[{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/britain/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Britain","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/day-hike/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Day Hike","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/day-hike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Day Hike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/day-hikes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Day Hikes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dry-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dry Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/england/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"England","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gorge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gorge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"Ian Cylkowski Photography","summary":"","title":"Ian Cylkowski Photography","type":"page"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/iphone-17-pro-max/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Iphone 17 Pro Max","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lightroom/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lightroom","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/malham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Malham","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/malham-cove/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Malham Cove","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/north-yorkshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"North Yorkshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/photoshop/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Photoshop","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"Posts","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/spring/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Spring","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/travel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Travel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/uk/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Uk","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/watlowes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Watlowes","type":"tags"},{"content":"Summer\u0026rsquo;s here.\nAs we headed into the Spring Bank Holiday, a heatwave was approaching the British Isles. Before things got too crazy and blisteringly hot, we took the opportunity for a cooler — but still beautiful — hike in the Dales.\nI was feeling the pull of epic limestone scenery, but places like Malham Cove are almost always far too busy these days. Instead, we took the minor roads across Malham Moor to Malham Tarn. From here you can follow the footpath south, and watch as the small beck from Malham Tarn — Malham Water — suddenly disappears into the ground. Continuing along the route, the limestone crags close in on you and you soon realise what that you are walking into is the remains of an extinct and powerful waterfall, which culminates in the drop below Comb Hill.\nAs we decided to hike later in the day, the light was lower, the air was cooler, and as such as the photography was just delightful.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nWatlowes Dry Valley, Yorkshire Dales, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nBeyond where the beck disappears underground, an area known as Water Sinks, the crags close in around you as you follow the path.\nEvidence of the prehistoric river abound, as limestone crags were sheared and smoothed away, the river carving a narrow gorge.\nAn ultra-wide perspective shows where the river would\u0026rsquo;ve crashed as a waterfall and twisted as it carved its way down the valley.\nLooking back where we came from. Imagine a powerful high river coursing through here and crashing down, mist bellowing everywhere.\nFrom the high crags, the course the ancient river took is evident, sloshing into the other side of the valley and gouging out a route south towards Malham Cove.\nIng Scar Crag always provides a lovely opportunity to play with compositions.\nWe located the trail down the Dry Valley, gingerly navigating the rather dilapidated state of the footpath\u0026rsquo;s paving. Here, the full extent of the Watlowes Dry Valley is revealed.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s where the waterfall would\u0026rsquo;ve been. Nowadays dry as a bone, and provides a nice little option for rock climbers.\nAs we head down the valley, a look back reveals Ing Scar Crag in a composition I\u0026rsquo;d never taken before.\nDeeper down the valley, these boulders in the shade provided a nice cool/warm and dark/light composition.\nAnother cluster of limestone boulders deep in the shade provide another contrasting composition with the valley\u0026rsquo;s high crags towering above.\nFinally we arrive at the top of Malham Cove and its expansive limestone pavement. Here, the prehistoric water racing from Watlowes would\u0026rsquo;ve dropped down Malham Cove in what surely would\u0026rsquo;ve been one of Europe\u0026rsquo;s biggest waterfalls: 80 m (260 ft) high and more than 300 m (980 ft) wide.\nLooking across, and down, Malham Cove from its eastern edge. Imagine the sheer scale of the massive waterfall that would\u0026rsquo;ve dropped from here.\nThe route back to Malham Tarn involved hiking up the steep Tarn Road. As we plateaued at the height of Malham Moor, this scene stopped me for a final shot of the day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/watlowes-dry-valley-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Summer’s here.\nAs we headed into the Spring Bank Holiday, a heatwave was approaching the British Isles. Before things got too crazy and blisteringly hot, we took the opportunity for a cooler — but still beautiful — hike in the Dales.\n","title":"Watlowes Dry Valley, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yorkshire-dales/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yorkshire Dales","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barkbooth-lot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barkbooth Lot","type":"tags"},{"content":"Early May means one thing in my head: bluebells.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a few options I know of, and have been quite fortunate to view some extraordinary bluebell displays. However, one place in particular tugs on my desire strings more than others: Barkbooth Lot.\nGifted to the Cumbria Wildlife Trust through Mrs Sheila Caldwell’s Will in 1975, Barkbooth Lot supports a varied woodland floor where bracken and bilberry compete for dominance alongside carpets of bluebells. To encourage biodiversity, fallen and standing dead wood is deliberately retained, providing vital habitat for invertebrates and birds alike.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a magical place, and so so quiet.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBarkbooth Lot, Lake District, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s something about moss-covered trees that gives me ancient eldritch unspoiled vibes.\nFallen trees from storms are left to form compelling shapes and angles. A haven for the area\u0026rsquo;s wildlife, and joy for the photographer\u0026rsquo;s eye.\nAnother fallen tree makes a lovely leading line into the light breaking through the woodland canopy.\nA slither of light cuts through the canopy, illuminating this scene where trees — dead and alive — are slowly swallowed by a floor of bluebells.\nSoft light and shadow pulls out the contouring of these twin trees, with branches daring to poke out from the carpet of bluebells.\nThis tree, cast in harsh shadow and light, put me in mind of a dancer striking a pose.\nThat wonderful period in spring where ferns start to grow and \u0026ldquo;unspool\u0026rdquo;.\nOne root system, a triplet of trunks. Here, the carpet of bluebells grows ever more dense.\nLisabet and me Dad stride on ahead, providing me and viewers with a sense of scale against all the trees and the volume of bluebells.\nUsing the 8x lens on the iPhone to really crop in tight on the beautiful light and textures on this fallen tree.\nAnother dead tree provides an intriguing composition for me and nutrients for its resident fungi.\nMy final shot of the day. Not only my favourite of the day, but probably my favourite bluebell photo ever.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/barkboothlot-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Early May means one thing in my head: bluebells.\nThere’s a few options I know of, and have been quite fortunate to view some extraordinary bluebell displays. However, one place in particular tugs on my desire strings more than others: Barkbooth Lot.\n","title":"Barkbooth Lot, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bluebells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bluebells","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cumbria/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cumbria","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/forest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Forest","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lake-district/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lake District","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/woodland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Woodland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/city/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"City","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/historical/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Historical","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/holiday/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Holiday","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/holiday/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Holiday","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newcastle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newcastle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newcastle-upon-tyne/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newcastle-Upon-Tyne","type":"tags"},{"content":"I have a lot of love for Newcastle.\nThe last time I visited the city was over a decade ago. Too long.\nDuring our recent stay in Tynemouth we picked a more murkey weather day to take the metro inland for a jaunt around Newcastle city.\nOnce one of the world\u0026rsquo;s largest ship building centres during the Industrial Revolution, Newcastle has become a hub for scientific research, finance, tourism, and nightlife.\nA single day is not enough to explore what Newcastle has to offer.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nNewcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne \u0026amp; Wear, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nUpon leaving the Metro at St. James\u0026rsquo;, we spotted this fantastic paifang-style Chinese Imperial arch serving as a gateway to Newcastle\u0026rsquo;s Chinatown area.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s always nice to see some of the UK\u0026rsquo;s cities maintaining their Victorian-era indoor market spaces. This is Grainger Market, opened in 1835, complete with typical Victorian features like ironwork and a barrelled glass roof.\nFrom a lot of areas in the city you can see Grey\u0026rsquo;s Monument, thus making it an excellent waymarker. Completed in 1838, it commemorates Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and his role in helping pass the Great Reform Act of 1832. This Act reduced corruption, abolished rotten boroughs, increased eligible participation of the electorate by over 50%, and gave representation to industrial towns.\nThe western area of High Bridge, featuring prominent red brick and stone detailing in the buildings. The street was called such because of the bridge that once spanned the Lort Burn, which is now underground.\nSomething that blew my little mind, that I never paid attention to a decade earlier, was the scale of some of the road and railway bridges that criss-crossed the city. This is Dean Street showing the Dean Street Arch, a massive Victorian railway viaduct that towers over the road.\nThis image attracts and intrigues me. It puts me in mind of Dieselpunk or Steampunk vibes, y\u0026rsquo;know? This is the view heading down Quayside, showing off the Phoenix House — a Grade II listed building constructed in 1869 for the Royal Insurance Company — and the Tyne Bridge that fits snugly overhead.\nNewcastle has managed to retain some older architecture. In between the two red buildings is Bessie Surtees\u0026rsquo; House, comprising of two five-storey 16th and 17th century merchants\u0026rsquo; houses, excellent examples of Jacobean domestic architecture.\nMaking it to the riverside, we sought compositions of the many bridges that span the Tyne. You can clearly see how murky the weather was. All in all, I think there are seven bridges in this image: the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in the immediate foreground, the Tyne Bridge (green steel), the Swing Bridge (red and white low-level one), High Level Bridge (double-decked road and rail bridge), Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge (the blue one), the King Edward VII bridge (rail crossing), and the (modern concrete bridge in far distance). Phew!\nThis is the Swing Bridge in question, which connects Newcastle to Gateshead. Built in 1876, it was once the largest swing bridge of its kind in the world. It has not, however, successfully rotated since 2019.\nI really wanted to communicate the sense of scale in this image by removing as much sky as possible. This is the Quayside area, showing the massive stone archway of High Level Bridge towering above the lovely Dubliner pub. Two images were taken, stitched top to bottom, in order to properly capture the scale of the scene.\nHeading back up Dean Street from Quayside, again the huge archway of High Level Bridge stops me in my tracks and gives me steampunk vibes.\nHidden away from Dean Street up a little ginnel is Newcastle Cathedral. Only a city could \u0026ldquo;hide\u0026rdquo; a cathedral within it. We had to nip in for a look. This is the ornate High Altar plus the intricately carved reredos behind it. Newcastle Cathedral dates back to around 1350 CE.\nLooking through the cathedral\u0026rsquo;s Quire and its wooden screen towards the High Altar.\nThe Crypt Chapel beneath the cathedral. Dates back to the 14th century, probably the oldest part of the cathedral. It was rediscovered in 1824, when apparently it was filled to the brim with bones.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/newcastle-tyne-wear-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"I have a lot of love for Newcastle.\nThe last time I visited the city was over a decade ago. Too long.\nDuring our recent stay in Tynemouth we picked a more murkey weather day to take the metro inland for a jaunt around Newcastle city.\n","title":"Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne \u0026 Wear, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tyne-and-wear/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tyne and Wear","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/beach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beach","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/landscape/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Landscape","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/nature/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nature","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sea-arch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sea Arch","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sea-stack/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sea Stack","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/seascape/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Seascape","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whitburn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whitburn","type":"tags"},{"content":"Like a mini-Pembrokeshire.