and prayers and the ever-comforting liturgy of this cherished spiritual tradition.
The ups and downs (and the humor) of this day—added to the joys of this amazing Jane Austen Festival which I had so long dreamed of attending—the memories of it all would carry me through the next 2 days of homeward travel back to the 21st century, home, and work.
If you have missed earlier posts in this series, you can read about my whole experience at the Jane Austen Festival here.
Donna Fletcher Crow, Novelist of British History, has written more than 50 books specializing in British Christianity. These books include: The Monastery Murders, clerical mysteries; Lord Danvers Investigates, Victorian true-crime; The Elizabeth and Richard series, literary suspense; and Glastonbury, The Novel of Christian England. She loves research and sharing you-are-there experiences with her readers.
Read More: Attending the Jane Austen Festival
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Reader Comments:
Oh! I don't think I knew about this!!!! What a trooper.
-Mary, August 9, 2025
So brave! And beautifully recounted.
-Vince, August 11, 2025
Thank you, Mary--there's nothing like a love of adventure and a sense of humor to carry one through. The actual truth is that I was too tired to walk back up to the flat!
-Donna, August 11, 2025
Thank you, Vince! I'm glad you enjoyed my little adventure. I suppose staying open to new situations is a key to enjoying travels. It certainly makes for memories and smiles.
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