ONE of the great ruins of North Yorkshire has been transformed by the use of light and sound.

Rievaulx Abbey, nestled in a tranquil valley in the North York Moors, is playing host to a series of art installations until April 15.

The transformation has been organised by English Heritage to mark Holy Week and as part of it various sections of the abbey have been bathed in different colours.

Pupils from Helmsley Community Primary School, working with writer Tracey Iceton, have created a meditation on nourishment in the abbey’s refectory.

And artist Michael Davis has set up his own interactive music and light installation Illumaphonium.

Light is also at the heart of the installation Brocken Spectre, which has been projected by Derbyshire artist Charles Monkhouse along the axis of the abbey’s presbytery.

A Brocken spectre is a naturally-occurring phenomenon where people appear to see a halo effect around the head of their shadow when it is projected onto mist.

Usually seen in mountains, it is a rare treat even for regular walkers and the the “glory” as it is known, is considered to be one of the origins of the halo.

Mr Monkhouse works in rural and public spaces to produce temporary installations and permanent sculptures. Working with light at night allows him to create work on a vast scale and to explore aspects of the land that are hidden by day.

He said he had been keen to place Brocken Spectre in a sacred setting, adding: “The abbeys of North Yorkshire are a natural choice and Rievaulx,set in a tight valley, makes it very special.”