\nOn our final day during our Easter break in Tynemouth, we decided to cross the Tyne south towards a coastline that looked rather interesting (to me) on Google Earth: Whitburn.\nWell, let\u0026rsquo;s just say: expectations exceeded.\nWe parked at the unmanned National Trust car park and followed the clear path and signage towards the coastal path. Almost immediately, towards the north are cliffs, sea stacks and even a sea arch! Fun times ahead.\nThankfully, we managed to time conditions well too, as towards the end of the hike the squalls caught up behind us for a nice shower.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nWhitburn, Tyne \u0026amp; Wear, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nThe coastal path keeps you away from the cliffs, but if you\u0026rsquo;re careful and venture closer you\u0026rsquo;re treated to this view north along the coast. It\u0026rsquo;s like being back in Pembrokeshire!\nThe geology underlying this area of Tyne \u0026amp; Wear consists of magnesium limestone. This rock contains a lot of Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3). This magnesium makes the rock a bit more resistant to weathering and often gives it a yellowish or creamy buff colour compared to the blue-grey of the Dales limestone.\nA tighter zoom along the cliffs and what\u0026rsquo;s that? A sea arch! Amazing. Always a delight to see one of those.\nFurther north I tentatively edged closer to this massive hole, apparently called Potter\u0026rsquo;s Hole. It\u0026rsquo;s a little away from the cliffs, but in time I\u0026rsquo;m sure this hole will join the sea and form a bay.\nProbably my favourite bit of this whole coastline. The path descends gradually where you can access a pebbly and rocky bay called, either, Byer\u0026rsquo;s Hole or the Wherry. The maps are not clear. What is clear is that this place is epic.\nThe light-coloured limestone rock formation is from the Permian period, created about 250 to 270 million years ago when the area was covered by a warm, shallow sea. The wavy channels running through the front part of the scene follow natural cracks in the rock, which have been gradually widened over thousands of years by the action of waves. The orange-brown shades come from algae and iron minerals that have rusted on the surface. In the background, the stepped cliffs show layers of ancient seabed sediments that have been revealed through the erosion of the coast over time.\nThe stunning, layered cliff here is seen in cross-section. Each horizontal band shows a different layer of sediment that was deposited in an ancient, shallow sea. The thinner, finely layered lower beds are followed by thicker, more solid layers above, indicating that the conditions in the water changed over time. Near the base, there\u0026rsquo;s a prominent overhang, which is a wave-cut notch. Over time, this overhang will likely fall off, and that’s how the boulder beach below was created. The lighter, white stones are fresher pieces of limestone that have recently fallen, while the darker, smoother ones have been shaped and polished by the waves over a longer period.\nI tucked myself away into the shadow of another inlet, getting close to these fallen boulders and letting the cliffs in the distance provide both colour and luminance contrast. One of my favourite images.\nEvidence of the incomprehensible scale of geological time, where the water has carved out this little inlet between the cliffs. Happily, a fellow hiker provides scale.\nThe cliff\u0026rsquo;s terraced structure features harder Magnesian Limestone beds that resisted erosion longer than adjacent layers. The holes higher up are small caves from wave action exploiting joints over centuries, now well above the current waterline, indicating significant retreat.\nBack up above the cliffs, Whitburn\u0026rsquo;s sea arch comes into view again. All around us and out to sea are the cries of a whole host of birds: purple sandpipers and turnstones from Scandinavia, sanderlings, ringed plovers and redshanks too. And, of course, the ever-present seagull.\nThis is Souter Lighthouse as the squall starts to arrive from the west. It was the first lighthouse in the world to be designed and built specifically to use alternating electric current.\nAt Lizard Point just before the squall soaked us, I spied this unusually regular formation out into the sea. I can\u0026rsquo;t see any mention of it on the maps. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t decide if it was natural and amazingly regular, or human-made and weathered down. Still, made a composition of it.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"18 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/whitburn-tyne-wear-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Like a mini-Pembrokeshire.\nOn our final day during our Easter break in Tynemouth, we decided to cross the Tyne south towards a coastline that looked rather interesting (to me) on Google Earth: Whitburn.\n","title":"Whitburn, Tyne \u0026 Wear, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/long-sands-beach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Long Sands Beach","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tynemouth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tynemouth","type":"tags"},{"content":"An Easter break on the other side of England.\nHearing that Storm Dave was on its way wreak havoc across the northwest, we did the only sensible and drive away from it.\nAn Easter weekend around beautiful Tynemouth was on the cards.\nThe last time I was in the Tyne \u0026amp; Wear area was November 2013, over 12-years ago. Crazy. Back then we largely just walked around and photographed Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This time, we stayed in the beautiful town of Tynemouth, right near the coast, for some gorgeous coastal scenes.\nTynemouth has seen settlements since the Iron Age, but written history records a monastery on the headland over the River Tyne in the 7th century. Eventually a port and fishing settlement was established near Priory, which grew into an important centre for fishing and trading and the town that we see today.\nOn our arrival at Tynemouth the weather was thankfully dry although winds battered us. The tail of Storm Dave eventually reached us with passing squalls, but thankfully nothing like the level of rain the northwest saw.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nTynemouth, Tyne \u0026amp; Wear, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nTynemouth Priory and Castle, which sits on a high crag known as Pen Bal Crag above the sea and river. Nowadays it\u0026rsquo;s in the care of English Heritage.\nFrom the walls of the Priory, looking straight down the crag\u0026rsquo;s cliffs to King Edward\u0026rsquo;s Bay.\nBeneath the priory lots of Smyrnium olusatrum grows, giving a pleasing foreground composition.\nWe immediately made our way onto the beach of King Edward\u0026rsquo;s Bay, with the imposing cliffs and Priory above us. The tide was out but it was due to come back in, which promptly caught me out was I got my shoes soaked not long after nabbing this photo.\nI wanted to explore the rockfall beneath the cliffs to see what fascinating geology there was. Plenty of seaweed and moss-covered boulders with wave-cut shapes made for lovely photos.\nA riot of colours and shapes amongst the boulders and cliff face.\nThe clouds raced overhead as Storm Dave made its presence known. Beautifully sculpted boulders beneath the cliffs made for a pleasing arrangement of elements.\nI gingerly navigated the rockfall of boulders, seeking more intimate compositions. Here, a golden rock in undisturbed sand is sheltered from the waves by the dark wave cut rocks around it.\nAnother gap in the rockfall revealed this scene, showing that the boulders were sitting on top of a wave-cut sandstone bed.\nA fantastic find of an intimiate, more abstract scene. Those swirling purple and ochre bands are ancient soft-sediment, folded by long-gone storms before the rock had even set. Iron oxides have locked the colours in place, seaweed-draped Carboniferous boulders framing the scene above.\nSmoothed sandstone boulders covered in seaweed line the bottom of the cliffs towards the Priory and Tynemouth town beyond.\nAway from the cliff, more seaweed-draped boulders were more haphazardly arranged on top of each other, making for some nice compositions if you didn\u0026rsquo;t mind getting down low.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s crazy what the elements and lots of time can do to rocks. Here, layered Carboniferous sandstones, cross-bedded by ancient currents and fractured by millennia of stress, blaze green with algae. A haematite-rich seam bleeds purple near the top.\nA sandwich of millions of years of history. Red beds bleached to cream, ochre, and gold by shifting groundwater chemistry, these Carboniferous cliff strata are 300 million years of delta cycles laid bare by the sea\u0026rsquo;s relentless undermining of the softer beds below.\nA real kaleidoscope of colour, angles, and shapes. Haematite blooms like spilled ink across ochre sandstone, beneath contorted beds liquefied by ancient seismic shock and dark carbonaceous seams. Three hundred million years of delta, swamp, and chemistry squeezed into one small nook.\nFallen pieces of reddish sandstone, marked by ancient river patterns from around 300 million years ago, rest at the bottom of the same cliff that medieval builders of Tynemouth Priory instinctively chose as a stable and lasting foundation.\nMoving north from King Eddy\u0026rsquo;s Bay, we arrived at Long Sands Beach to people-bashing winds and passing squalls from the tail of Storm Dave.\nDespite conditions, there were still plenty of people about, swimming and surfing in the North Sea. That\u0026rsquo;s northeastern folk for ya.\nPlaned smooth by millennia of tidal patience, this solitary outcrop of iron-stained Carboniferous sandstone holds its ground on the beach while the North Sea, patient and indifferent, works steadily to finish the job.\nAs the worst of Storm Dave cleared, we returned to Tynemouth proper later in the evening. This is Tynemouth\u0026rsquo;s North Pier, which I zoomed into to isolate the lighthouse against the warm clouds above.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"6 April 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/tynemouth-tyne-wear-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"An Easter break on the other side of England.\nHearing that Storm Dave was on its way wreak havoc across the northwest, we did the only sensible and drive away from it.\n","title":"Tynemouth, Tyne \u0026 Wear, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blackpool/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blackpool","type":"tags"},{"content":"Things are starting to feel like spring.\nThey day ahead was looking clear and sunny, if still cold. So we decided that a visit to Blackpool was in order. Something a little different.\nLooking in my archives, the last time I went along the Blackpool seafront was June 2012. 13-14 years ago. Goodness.\nBlackpool is home to a particular kind of British life: the past-its-peak, former goldmine of a holiday destination. There\u0026rsquo;s still a lot to like and enjoy along Blackpool\u0026rsquo;s seafront: the arcades, street food, roller coasters, fairground rides, and everything in between. But it\u0026rsquo;s all a bit cheap and cheerful, naff, and doesn\u0026rsquo;t take itself too seriously.\nPersonally, we had a lovely day out. There\u0026rsquo;s clearly still a lot of help needed in the town once you\u0026rsquo;re away from the seafront. Let\u0026rsquo;s hope Blackpool gets the investment it needs.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBlackpool, Lancashire, Spring © 2026 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nWe started from near the North Pier, making our merry way south along the seafront. Here, the North Pier, the oldest of Blackpool\u0026rsquo;s three piers.\nI could not resist shooting this composition towards the North Pier with all these sand pools lining the way. The pier was built in the 1860s; not only is it the oldest it\u0026rsquo;s also the longest of Blackpool\u0026rsquo;s piers.\nLooming over the North Shore of Blackpool is perhaps its most significant symbol: Blackpool Tower. It was built in 1894 taking heavy influence, as you can imagine, from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.\nI used the beautifully stylised lamposts as guiding and compositional device, point towards the tower. The ultra-wide lens on the iPhone definitely helps with the perspective.\nA relatively recent addition to the Tower Headland area is the Comedy Carpet. Unveiled in 2011, it\u0026rsquo;s a 2,200m square installation and features 160,000 individually cut letters spelling out famous one liners from comedy legends.\nLike in Morecambe, there\u0026rsquo;s a lot of retained Art Deco architecture along the seafront. Beneath Blackpool Tower is what is now a JD Wetherspoons pub, The Albert \u0026amp; the Lion, a fabulous Art Deco built between 1936 and 1938 originally to house a flagship F.W. Woolworth \u0026amp; Co. store.\nThe magnificent facade of Coral Island will always make you smile. It was opened in 1978, built on the site of what was once Blackpool Central railway station. It\u0026rsquo;s Blackpool’s largest free-admission indoor attraction.\nArriving at the Central Pier, what immediately commands your attention is the pier\u0026rsquo;s Big Wheel. Opened in April 1990, and standing at 108 ft high, it is a homage to its predecessor the \u0026ldquo;Gigantic Wheel\u0026rdquo; (or Great Wheel) which stood 220 ft high until being dismantled in 1928.\nFrom the Central Pier you can see all the way down the seafront and beach towards the South Pier and the famous silhouette of the rollercoaster named The Big One.\nThe colours and shapes of joy and excitement that is the Sandcastle Waterpark. Home of the world\u0026rsquo;s longest indoor roller-coaster water slide, it was opened in 1986. It\u0026rsquo;s the UK\u0026rsquo;s largest indoor waterpark.\nWalking alongside the tramlines and taking in the scale of The Big One rollercoaster. It opened in 1994 as the tallest rollercoaster in the world at 213 ft high until the construction of Fujiyama in 1996.\nThe Casino Building, which serves as the main entrance to Blackpool\u0026rsquo;s Pleasure Beach area. A 1913 building with an \u0026ldquo;oriental\u0026rdquo; theme stood at this site until it was demolished and made way for this Art Deco beauty in 1938. Despite the name, both the previous building and this one have never been used for gambling.\nA clear atmosphere allowed for wonderful views from the South Pier all the way to the Central Pier\u0026rsquo;s Big Wheel and the Blackpool Tower above the North Pier.\nUsing the iPhone\u0026rsquo;s 8x zoom for a tighter composition of Blackpool Tower and the Big Wheel, I was fortuitous to also capture a juvenile seagull zooming across the scene!\nWe decided to explore the South Pier, mostly to see what views we could get at the end. Along the way, plenty of people were enjoying the various thrills and rides available.\nFrom the tip of the South Pier, looking all the way across the beach back to The Big One. Blackpool in all its glory.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/blackpool-lancashire-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Things are starting to feel like spring.\nThey day ahead was looking clear and sunny, if still cold. So we decided that a visit to Blackpool was in order. Something a little different.\n","title":"Blackpool, Lancashire, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/day-hikes/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Day Hikes","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lancashire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lancashire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/photomatix/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Photomatix","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blackburn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blackburn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blackburn-cathedral/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blackburn Cathedral","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blackburn-museum-art-gallery/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blackburn Museum Art Gallery","type":"tags"},{"content":"Finally, blue sky!\nJanuary and February have been wet. Murk, drizzle, mist, frost have been a defining feature of this winter. But with Valentine\u0026rsquo;s Day opening up clear skies and cold temperatures, it was time to get out.\nTo Blackburn, Lancashire. Off all places.\nHear me out.\nThere are certain places across the UK that the mere mention of them will cause listeners to wrinkle their face in disgust. Sometimes, this is just the effect of propaganda. But other times, it\u0026rsquo;s because the rumours and stereotypes have not kept up with reality.\nBlackburn is undergoing a lot of investment and a transformation. In 2022, Blackburn and Darwen town centres received £200 million in combined funding from government, council, and private sources to support regeneration efforts. As part of this initiative, the Townscape Heritage Project aims to establish a cultural quarter within Blackburn\u0026rsquo;s historic centre.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s a little snippet of what Blackburn has to offer.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nMasjid e Vali # This is the beautiful new Masjid E Vali , which opened only in December 2025. One of the UK\u0026rsquo;s most expensive masjids at a reported £5million cost, it was funded by the Issa brothers, Mohsin and Zuber, who hail from Blackburn and are nowadays billionaire owners of the EG Group. After learning about this new masjid, I contacted them beforehand to request a visit and maybe some photography. In fact, we were treated to a private tour of the masjid by the wonderfully courteous Naeem. Not an inch of the place was spared. I mean, look at this . Isn\u0026rsquo;t it glorious? We didn\u0026rsquo;t take photos inside as I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to intrude on the privacy of worshippers, but the interior is as beautiful as these exterior photos.\nBlackburn Museum \u0026amp; Art Gallery # After a ridiculously delicious shokupan toastie at Kohi , our next top was the Blackburn Museum \u0026amp; Art Gallery . It is one of the few purposely built art galleries in the UK, opened in 1874. It still has the original gorgeous wrought-iron gates to the building as you enter. One of the exhibitions available is Cottontown, a collection of looms by Thomas Boys Lewis, a local cotton industrialist. These tell the story of Blackburn\u0026rsquo;s industrial history as a world-famous textile manufacturing centre. Blackburn Town Hall, built in the Italianate style in 1856, and still in use as the Town Hall.\nBlackburn Cathedral # The statue of Queen Victoria, unveiled in 1905, within the grounds of Blackburn Cathedral where its distinctive aluminium 118m tall spire rises high. The nave of Blackburn Cathedral. One of the UK\u0026rsquo;s newest cathedrals, it was originally built as the Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin. There\u0026rsquo;s been a church at this site since Norman times. The impressive nave, look west. Designed by architect John Palmer in 1826, the nave\u0026rsquo;s ceiling was cleaned and repainted during the completion scheme of the 1960s. The transept and sanctuary, with the base of the lantern tower\u0026rsquo;s colourful glass just visible. The Cloister Garth in the grounds of the cathedral, where new accommodation for staff and scholars has been built. Blackburn\u0026rsquo;s new bus station, unveiled in 2016, and designed by Altaf Master of Capita Symonds. An interesting design, no? It reflects the cotton weaving looms that dominated the area surrounding Blackburn during and after the industrial revolution.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/blackburn-lancashire-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Finally, blue sky!\nJanuary and February have been wet. Murk, drizzle, mist, frost have been a defining feature of this winter. But with Valentine’s Day opening up clear skies and cold temperatures, it was time to get out.\n","title":"Blackburn, Lancashire, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bus-station/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bus Station","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cathedral/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cathedral","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/masjid/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Masjid","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/masjid-e-vali/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Masjid E Vali","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mosque/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mosque","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/museum/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Museum","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 February 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/winter/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Winter","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/abbey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Abbey","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/architecture/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Architecture","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/history/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"History","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/holidays/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Holidays","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/medieval/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Medieval","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ruins/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ruins","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-shambles/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Shambles","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/york/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"York","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/york-minster/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"York Minster","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s been about 12 years since I last went to York.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s way too long.\nA few days after our snowy hike around Brimham Rocks, Lisabet + extended family and I head east on a crisp clear day to one of England\u0026rsquo;s oldest cities: York.\nI had a look in my photo library to find the last time I went to York: June 2014. Where has the time gone?! In any case, I managed to explore a lot more of York this time and was glad I did. There\u0026rsquo;s something mystical about York and its medieval streets, historical ruins, and grand minster.\nYou have to experience it for yourself.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe ruins of St. Mary\u0026rsquo;s Abbey, as the rising sun hits the north and west walls. Once one of the most prosperous abbeys in Northern England, the site was originally occupied by a church founded in 1055 and dedicated to Saint Olaf. It was later refounded as an abbey church in 1088 when King William II of England visited York in January or February of that year and gave the monks additional lands. Like most abbeys in England , it was closed as a result of Henry VIII\u0026rsquo;s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 CE, then destroyed. Only the north and west walls survive, along with the Pilgrims\u0026rsquo; Hospitium, West Gate, and 14th-century Abbot\u0026rsquo;s House (now King\u0026rsquo;s Manor). The walls feature several towers, including St Mary\u0026rsquo;s Tower at the northwest corner and a water tower by the river. York Art Gallery with the statue of William Etty, a York native. Built between 1878–79 for the Yorkshire Fine Arts and Industrial Institution, the gallery is now home to over 1,000 paintings and more 5,000 pieces of studio pottery. This gatehouse is Bootham Bar, one of four main \u0026ldquo;bars\u0026rdquo; that punctuate the ancient city walls of York. Though largely rebuilt in the 14th and 19th centuries, Bootham Bar retains 11th-century stonework, the oldest surviving. It stands near the site of the Roman northwest gate, taking its name from the 12th-century \u0026ldquo;bar at the booths\u0026rdquo; near market stalls. It was also the last gate to lose its defensive barbican, removed in 1835. From Bootham Bar, High Petergate leads directly to York Minster, which rises high above the street\u0026rsquo;s buildings. You\u0026rsquo;ll note a fair few shops in York are related or dedicated to chocolate, I\u0026rsquo;ll explain why in a bit. The imposing and awe-inspiring site of York Minster. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it ridiculous? Its origins date to a wooden church built in 627 AD for King Edwin\u0026rsquo;s baptism, evolving through successive Saxon, Viking, and Norman rebuilds before Archbishop Walter de Gray initiated the present Gothic cathedral in 1220 CE. It took 250 years to build. It has survived the 1407 tower collapse, Reformation iconoclasm, Civil War siege, and devastating fires in 1829, 1840, and 1984. Looking towards the West Window in the Minster\u0026rsquo;s main nave. The Great West Window, or \u0026lsquo;Heart of Yorkshire\u0026rsquo;—the church\u0026rsquo;s second-largest of 128 windows—was built by master mason Ivo de Raghton in 1338–39 as part of the west front. Looking all the way down York Minster\u0026rsquo;s nave. Built between 1291 and c. 1350 in the Decorated Gothic style, the nave is England\u0026rsquo;s widest Gothic nave, featuring a wooden roof painted to resemble stone and stone-vaulted aisles. The Chapel of St John the Apostle and Evangelist serves as the King\u0026rsquo;s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Memorial Chapel, with 14th-century stained glass from St. John\u0026rsquo;s, Micklegate, commemorating the regiment\u0026rsquo;s fallen in World War II (1939–1945). Built c.1250–1260 in the north transept, the Five Sisters window contains the world\u0026rsquo;s largest expanse of 13th-century grisaille glass and holds the Guinness record as the British Isles\u0026rsquo; largest ancient stained-glass window. Restored 1923–1925, it is the UK\u0026rsquo;s only memorial to women of the British Empire killed in WWI line of duty. York Minster\u0026rsquo;s magnificent organ in the Quire. The organ dates to 1632 when Charles I funded its construction, moving from the choir\u0026rsquo;s north side to the screen in 1690. Described in 1730 as an elaborate instrument painted with the 150th Psalm, it was expanded by John Camidge into Britain\u0026rsquo;s largest before the 1829 fire destroyed it. Elliot and Hill built an 8,000-pipe replacement in 1832—then the world\u0026rsquo;s biggest—which was rebuilt in 1859 and 1903. It was modernided in 1918 and 1931, then more neo-classical elements added in 1960. Damaged in the 1984 fire, it was restored in 1991–1993 and completely refurbished in 2018–2021. Looking west from the choir towards the ornate choir screen and crossing. A wall monument to Sir William Ingram (c. 1560–1623) and his wife Catherine Edmonds (1567–1631). The shrine of St. William, William of York (late 11th century – 8 June 1154). Twice Archbishop of York before and after rival Henry Murdac, he was elected with King Stephen\u0026rsquo;s help after previous candidates failed papal confirmation. Deposed by the Cistercian Pope Eugene III, he was restored in 1153 following six years\u0026rsquo; exile and both rivals\u0026rsquo; deaths, only to die within weeks; allegedly poisoned during Mass. Miracles reported from 1177 led to his canonisation in 1226. The tomb of Walter de Gray, Archbishop of York from 1215 to 1255 and Lord Chancellor from 1205 to 1214. He was present at the signing of Magna Carta in 1215. Back outside, Lisabet and I began wandering around the streets of York. This is the beautiful facade of Galtres Lodge Hotel, the building formerly being two Georgian townhouses. A visit to York is not complete without checking out the Shambles. Its northern entrance is recognisable for this fantastically wobbly building, home to a comedy \u0026ldquo;Ghost Hunt\u0026rdquo;. Packed with tourists as ever. The Shambles is one of Britain\u0026rsquo;s best preserved medieval streets, featuring a cobbled street, timber-framed buildings with overhanging jettied floors. There are many \u0026ldquo;shambles\u0026rdquo; in the UK. They were often streets home to lots of butchers. In 1885, thirty-one butchers\u0026rsquo; shops were located along the street. Nowadays you\u0026rsquo;ll instead shops dedicated to Whitby Jet, ghost tours, chocolate and more. This old lovely building is 2 Jubbergate, originally built in the 1300s. The taller add-on was built in the 1600s. It\u0026rsquo;s now home to Gert and Henry\u0026rsquo;s restaurant. A quiet evening moment in St. Sampson\u0026rsquo;s Square, looking towards Finkle Street and the Minster. St. Sampson\u0026rsquo;s Square was historically a main retail space and a market was held here each Thursday. The Roman Bath Pub actually has a small Roman museum in its basement. An incredible view, and one of York\u0026rsquo;s most famous, looking up Low Petergate towards the majestic towers of York Minster. Grape Lane, as the sun set. This street is situated within the city walls of the Roman Eboracum . It was originally named \u0026ldquo;Grapcunt Lane\u0026rdquo;, a reference (like other similarly named streets in the UK) to prostitution in the street. Hidden away down a narrow alley called Coffee Yard between Grape Lane and Stonegate, the timber-framed building is Barley Hall. Built around 1360 by monks of Nostell Priory and extended in the 15th century, the hall fell into decline over the centuries, becoming subdivided and dilapidated by the 20th century. The York Archaeological Trust purchased it in 1987, restored it extensively, and reopened it as Barley Hall museum. Wandering happily down Stonegate, another beauty of a building catches my eye. This is Mulberry Hall, dating back to 1434, which now houses the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop. Stonegate\u0026rsquo;s Original Teddy Bear Shop . The shop is housed in a crooked 15th-century timber-framed building, additionally featuring a 17th-century corner post carving of a mermaid. Further down Stonegate is the Punch Bowl , housed in a 17th-century building that\u0026rsquo;s previously been a coffeehouse, a coaching inn, a gentlemen\u0026rsquo;s club, and a Masonic lodge. Betty\u0026rsquo;s Tea Rooms. You can\u0026rsquo;t get more Yorkshire than that.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/york-north-yorkshire-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s been about 12 years since I last went to York.\nThat’s way too long.\nA few days after our snowy hike around Brimham Rocks, Lisabet + extended family and I head east on a crisp clear day to one of England’s oldest cities: York.\n","title":"York, North Yorkshire, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yorkshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yorkshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brimham-moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brimham Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brimham-rocks/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brimham Rocks","type":"tags"},{"content":"A week off after working Christmas and New Year was needed.\nWith Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s Aussie family in the UK for a few weeks, we all took a joint week long holiday together. Our \u0026ldquo;base\u0026rdquo; was near Summerbridge, between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, within the Nidderdale National Landscape. This gave us good access to a wide variety of places to explore.\nThe first Saturday dawned with sub-zero temperatures and clear skies, so we made our way to Brimham Rocks to enjoy the outdoors. The last time I explored Brimham Rocks was back in 2017. It was late summer, so beautiful swathes of pink-purple heather was everywhere. This time, we were in the depths of winter, with ice and snow gently coating all the trails and rock formations.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve never experienced Brimham Rocks in these conditions before, and was instantly spellbound.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged together in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nStraight out of the main car park, a signpost indicating the \u0026ldquo;scenic\u0026rdquo; route directly guides you to the first of many incredible rock formations. This is a formation known as the Blacksmith\u0026rsquo;s Anvil. Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s Aussie relatives had fun clambering all over these rocks. I ventured around on me own, seeking compositions. Low winter light really helped me find illuminated subjects where I could then compose from a position of deep shadow. Here, the formation known as the Eagle is bathed in winter light. A cut through the Eagle gave me another composition that greatly features the Millstone Grit formation of the rocks. I clambered down below the Eagle to get myself into deep shadow, using the ice and snow on the rocks as leading lines towards the remarkable Eagle formation. Next door to the Eagle are Castle Rocks. As with most rock formations around Brimham Rock, they are rather appropriately named. A gentle dusting of snow simplifies the textures and shapes in this composition. Round the back of the Eagle, towards Lover\u0026rsquo;s Leap, a small valley retains the cold, freezing the beck. This is also where you can find this formation, with a natural tunnel cutting through it. Back in the open near the Kiosk, this group of boulders gave me a nice foreground to work with looking towards the Eagle. Always a joy to find ways of using various rock formations to create interesting arrangements and compositions, such as this one. On my way to explore some other rocks I\u0026rsquo;d never checked before, I stopped at this solitary formation that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t pass up. I think this one may be the Flowerpot. Around these rocks, boulderers were enjoying the challenge of figuring out a way to climb up these unusual angles. Probably my favourite shot of the day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/brimham-rocks-nidderdale-national-landscape-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"A week off after working Christmas and New Year was needed.\nWith Lisabet’s Aussie family in the UK for a few weeks, we all took a joint week long holiday together. Our “base” was near Summerbridge, between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, within the Nidderdale National Landscape. This gave us good access to a wide variety of places to explore.\n","title":"Brimham Rocks, Nidderdale National Landscape, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ice/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ice","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moorland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moorland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/nidderdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nidderdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/snow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Snow","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blencathra/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blencathra","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coledale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coledale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for proper winter scenery.\nHappy 2026 everyone! May you have the clarity to focus on what you can control and the composure to let go of what you cannot.\nThe dawn of 2026 brought with it subzero temperatures. Winter has truly gripped the British Isles in her chilly grasp. With a dry day ahead, we got up early for a hike around an area we\u0026rsquo;ve never stomped about before in the Lake District: Coledale.\nLocated west of Bassenthwaite Lake and the village of Braithwaite, Coledale is home to some crackin\u0026rsquo; fell scenery and historical heritage, as the head of the valley is home to the abandoned buildings of Force Crag Mine.\nLow winter light meant that the fells were looking especially beautiful.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max with a Magwink polariser. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAfter clambering up a track that wound its way up the dale side, we made it into the maintained miner\u0026rsquo;s track, where the view back to Skiddaw\u0026rsquo;s form was impossible to ignore. Using the iPhone\u0026rsquo;s 8x zoom to really showcase Skiddaw\u0026rsquo;s fantastic crags. Our destination ahead. The dark Force Crag centre-right, with bulk of Crag Hill (839 m/2,753 ft) looming above Sail (773 m/2,536 ft) just getting its peak in on the left. Looking back again, Skiddaw falls out of view but Blencathra\u0026rsquo;s smooth western profile, Blease Fell, is just as appealing. The head of Coledale, featuring the processing mill that still stands, with the dark face of Force Crag high above. Cutting Force Crag in two is Low Force to the left, barely more than a trickle as most of it was frozen. There\u0026rsquo;s been evidence of mining here since the 1500s but the main workings were established in the early 1800s. First, silver and lead were extracted. Once lead became unprofitable, barium and zinc ores were mined. Force Crag Mine was the last mine to remain open in the Lake District, closing in 1991. A lovely pair of huddled boulders provided a nice composition towards the domineering Force Crag and its waterfall. Getting low and close to Coledale Beck revealed a partially frozen river with beautiful ice formations. An 8x composition shows the partial freezing of the waterfall. Looking back from the head of Coledale. Miners over the centuries enjoyed some beautiful views. Heading back to Braithwaite and this irresistible composition of Blencathra in low light was impossible to ignore.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/coledale-lake-district-england/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for proper winter scenery.\nHappy 2026 everyone! May you have the clarity to focus on what you can control and the composure to let go of what you cannot.\n","title":"Coledale, Lake District, England","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/crag-hill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Crag Hill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/force-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Force Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mine","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/new-year/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"New Year","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/skiddaw/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Skiddaw","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/boat/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Boat","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/boats/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Boats","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/morecambe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Morecambe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/morecambe-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Morecambe Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"December has been very wet.\nTo quote the UK government website, \u0026ldquo;In the first 16 days of December, England has already received 80% of the long term average (LTA) rainfall for December.\u0026rdquo;\nThankfully, a brighter and drier Saturday beckoned and we wanted views. On this occasion we opted for Morecambe, where the vast and expansive views across the bay towards the Furness peninsula, the Lake District fells, and even the Yorkshire Dales are always impressive.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s to touch wood and fingers crossed that we at least get a drier Christmas/New Year period.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBy the time we\u0026rsquo;d arrived at Morecambe, high tide had just passed so there was still plenty of water in the bay. I spotted two people, one of whom was wearing a santa hat, on jet skis circulating around an abandoned and sunken boat. Never change, Morecambe. The tide at Morecambe Bay moves fast . Moored boats were already emerging from their watery parking area. The clarity of light allowed for a zoomed in composition of one of Morecambe\u0026rsquo;s bouldered breakwaters, using its curve as a leading line towards the distant Grange-over-Sands, all the way the other side of the bay. As the tide rushed out the clouds were moving in, allowing for golden localised light to illuminate only this breakwater and the boats moored within it. The boat office of Morecambe Sailing Club catching the brilliant winter light above Morecambe\u0026rsquo;s extensive boulder breakwaters. Rushing clouds above moved in. The famous Midland Hotel towards the right and the RNLI lifeboat station to the left, both drenched in late afternoon winter sunlight. Above, the clouds darken and doom the future with yet more rain. Further out along the stone jetty is the abandoned Stone Jetty Cafe, saturated in amber hues as stormy clouds build in the sky.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"21 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/morecambe-lancashire-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"December has been very wet.\nTo quote the UK government website, “In the first 16 days of December, England has already received 80% of the long term average (LTA) rainfall for December.”\n","title":"Morecambe, Lancashire, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/crina-bottom/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Crina Bottom","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s beginning to look a lot like winter.\nRecently we\u0026rsquo;ve been bombarded with a mix of arctic blasts and torrential downpours. After a Saturday of downpours, Sunday was looking nice and clear.\nA few options looked appealing but with the promise of snow on the peaks, we decided for a Yorkshire Dales favourite: Crina Bottom.\nThe route is simple enough. Start at the bottom of Fell Lane and follow it up all the way to the hanging valley of Crina Bottom, complete with magnificent views of Ingleborough.\nWe did extend the hike this time by clambering above Crina Bottom to White Scar limestone pavement, complete with snow covered clints and grykes. Glorious.\nAll photos taken on my new iPhone 17 Pro Max. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAlong Fell Lane a partial collapse in the dry stone wall allowed for a nice framing composition of a snow capped Whernside. Arriving at Crina Bottom, Ingleborough commands your attention. Don\u0026rsquo;t fells look even taller with snow on them? My lovely Lisabet getting those intimate snaps she\u0026rsquo;s fond of. This track heads straight to the only building in Crina Bottom, the farm. The path onward is just below the farm track. Heading up above Crina Bottom, I stopped for some cracking compositions of the limestone here, such as these two pillars looking like a gateway. An ultra-wide composition from just below Crina Bottom\u0026rsquo;s limestone pavement edge. Smooth and carved limestone boulder shows evidence of the limestone\u0026rsquo;s origins in the sea. Up on top of White scar pavement, the clints and grykes covered in snow and Ingleborough\u0026rsquo;s shape looking impressive. Carefully stepping around the clints and grykes so I don\u0026rsquo;t snap an ankle, seeking compositions of some of the glacial erratics left on the pavement. On the way back down, beautiful light caresses Keld Head Scar above Kingsdale as the cloud cover arrives.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/crina-bottom-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s beginning to look a lot like winter.\nRecently we’ve been bombarded with a mix of arctic blasts and torrential downpours. After a Saturday of downpours, Sunday was looking nice and clear.\n","title":"Crina Bottom, Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ingleborough/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ingleborough","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ingleton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ingleton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/limestone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Limestone","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whernside/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whernside","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 December 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/white-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"White Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/autumn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Autumn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/google-pixel-9-pro-xl/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Google Pixel 9 Pro Xl","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kirkstall-abbey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kirkstall Abbey","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s not often you find the ruins of an abbey near a city centre.\nUpon our visit in and around the Leeds area we also became aware of a ruined abbey right next to the main A65 road that runs from Leeds to Kendal.\nThis is Kirkstall Abbey, a nearly 900-year old Cistercian abbey just northwest of Leeds city centre. Like most abbeys it was disestablished in 1536 as a result of King Henry VIII\u0026rsquo;s Dissolution of the Monasteries. In the centuries after its disestablishment, a lot of the abbey\u0026rsquo;s stone was removed for use in other buildings in the area.\nHowever, unlike a lot of abbeys in the UK that have subsequently been purchased and/or managed by the likes of the National Trust or English Heritage, Kirkstall Abbey is owned and managed by Leeds City Council who allow remarkably easy and free access to the site.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAn approaching weather front plus low autumnal light allowed for this epic scene from the Cloister of the abbey, with the tower and nave drenched in golden light and dramatic clouds above. Looking into the Chapter House of Kirkstall Abbey. It features a textbook example of Transitional Architecture, marking the shift from the heavy Norman style to the lighter Gothic era. You can see this mix in the combination of rounded window arches with the newer structural ribbed vaulting overhead. Looking back from the windows of the Chapter House towards its entrance revealed this beautiful symmetry and lovely framing created by the ribbed ceiling. Exploring the nave of the abbey, again showing the Gothic style ribbed vaulting overhead. A view looking down the nave towards the tower. A nearby information board points out that in Victorian times the main road used to run through this nave! Imagine carriages and cars down here? As the sun broke through the clouds again, I found another composition in the nave where the sun highlighted the tops of the vaults and glowed through the open window frames. A framing composition from within the old shadowed kitchen looking towards the illuminated tower.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kirkstall-abbey-west-yorkshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s not often you find the ruins of an abbey near a city centre.\nUpon our visit in and around the Leeds area we also became aware of a ruined abbey right next to the main A65 road that runs from Leeds to Kendal.\n","title":"Kirkstall Abbey, West Yorkshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/leeds/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Leeds","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ruin/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ruin","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/west-yorkshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"West Yorkshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"The remaining bits and bobs from our time in Shropshire.\nOne of the first places we checked out upon arriving in Shropshire was Ironbridge, famous for its namesake bridge and for being the \u0026ldquo;the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution\u0026rdquo;.\nLow cloud and mizzle followed us all day, so the light wasn\u0026rsquo;t flattering. Still it\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful place, especially with all the autumn colours on display.\nOn another day, we aimed for a sunset shoot up on the Stiperstones. Unfortunately, a low bank of cloud prevented any spectacular colours or light show, but I still managed to walk away with some passable images.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nStiperstones # The Stiperstones is a hill as well as the collective names for all the rock formations along its summit. This is the western face of Cranberry Rock, with Manstone Rock then Devil\u0026rsquo;s Chair in the distance. Lisabet was feeling brave so she scrambled to the top of Cranberry Rock. A brief burst of light gave me this nice scene made of the last of the year\u0026rsquo;s heather blossom and Lisabet perched on top of Cranberry Rock. I ventured near the drop down the hill as I dared, then perched carefully to nab this ultrawide composition of Cranberry Rock, Manstone Rock and Devil\u0026rsquo;s Chair.\nIronbridge # Our first sighting of the famous Iron Bridge, flanked by beautiful autumn colour around the gorge despite the drizzly conditions. The bridge was constructed in 1779, opened in 1781, and was the first major bridge in the world to be made entirely of cast iron. Built to span the Severn Gorge near Coalbrookdale, where local ironworkers developed pioneering iron casting techniques that helped spark the Industrial Revolution. The bridge proved iron could rival stone and timber. On the bridge I tried to feature the beautiful wrought iron work on the bridge, using the railing as a leading line towards the village. It\u0026rsquo;s had some restoration work done over the centuries, of course, with the most recent in 2018 that also restored the original red colour of the bridge. A quintessentially British red telephone box, mirroring the red of the Iron Bridge in the distance. A tighter composition from above the Iron Bridge, adorned in beautiful autumn foliage.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/an-assortment-shropshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"The remaining bits and bobs from our time in Shropshire.\nOne of the first places we checked out upon arriving in Shropshire was Ironbridge, famous for its namesake bridge and for being the “the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution”.\n","title":"An Assortment, Shropshire Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/iron-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Iron Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ironbridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ironbridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rock-formations/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rock Formations","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shropshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shropshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stiperstones/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stiperstones","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s not often we visit cities.\nAfter our week in and around Shropshire we then booked a couple of nights away in Horsforth, in the northwestern suburbs of Leeds.\nLisabet has family history in Leeds, which fuelled part of our reason for staying, but it\u0026rsquo;s also genuinely a lovely city. And also, apparently, undergoing massive investments, improvements, and upgrades. Skyscrapers growing, streets are clean, arcades and food halls full… Leeds seems to be thriving.\nWe spent a good part of the morning and afternoon wandering around the city, photographing the sights, checking out the history, exploring museums, and enjoying tasty food and drink while we\u0026rsquo;re at it.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe Griffin on Boar Lane, formerly a hotel but now a pub. You must admit it\u0026rsquo;s a striking building, especially as it catches the morning light. A five-storey Victorian Gothic Revival hotel, it was originally built as a railway hotel for Leeds New Station. A famous feature is the distinctive clock face bearing \u0026ldquo;GRIFFIN HOTEL\u0026rdquo; instead of numerals. Leeds City Square. The building on the left is the former Leeds General Post Office, opened in 1896. The fancy one in the middle is 1 City Square, completed in 1998, and houses a range of professional and legal firms with modern office spaces. The impressive Leeds Town Hall, still in the process of being massively refurbished. Opened in 1858 with a ceremony involving Queen Victoria herself, it\u0026rsquo;s one of the largest Town Halls in the UK. Originally built to house law courts, a council chamber, offices, a public hall, and a suite of ceremonial rooms, it now serves mainly as a concert, conference and wedding venue. We went to check out Leeds Art Gallery, inside which you can find this magnificent looking cafe, the Tiled Hall Café. Originally the main library reading room, this Victorian hall was renovated extensively in 2007. Behind Leeds Town Hall, one can find the beautiful Leeds Civic Hall in Millennium Square. The Civic Hall took over administrative duties from Leeds Town Hall, being built in 1933. It\u0026rsquo;s glowing white exterior is, apart from the low sun shining directly on it, because it is constructed from Portland stone rather than the typical Yorkshire stone or brick. The way to Leeds City Museum, framed by beautiful autumnal trees. It was built in 1819. I enjoyed composing juxtapositions between old Leeds and new Leeds, such as this view down Vernon Street towards the old red-brick building pub, The Hedley Verity , with the to-be-completed United Students skyscraper. Similarly, looking down Percival Street, lined with old red brick warehouses with the K2 Tower looming behind as a nice contrast. The Leeds Arena with the old HBOS Leeds building glowing gold in the distance. Leeds Arena was opened in 2013, designed with a striking honeycomb design based on cellular geometric patterns, visible from key approaches. The façade can change colour or pattern in the evening depending on the event. Looking the other way along the Leeds Arena\u0026rsquo;s front, more high rise student accommodation dominates the Leeds skyline. Talking of old and new, here\u0026rsquo;s a more extreme example. The church is St. John the Evangelist\u0026rsquo;s Church, established in 1634 and is the oldest building in Leeds city centre. Now redundant, it\u0026rsquo;s under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Dominating the skyline behind is the Scrape student accommodation building. A reasonable argument could be made that no visit to Leeds is complete without checking out its famous Victorian arcades such as this one, Thornton\u0026rsquo;s Arcade, Leeds\u0026rsquo; oldest shopping arcade. The incredibly beautiful and ornate County Arcade, part of the Victoria Quarter. Another part of County Arcade\u0026rsquo;s glorious architecture. The Victoria Quarter is known for its role in the redevelopment of Leeds\u0026rsquo; city centre, and houses lots of luxury and premium brands. I felt very out of place. Almost like a snapshot of a Dubai shopping mall. This is Victoria Gate, opened in 2016. Exquisite isn\u0026rsquo;t it? Quite overwhelming as well. After a bite to eat at Jenny\u0026rsquo;s Jerk Chicken in the famous Kirkgate Food Hall, we continued our meanderings. On the left, No. 4 New York Street, originally a bank. In the distance, Leeds Minster rises imperiously. Of course we also had to check out the old Corn Exchange. Opened in 1864 to take over from a previous smaller building, it was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick of Hull in the Italianate style. After falling out of use as a corn exchange in the late 1800s, it received new life from the 1980s onwards as a retail area. We also enjoyed exploring the scenes along the River Aire, including this skyline of Leeds with the Crown Point Bridge, an 1842 construction. An ultra-wide perspective from Leeds Dock, with the Royal Armouries Museum on the left. One of many new developments at Leeds Dock courtesy of the Royal Armouries Museum. A more unusual composition that I zoomed in tight on. Taken from Commercial Street, featuring a beautiful autumnal tree with the handsome buildings of Commercial Street behind and the skyscraper The Pinnacle blocking the sky, creating a surreal feel.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"9 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/leeds-west-yorkshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s not often we visit cities.\nAfter our week in and around Shropshire we then booked a couple of nights away in Horsforth, in the northwestern suburbs of Leeds.\nLisabet has family history in Leeds, which fuelled part of our reason for staying, but it’s also genuinely a lovely city. And also, apparently, undergoing massive investments, improvements, and upgrades. Skyscrapers growing, streets are clean, arcades and food halls full… Leeds seems to be thriving.\n","title":"Leeds, West Yorkshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"9 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/victorian/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Victorian","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/manor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Manor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stokesay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stokesay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stokesay-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stokesay Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"The pinnacle of historical conservation.\nTo quote Wikipedia, \u0026ldquo;Stokesay Castle is one of the finest surviving fortified manor houses in England, situated at Stokesay in Shropshire.\u0026rdquo;\nStokesay Castle was built in the 1280s by wealthy wool merchant Laurence of Ludlow. It\u0026rsquo;s a ridiculously well-preserved medieval complex featuring a great hall with an exceptional timber roof, two stone towers, and sits within a moated enclosure. In the 1640s, the Craven family added an ornate timber-framed gatehouse and created fashionable ornamental gardens, complete with ponds and water features. The castle surrendered peacefully to Parliamentary forces in 1645 and, after periods of decay and restoration, has been in English Heritage\u0026rsquo;s care since 1986.\nBeing able to explore and experience these buildings, where people also once stood 700 years ago, is both a privilege and a joy.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe timber-framed 17th century gatehouse, a striking timber-framed building constructed between 1639–41 for William Craven, who spent over £468 on improvements to the estate (that\u0026rsquo;s possibly about £91,301.98 in today\u0026rsquo;s money). It showcases the decorative style typical of 17th-century Ludlow houses, with ornately carved brackets, lozenge patterns in square panels, and jettied upper floors. Above the gate-passage sits a distinctive gable featuring a central window adorned with a row of five stars below and quarter-circle patterns above, making it one of the castle\u0026rsquo;s most decorative features. Ducking through the gatehouse (doorways were shorter back then), I head into the castle for a wander around its ancient rooms and hallways. This is the ground floor of the Solar Block, a two-story private apartment wing, originally built in the late 1280s and 1290s. The way down to the cellar of the Solar Block. Crazy to think I was walking around 700-year old rooms and stairs. The first floor of the Solar Block, with the timber ceiling remarkably in tact. As the light dipped and softened, it pulled out all the gorgeous textures and shapes around the front of the castle. Here you\u0026rsquo;re just outside the entrance to the Hall, with the South Tower visible in the background. We circled down to the moat around the castle, capturing this imposing aspect of the castle and its northern tower. Tiny windows to gaze out across the land without fear of having something dangerous aimed back at you. The northern tower of the castle, with the small Church of Saint John the Baptist drenched in autumnal light. Probably my favourite composition of the day. Using the trees planted in the ornamental gardens as a framing device around the gatehouse and the castle. The beautiful gatehouse getting some nice sidelight, with the humble church in the background. As we headed towards the church, a composition taking in the entire aspect of the castle and its towers revealed itself, especially with the lovely light we were getting. The Church of St John the Baptist is a Grade I listed (buildings that are of exceptional interest) church. It dates from around 1150, but was badly damaged during the English Civil War, and rebuilt in 1654. Biblical texts from the 1600s adorn the walls.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stokesay-castle-shropshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"The pinnacle of historical conservation.\nTo quote Wikipedia, “Stokesay Castle is one of the finest surviving fortified manor houses in England, situated at Stokesay in Shropshire.”\nStokesay Castle was built in the 1280s by wealthy wool merchant Laurence of Ludlow. It’s a ridiculously well-preserved medieval complex featuring a great hall with an exceptional timber roof, two stone towers, and sits within a moated enclosure. In the 1640s, the Craven family added an ornate timber-framed gatehouse and created fashionable ornamental gardens, complete with ponds and water features. The castle surrendered peacefully to Parliamentary forces in 1645 and, after periods of decay and restoration, has been in English Heritage’s care since 1986.\n","title":"Stokesay Castle, Shropshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shrewsbury/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shrewsbury","type":"tags"},{"content":"Another gem of preserved history.\nWe thought Ludlow was impressive with its 500 Listed Buildings. Then we went to Shrewsbury. According to its Wikipedia, \u0026ldquo;The centre has a largely undisturbed medieval street plan and over 660 listed buildings, including several examples of timber framing from the 15th and 16th centuries.\u0026rdquo;\nBefore the rains arrived we enjoyed some terrific light as we purposely wandered around the town, drinking in the sights and sounds, our gaze pulled repeatedly upward to the historic rooflines and ornate facades.\nAs well as being historically and architecturally beautiful and significant, Shropshire also enjoys fantastic shopping and an excellent food and drink offering.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged together in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBuilt in the early 1600s, the Prince Rupert Hotel features, like much of Shropshire\u0026rsquo;s old buildings, timber-framing. The cellars of the hotel are reported to exist from the 1100s. Beyond, the pristine spire of St. Alkmund\u0026rsquo;s Church. On the approach to the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum, you can find the beautiful Castle Gates House. Built in the late 1500s and restored around 1912, another striking timber-framed house. The 1912 restoration added a central arched doorway. From the gateway of the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum, looking back towards the Castle Cates House. This is \u0026ldquo;Grope Lane\u0026rdquo;. Some medieval towns and cities in England have such a named lane, alternative names being \u0026ldquo;Gropecunt Lane\u0026rdquo;. Yeah. There are two theories for the origins of all the Grope or Gropecunt Lanes, one polite and one not. The polite version, certainly for Shrewsbury\u0026rsquo;s Grope Lane, is that the name was given because of the lane\u0026rsquo;s narrowness, which forced people to \u0026ldquo;grope\u0026rdquo; their way along it. The impolite version is that Grope/Gropecunt Lanes were prostitution areas. The Old Market Hall, built in 1596 by the Corporation of Shrewsbury. An older Market House was built on the same site in the 1260s. Rain clouds are brewing above. As the rain started to follow, we figured it was time for food. Down another narrow lane, Golden Cross Passage, we find Umai , a Japanese restaurant. The Wyle Cop road is adorned with rows of timber-framed gorgeousness. As the rain fell, I quickly nabbed this moody shot looking down the road. Almost like stepping back in time. Built in the mid-1400s, the Henry Tudor Inn is an outstanding example of a late-medieval inn that retains super rare original features. A plaque records that Henry VII lodged here in 1485 before Bosworth. Originally a first-floor hall built over shops, with a rear wing connecting to the Trotting Horse building on Barracks Passage. As the light darkened blue, the lights of the inn flickered on and I nabbed this beautiful composition.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 November 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/shrewsbury-shropshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Another gem of preserved history.\nWe thought Ludlow was impressive with its 500 Listed Buildings. Then we went to Shrewsbury. According to its Wikipedia, “The centre has a largely undisturbed medieval street plan and over 660 listed buildings, including several examples of timber framing from the 15th and 16th centuries.”\n","title":"Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/affinity-studio/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Affinity Studio","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/caer-caradoc/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Caer Caradoc","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/capture-one/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Capture One","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carding-mill-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carding Mill Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lightspout-waterfall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lightspout Waterfall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/long-mynd/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Long Mynd","type":"tags"},{"content":"A lot on offer in such a small space.\nFor a full nature-based day we started out at the Carding Mill Valley, probably the most well-known part of the Shropshire Hills. It is from here that you can choose any one of a myriad of hiking trails and see the sights.\nFor us we wanted to check out the reservoir then heading up the ravine containing the Lightspout waterfall. From there we mapped a route onto the top of the Long Mynd, then followed the Bur Way road all the way back down to our car.\nAll in all, a solid 10km round trip.\nLight and weather conditions could definitely have been nicer, but once we were up in the heights of the Long Mynd, the passing squalls created incredible light shows across Church Stretton towards the hills of Caer Caradoc and The Lawley.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Capture One, merged together in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Canva\u0026rsquo;s new Affinity Studio.\nHeading towards the reservoir, this tapestry of colours down Bodbury Hill\u0026rsquo;s flank caught my attention and I lined up a simple 2-shot panorama. What remains of the reservoir. It was built in 1902 to support nearby Church Stretton\u0026rsquo;s burgeoning status as a fashionable spa town. No longer in use as a reservoir, it\u0026rsquo;s popular with outdoor swimmers. Up the flank of Cow Ridge, above the reservoir, Lisabet and I found a couple of dead trees with these mushrooms growing everywhere . Wanna guess what the are? Back into the main valley heading north, I looked back to find a burst of light scanning across the flank of Bodbury Hill. Higher we go as near the junction west towards Lightspout waterfall. Beautiful autumnal colours everywhere, including some stubborn gorse. The going up Light Spout Hollow is short yet steep, with a couple of \u0026ldquo;bad steps\u0026rdquo; you need to navigate. However, the views back down are terrific. Here, looking back down the ravine sees Haddon Hill bathed in autumnal light. Finally we made it to Lightspout Waterfall, with not a lot of water in it. We forded across the beck a few times in order to get as close as possible to the falls. Rather than navigating the ravine back down, we instead continued onwards onto the broad plateau of the Long Mynd. Here, the views really open up. The Long Mynd just means \u0026ldquo;long mountain\u0026rdquo;, probably of Brittonic origin, as this broad upland plateau is 7 miles long. Whilst a dark cloud started to pass over us, the light beamed across the valley and illuminated the shape of Caer Caradoc (459 m/1,506 ft). Soon afterwards we \u0026ldquo;enjoyed\u0026rdquo; a series of squalls drenching us. However, that did mean we got this superb light show of a rainbow hitting Caer Caradoc and a focused spotlight illuminating the northern Stretton Gap. The rain continued to fall and so the light moved on, this time picking out The Lawley as dark clouds raced overhead. Eventually the rain eased off and we treated to this view of some wild horses grazing above Townbrook Valley, with Church Stretton in the distance and Hope Bowdler Hill off to the left.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/long-mynd-shropshire-hills-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"A lot on offer in such a small space.\nFor a full nature-based day we started out at the Carding Mill Valley, probably the most well-known part of the Shropshire Hills. It is from here that you can choose any one of a myriad of hiking trails and see the sights.\n","title":"Long Mynd, Shropshire Hills, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/reservoir/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Reservoir","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shropshire-hills/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shropshire Hills","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-lawley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Lawley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/waterfall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Waterfall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/affinity-photo/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Affinity Photo","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/affinity-photo-2/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Affinity Photo 2","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ludlow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ludlow","type":"tags"},{"content":"A week around somewhere completely new to us.\nRegular readers of this humble blog may know that, around October time, Lisabet and I like to take a couple of weeks off to enjoy the gorgeous autumn colours somewhere beautiful.\nUsually, that means somewhere in Scotland. However, on this occasion we tried for an area completely new to us.\nThe bucolic county of Shropshire.\nSo, first on the menu from me is the stunning and historical town of Ludlow. Though we would later learn this appeared to be par for course in Shropshire, we were flabbergasted by the number of ancient historical buildings in Ludlow that have survived. According to Wikipedia, Ludlow has \u0026ldquo;nearly 500 listed buildings\u0026rdquo;.\nWeather conditions could definitely have more cooperative during our time in Shropshire, but that just meant we were more opportunistic about our excursions.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Capture One, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo.\nThis is 53 Broad Street, a striking building no matter the weather (which at the time of this photograph was rain .) The house is an early 1600s timber-framed building with a rear section surviving from the 1400s. It features distinctive leaded-glass windows set in timber, and framed by decorative wooden beams. Inside apparently the rear range still features a medieval open hall. This is one of Ludlow\u0026rsquo;s more famous buildings, the Feathers Hotel . It was built in 1619 CE for an attorney from Pembrokeshire. Apparently upon conversion to a hotel none of this older features of this building was touched. It is still in use as a hotel; we went inside for lunch and its every bit as cosy as you could imagine. As I approached the Old Bull Ring Tavern for some compositions, this well-dressed old gentleman caught my eye and was happy to pose for a shot. Another one of Ludlow\u0026rsquo;s famous historical buildings, Ye Olde Bull Ring Tavern , apparently dating back to 1365 CE. What we see now is a 1600s timber-framed building with two sections. It shows leaded lattice windows, and 1700s sashes and jettied dormers. It still features the original exposed framing, decorative beams, and moulded plasterwork throughout. Incredible. According to its website , the interior was renovated in 2012 and still in business as of 2025. However, by the time of our arrival in October 2025, the business appears to be no more. Tucked away in the town centre is St. Laurence\u0026rsquo;s Church, founded by the Normans in the late 11th century. Major extension work occurred in the 1400s as Ludlow became wealthy through the wool trade. During the mid to late 1800s a lot of the church was extensively repaired and restored. Stashed away down a yard is The Rose \u0026amp; Crown , proclaiming to be one of Ludlow\u0026rsquo;s oldest pubs, with documents dating back to the 1200s. This courtyard inn as we see it now was built in stages from the 1600s. It still features 1700s brick and timber-frames with sashes and even the rear walls show 1600s timber framing and medieval stone windows. Still in operation as a pub, owned by the Joules Brewery. From the Market Square near Ludlow Castle, a view looking back to Ludlow\u0026rsquo;s wonky buldings, with St. Laurence\u0026rsquo;s Church and the Butter Cross both draped in golden autumnal light. The low sun breaks through the clouds, highlighting Dinham Bridge with the ruins of Ludlow Castle above, adorned in autumnal foliage. Broad Street is home to a whole queue of historical timber-framed buildings, with the Butter Cross sitting majestically at the top of the road. It showcases a mix of well-preserved medieval, Tudor, and Georgian styles. At the junction of Broad Street with High Street and Church Street, an ultra-wide composition reveals the wider context of Broad Street\u0026rsquo;s beautiful buildings, a lot of which are still in use. A tighter composition, with low light highlighting the top of Bodenhams , a family run business since 1860 inhabiting a building dating from 1405. Rising peerlessly above, and catching the golden light, is St. Laurence\u0026rsquo;s Church. Not a bad shot from a phone, right?\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"26 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ludlow-shropshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"A week around somewhere completely new to us.\nRegular readers of this humble blog may know that, around October time, Lisabet and I like to take a couple of weeks off to enjoy the gorgeous autumn colours somewhere beautiful.\n","title":"Ludlow, Shropshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cartmel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cartmel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/furness-peninsula/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Furness Peninsula","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/garden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Garden","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/holker-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Holker Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"Some places are just overdue a visit.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve lived in Cumbria for twelve or so years now, and in all that time have never once visited the beautiful Holker Hall \u0026amp; Gardens.\nAlmost feels criminal.\nWell, after all the rain we\u0026rsquo;ve had in September, a relatively clear weekend was on the cards so we hightailed it to the Cartmel Peninsula to check this historic country house out.\nHolker Hall and its exquisite gardens and grounds is the home of the Cavendish family, a noble family of Anglo-Norman origins with a long distinguished history. The country house was built originally in the 1500s but had major renovations in the 1700s and 1800s.\nWe timed the weather well. By the time we\u0026rsquo;d explored the house and gardens, then stopped at the cafe for a bite to eat, the rains arrived.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Capture One, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Affinity Photo.\nThe gift shop and cafe of Holker Hall, formerly a stable block that was used to house horses of the family as well as guests. Holker Hall knows how to present itself. Here, morning autumnal light illuminated the house like a golden beacon. Inside, we gently wandered around the various rooms. This is part of the Library. As you can imagine, there\u0026rsquo;s quite an extensive collection of books in this house. A beautiful view to the gardens with gorgeous light filtering through in the Drawing Room. The Billiard Room, decorated with portraits and paintings and featuring a full-size billiards table. The Dining Room, with an extremely impressive fireplace mantel and decorative jambs. The craftsmanship on show throughout was exquisite, especially in this staircase. An otherwise transitory space that nevertheless had considerable care and attention paid to its design. The Gallery, with beautiful light streaming through the stained glass windows. Queen Mary\u0026rsquo;s bedroom, named after her for when she stayed here in 1937. The Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bedroom. Occupied by the 7th Duke of Devonshire during the latter years of his life. It is said that Holker remained his favourite residence even after he had inherited Chatsworth and all the other Devonshire houses. What a beautiful spot for a writing desk, eh? Time to visit the gardens, which you can immediately tell are immaculately groomed. A clutch of curvy winding trees gave me the opportunity for a more ultra-wide angle perspective. I even focus stacked it. This was basically impossible to take a bad photo of. All in all, if you\u0026rsquo;re ever in this neck of the woods, I can definitely recommend having a wander in and around Holker Hall.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"5 October 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/holker-hall-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Some places are just overdue a visit.\nI’ve lived in Cumbria for twelve or so years now, and in all that time have never once visited the beautiful Holker Hall \u0026 Gardens.\n","title":"Holker Hall, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/chollerford/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Chollerford","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for a wee break.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been a busy, and sometimes eventful, summer and we needed a break.\nLisabet donned her sleuth attire and found us a few deals, one of which was here: Chollerford in Northumberland.\nChollerford\u0026rsquo;s a tiny little village, just a few miles north of bonny Hexham, and consequently not far at all from Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall. Near the B6318, a stone cross marks the site of the Battle of Heavenfield (633/634 CE), where Oswald of Bernicia\u0026rsquo;s Northumbrian army confronted Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd\u0026rsquo;s Welsh troops.\nJust down the river from the village one can find the impressive ruins of Chester\u0026rsquo;s Bridge Abutment. The east abutment at Chesters is a surviving part of a large road bridge built around 160 CE. It carried the Military Way (the road following Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall) over the River North Tyne. Across the river from the abutment is Chester\u0026rsquo;s Roman Fort, known as CILURNUM or CILURVUM, one of the best-preserved Roman cavalry forts in Britain.\nLight conditions could\u0026rsquo;ve been better, and I was still recovering from a sprained ankle, but it was a lovely and much needed break.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed and edited in Capture One, edited and finalised in Affinity Photo.\nChollerford Bridge from the grounds of The George Hotel, where we were staying. It was built in 1785 by Robert Mylne after the previous bridge had been swept away in the great floods of 1771. This older one was, in turn, constructed to replace an earlier medieval bridge. This is the ruins of the tower that was attached to the eastern abutment of Chesters Bridge. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it crazy to think that, 2,000 years ago, people from Rome travelled thousands of miles, made it to our little island, crossed north through the country, and then built this? Lying on the abutment you can also find a stone column from the old bridge. People carved this. Two thousand years ago. This is the \u0026ldquo;Stone Park\u0026rdquo;, near the abutment. These stone blocks were recovered during the excavation of the site in the 1980s. The site in all its summery glory. The river used to come right up to the tower, but in the intervening 2,000 years it\u0026rsquo;s moved west about 60-odd feet, leaving these ruins dry.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/chollerford-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for a wee break.\nIt’s been a busy, and sometimes eventful, summer and we needed a break.\nLisabet donned her sleuth attire and found us a few deals, one of which was here: Chollerford in Northumberland.\n","title":"Chollerford, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hadrians-wall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hadrians Wall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/northumberland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Northumberland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/roman/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Roman","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/roman-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Roman Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sony-24-240/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sony 24-240","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sony-a7ii/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sony A7ii","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 August 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/summer/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Summer","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/austwick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Austwick","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/crummackdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Crummackdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Finally, time for a proper hike.\nWith a cooperative Saturday in the pipeline, we decided to head into the [Yorkshire Dales](/blog/tag/yorkshire dales) for a new—to us—location: the oft-overlooked valley of Crummackdale.\nThe bonny village of Austwick sits at the foot of the valley and I would reckon most folk in Austwick will do walks to and from Feizor, as we\u0026rsquo;ve done before. However, head north out of the village and the narrow country lane soon starts climbing up steeply as you ascend up the valley. Passing Crummack Farm is where you branch off, climb up the valley side, and head towards the head of Crummackdale where the views really open up.\nMuch of the light in Crummackdale was soft due to the stormy clouds above, but we could see south and west that the cloud was clearing, giving us periods of direct focused light for some lovely compositions.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs converted in DxO PureRAW, developed and edited in Capture One, finalised in Affinity Photo.\nPlenty of sheep and cattle in the valley bottom of Crummackdale. This slanted band of limestone caught my eye as it seemed to neatly bisect the composition. In the distance is Studrigg Scar. The way southeast to Wharfe along the Dales High Way. Above, stormy clouds continually threatened to heave it down. As we ascended up the valley side, a look back south over Crummack Farm revealed clearer light, with Pendle Hill clear as a bell 30 km away. Crummack Farm were busy hay bailing, adding scale and context to a beautiful Yorkshire Dales scene with Pendle Hill looming in the distance. Once we ascended the valley side and up onto the Pennine Bridleway, the dark and foreboding shape of Pen-y-Ghent made its presence very much known to us. Wow. Dark and stormy clouds set the fell in deep shadow, whilst the scars of Crummackdale were lit up by the breaking sun behind us. Further on, a strong burst of sun drenched the foreground with its curving drystone wall in golden light, leaving the dark Pen-y-Ghent brooding under the stormy sky. Long time readers of this blog will know I am sucker for a nice drystone wall composition, and this is no different, leading the eye towards the epic Moughton Scar at the head of Crummackdale. From above Thieves\u0026rsquo; Moss, the full extent of Crummackdale\u0026rsquo;s limestone pavement becomes apparent. Wow. Miles of clints and grikes, no doubt with miles of caves beneath. Right at the head of Crummackdale the valley forms a natural amphitheatre that I used as a curving leading line to the dark shape of Pen-y-Ghent. Of course, Lisabet and I clambered down to play around the extensive limestone pavement at the head of Crummackdale. On our return journey, the stormy skies were receding, leaving lovely evening golden light to bathe the contours of Crummackdale. One last look back at Pen-y-Ghent as the last of the dark clouds cast the fell in deep shadow. Beneath, the edge of Moughton Scar is illuminated. Pure rural Yorkshire Dales gorgeousness.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"27 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/crummackdale-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Finally, time for a proper hike.\nWith a cooperative Saturday in the pipeline, we decided to head into the [Yorkshire Dales](/blog/tag/yorkshire dales) for a new—to us—location: the oft-overlooked valley of Crummackdale.\n","title":"Crummackdale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dxo-pureraw/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dxo Pureraw","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pen-y-ghent/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pen Y Ghent","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pendle-hill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pendle Hill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/duddo/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Duddo","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/duddo-five-stones/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Duddo Five Stones","type":"tags"},{"content":"The Five Stones of Duddo.\nFirst, I must apologise for the lack of updates from myself here. June and July have proven to be tumultuous months that required a lot of my time and energy.\nAnd so, onwards, to the beauty of Northumberland. Away from Northumberland\u0026rsquo;s ever-tempting coastline, we ventured inland to revisit some spots. In particular, north of the teeny little unassuming village of Duddo, one can find a historical treasure: Duddo Five Stones.\nErected roughly 4,000 years ago, the stones are made of sandstone that have had deep grooves drawn into them from thousands of years of weathering.\nConditions I felt were sympathetic for shooting these stones: Dramatic but benevolent.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs improved in DxO PureRAW, developed and edited in Capture One, finalised in Affinity Photo.\nThe beautiful country lane that you stop at to walk to the Duddo Five Stones. Pure bucolic English joy. Approaching the stone circle. The land is privately owned, but the landowners have maintained a right of way to the stones for the public to enjoy. Above, storm clouds gather. Here they are, the Duddo Five Stones, sitting eternally below a moving sky. From here there are 360° panoramic views across vast swathes of the Northumberland countryside. You can see why these stones were erected here. Unexpectedly, an older Californian couple soon joined us at the stone circle as we were shooting photos. They couldn\u0026rsquo;t wrap their head around the age of these stones. On this occasion I was very interested in trying to capture the fantastical shapes and grooves that the stones exhibited from weathering. Some of the patterning on the stones are a lot more geometric than you would expect. A brief moment of strong light pulls out the texture in this stone. This stone almost puts me in mind of compound muscles, like a leg.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"24 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/duddo-five-stones-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"The Five Stones of Duddo.\nFirst, I must apologise for the lack of updates from myself here. June and July have proven to be tumultuous months that required a lot of my time and energy.\n","title":"Duddo Five Stones, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/duddo-stone-circle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Duddo Stone Circle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 July 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stone-circle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stone Circle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bamburgh/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bamburgh","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bamburgh-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bamburgh Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"A trip to Northumberland is incomplete without visiting Bamburgh.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s easy to see why Bamburgh\u0026rsquo;s popularity has exploded in the last decade. It\u0026rsquo;s historical and beautiful. There\u0026rsquo;s not many places in the UK where a huge castle stands tall and proud over a vast beautiful beach.\nMy favourite part of the area is Harkess Rocks, north of the castle. Harkess Rocks and Blackrock Point features a prehistoric fault line and a confusing jumbled mass of ancient volcanic rock. It\u0026rsquo;s a lot of fun to make compositions from it all. Above the beach, dunes covered in grass hide beautiful flowers in the summer.\nSoutheast of the castle, one can find poppys galore and golden yellow lupines, complete with the formidable stature of Bamburgh Castle.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a photographer\u0026rsquo;s paradise.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens. RAWs developed and edited in Capture One, finalised in Affinity Photo.\nAbove Bamburgh beach, a myriad of dunes covered in grass criss-cross in every direction. Happily, we found this little patch of Valeriana rubra (Red Valerian), which I formed a composition with. On Harkness Rocks, and the tide coming in, I picked out various compositions and watched the waves crash against the rocks, picking the aesthetically pleasing moments. In the distance, Bamburgh Castle is lit up by the dipping sun. The volcanic origins of the geology around Harkness Rocks has created this raised platform above the sand, which the incoming tide was slamming against. This was another of those occasions where I took multiple tries of this composition, waiting for the waves to smash in just the right way. A tighter composition, using the crashing of the waves as a leading line itself towards the raised rocks and Bamburgh Castle itself. On another visit to Bamburgh Castle, we stopped off at its southeastern side to explore more dunes, which included this beautiful field of poppys. In the same area, this patch of golden lupines gave me another lovely composition towards Bamburgh Castle.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bamburgh-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"A trip to Northumberland is incomplete without visiting Bamburgh.\nIt’s easy to see why Bamburgh’s popularity has exploded in the last decade. It’s historical and beautiful. There’s not many places in the UK where a huge castle stands tall and proud over a vast beautiful beach.\n","title":"Bamburgh, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dunes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dunes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/harkess-rocks/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Harkess Rocks","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lupine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lupine","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/north-sea/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"North Sea","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/poppys/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Poppys","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sand-dunes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sand Dunes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sea/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sea","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dryburgh-abbey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dryburgh Abbey","type":"tags"},{"content":"There are a lot of ruined abbeys in the Scottish Borders.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been to Melrose Abbey before but this time, during our stay in Northumberland for Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s birthday, we nipped over the border again to St. Boswells, in the Scottish Borders.\nAfter a bit of shopping and lunch in The Mainstreet Trading Company, we made our way north alongside the River Tweed, before crossing it and heading it into Dryburgh to check out the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey.\nA proper summer\u0026rsquo;s day accompanied us, which made the going nicer. We were both still recovering from a nasty summer cold so took our sweet time, enjoying the scenery, the sights and smells of a beautiful summer\u0026rsquo;s day.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed and edited in Capture One, finalised in Affinity Photo.\nAfter crossing the Tweed, you\u0026rsquo;ll quickly find this structure known as the Temple of the Muses. Don\u0026rsquo;t know who actually built it, but it was commissioned by the then owner of the Dryburgh Estate, David Steuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan. When he purchased the estate in the 1700s, he built a new house, improved the grounds, and created a landscape that featured as its centrepiece the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey. It\u0026rsquo;s a simple affair to find the abbey after crossing the Tweed; follow the main road. As we did so, we found this rather ornate gate and wall, defining the grounds of the estate. There\u0026rsquo;s a Latin inscription just out of shot above this gate: HOCPOMARIUM SUA MANUSATUM PARENTIBUS SUIS OPTIMIS SAC.D.S. BUCHANIA COMES. This roughly translates as, \u0026ldquo;This orchard, planted with his own hand, is dedicated to his most excellent parents by D.S., Earl of Buchan.\u0026rdquo; And behold, the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey. It\u0026rsquo;s red colour comes from being primarily constructed from Devonian sandstone. The tall structure centre is the North Transept, representing the most complete surviving portion of the original abbey church. The structure on the right is the East Range, the remains of the monastic domestic buildings. The way to the Cloister Garth, the heart of monastic life. I enjoyed the details and intricacies of the doorways around the ruins, and used this one to frame a composition of the North Transept. Peeking into the North Transept. It houses the burial sites of Sir Walter Scott (\u0026ldquo;father\u0026rdquo; of the historical novel and historical romance) and Field Marshal Earl Haig (famous British Army officer, especially during the First World War). The entrance of Dryburgh Abbey Chapterhouse. Again, beautiful details of the doorway caught my eye and I included it in this ultra-wide composition of the North Transept. The same entrance, now looking towards the refectory with the beautifully detailing of St Catherine\u0026rsquo;s wheel window. I enjoyed the beautiful maintained courtyard, and used its lines as a compositional aid.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"21 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dryburgh-abbey-dryburgh-scottish-borders-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"There are a lot of ruined abbeys in the Scottish Borders.\nI’ve been to Melrose Abbey before but this time, during our stay in Northumberland for Lisabet’s birthday, we nipped over the border again to St. Boswells, in the Scottish Borders.\n","title":"Dryburgh Abbey, Dryburgh, Scottish Borders, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rokinon-14mm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rokinon 14mm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scotland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scotland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scottish-borders/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scottish Borders","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-boswells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Boswells","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/birthday/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Birthday","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cliffs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cliffs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/geology/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Geology","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/howick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Howick","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/macos/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Macos","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rumbling-kern/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rumbling Kern","type":"tags"},{"content":"This was probably the find of the week.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s plenty of the Northumberland coast we\u0026rsquo;ve explored before in various conditions, but one area we hadn\u0026rsquo;t been to was a relatively overlooked section of the coast near Howick.\nAnd we were blown away with what we found.\nThis is an area known as Rumbling Kern, named after a hole in the rocks that rumbles loudly when the waves crash through it during high tide. The geology around here is crazy, all different types smashed together in disjointed fractures and joints, giving the place a discombobulating, otherworldly affect.\nA lot of the Northumberland coast consists of long beaches and sand dunes; it seems all the cliffs and were saved just for here.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed and editing in Lightroom and Photoshop.\nYou\u0026rsquo;re looking at Carboniferous braided-river sand dunes—iron-stained, cross-bedded sandstone—resting atop a drowned limestone sea-floor and later undercut by Pleistocene meltwater. A stone time-capsule of shifting swamp, sea and river environments. We did not expect to see what we found when we decided to have a nosey around the Rumbling Kerns of Howick. Wow . The geology around here is crazy. The dark, thin layers in the foreground are old floodplain muds and silts, deposited when the river overflowed its banks and settled out fine particles. The chunky, blocky sandstones you see further back are the main river channels (the Rumbling Kern) where fast water dumped coarser sand. Over time, ice-age floods and tides have smoothed and sculpted both. Looking north from above the beach is the old Bathing House, built by Charles 2nd Earl Grey for his children to sea bathe from. It\u0026rsquo;s also been known as Jenny Patterson\u0026rsquo;s Cottage , Miss Henderson\u0026rsquo;s Cottage and Christie\u0026rsquo;s House . Nowadays it serves as in-demand holiday accommodation. Rumbling Kern channel sandstone in \u0026ldquo;Lego-block\u0026rdquo; mode. Here vertical joints and horizontal bedding planes have sliced the rock into big blocks. Pleistocene-era meltwater and modern-day tides have prised out those blocks, rounded the edges and smoothed the faces. A fantastical mish-mash of geology here. In the foreground, smooth, low-angle siltstones/mudstones formed from old overbank (floodplain) mud settling out when the river crept over its banks. Modern tides, salt spray and lichens have bleached and smoothed those laminations, making them look chalky. The subtle, sharp break (you can just make it out sloping away) marks where a later channel scoured into those muds. The big yellow-buff blocks are the Rumbling Kern channel sandstones: coarse, cross-bedded braid-plain sand dumped by fast currents. This shot was made from three landscape images at 24mm, stacked top to bottom. Small, circular depressions have been drilled into the sandstone by countless swirls of sand-and-pebble slurry at low tide. The lacy, pitted \u0026ldquo;bee-nest\u0026rdquo; pattern on the block tops comes from salt-crystal growth and repeated wet-dry cycles; tiny pockets where salt expands and flakes the rock. Vertical fractures and bedding planes guided where water could exploit weaknesses, prising blocks apart and focusing erosion at those joints and corners. Those deep, rounded pits are caused by salt crystal growth and wet-dry cycling attacking the iron-cemented sandstone, gradually flaking it into a bee-nest pattern. Isn\u0026rsquo;t that fascinating? Amazing what nature can do, slowly, given enough time. The long, narrow trench running down the middle follows a vertical fracture; waves and sand-grit slurry have prised that joint open, deepening it into today\u0026rsquo;s little channel. Man-made? Not in the slightest. Here, the rock has two dominant fracture directions, roughly at right-angles. Where they cross you get those neat little rectangles. Salt-crystal growth, freeze-thaw and wave-driven pebbles have prised those cracks open over millennia, filling them with water and iron-rich films. That\u0026rsquo;s why the joints look so crisp and dark compared to the orange-buff block faces. Every tide, sand-and-pebble slurry scours along the weakest joints, deepening the grid pattern and leaving small pools in the intersections. Heading back towards the beach, I tucked myself into a little cove to get this composition towards the sandstone cliffs. Turns out that a little further south you can clamber up and over an old quarry and you\u0026rsquo;re treated to these immense views towards the Rumbling Kern, its beach, and the Bathing House. Looking south, some actual cliffs in Northumberland. We will definitely need to come back when both the light isn\u0026rsquo;t as harsh and when the tide is in. I think this area will look even better when filled with water.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/rumbling-kern-howick-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"This was probably the find of the week.\nThere’s plenty of the Northumberland coast we’ve explored before in various conditions, but one area we hadn’t been to was a relatively overlooked section of the coast near Howick.\n","title":"Rumbling Kern, Howick, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sandstone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sandstone","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cheswick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cheswick","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cheswick-sands/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cheswick Sands","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;ve just come back from a beautiful week in Northumberland.\nMy wonderful Lisabet turned 50 and what better way to celebrate than by holidaying around the gorgeous coast and countryside of Northumberland?\nIt turns out our timing was fortuitous; as we enjoyed summer-like conditions, albeit with strong winds, back home Cumbria and North Yorkshire were being flooded.\nNorthumberland has some of the finest coastline in all of the UK; it\u0026rsquo;s not often you get to see castles perched above long sandy beaches, but these are the kind of vibes Northumberland brings. Amongst many places we hiked, we returned to a relatively obscure stretch of the Northumberland coast at Cheswick Sands.\nHere there are no castles, no facilities, and no coffee shops. What there is is miles of soft sandy beaches, tall dunes, birds galore, and incredibly weird and fantastical geology.\nA sunny, but windy, day made for quickly changeable conditions, which was nice for me because the light was changing constantly, making for interesting compositions.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. Developed and edited in Lightroom and Photoshop.\nNear the Black Rocks of Cheswick Sands, a snake-like outcrop of rock protrudes from the warm sand, giving me a lovely composition that also involves the tall dunes. At Cheswick Black Rocks, a large part of the formations here are a pink sandstone, laid down during the middle of the Carboniferous period some 311–326 million years ago. Wave and wind action combined with fine sand grains has carved these beautiful exposed boulders. A lot of the sandstone here appears pinkish in colour because of the large proportion of feldspar, a pink mineral. With the vivid green seaweed, this made for beautiful colour contrasts. Millions of years of sea erosion carves out hidden little channels like this in the sandstone. Cross-bedded sandstone, combined with coastal erosion, has created these wonderful formations, like the ancient sea waves have been permanently recorded in the rocks. In parts, the seaweed was almost like a giant expanse of carpet. Another unusual feature you\u0026rsquo;ll find at Cheswick Sands are these \u0026ldquo;bubbles\u0026rdquo; or pillows of rock, called concretions . Geologists aren\u0026rsquo;t sure how concretions form, but it\u0026rsquo;s thought that mineral-rich water was in excess in the wet sediments and the mineral was able to precipitate within the rock under particular chemical conditions. Another beautiful example of the sandstone having been sculptured so smoothly by nature over the course of millions of years. Seeing strange formations like this makes you wonder about how Britain looked millions of years ago. Cross-stratification in sandstones. Each curved layer represents an ancient dune or ripple that migrated across a river channel or shallow sea floor. Plotting each placement of my feet carefully here to ensure I don\u0026rsquo;t snap an ankle whilst seeking out interesting curves, lines, and light for these compositions. Added hazard: slippery seaweed. Some of these formations were raised high above the sand, allowing the sea to carve channels beneath their pedestals. Differential weathering and erosion in this sandstone has created a contrast of smoothed forms with sharp incisions and pockets. Some of the small cavities resemble \u0026ldquo;tafoni\u0026rdquo;; honeycomb-like erosional features that develop in coastal environments through a combination of salt weathering, wind erosion, and possibly biochemical processes.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 June 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cheswick-sands-northumberland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’ve just come back from a beautiful week in Northumberland.\nMy wonderful Lisabet turned 50 and what better way to celebrate than by holidaying around the gorgeous coast and countryside of Northumberland?\n","title":"Cheswick Sands, Northumberland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/jervaulx-abbey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Jervaulx Abbey","type":"tags"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;ve been meaning to visit here for years.\nRight on the eastern fringes of the Yorkshire Dales, just peeking over into the Nidderdale National Landscape, you can find the ruins of Jervaulx Abbey.\nThe name might seem unusual. It was first recorded in 1145 CE as Jorvalle, a French translation of the old name of the valley this abbey was situated in, Yoredale or Uredale; that is, \u0026ldquo;valley of the river Ure\u0026rdquo;. Nowadays the name of the valley is the more famously known Wensleydale.\nThe abbey was established in 1156 CE as a Cistercian order from Burgundy, before being taken over by Akarius Fitz Bardolph, Lord of Ravensworth and given over to a Savigny monk. In its heyday the abbey owned half the valley and was famous for breeding horses, a tradition that still continues in Middleham today. It was also where Wensleydale cheese was first made, originally using ewe\u0026rsquo;s milk.\nLike with most abbeys in the UK, Jervaulx Abbey was seized by the Crown and left to ruin as a result of King Henry VIII\u0026rsquo;s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Apparently it was then valued at £455 10s. 5d, which is roughly £316,000 in today\u0026rsquo;s money. Bargain.\nWe couldn\u0026rsquo;t have picked a more glorious day to explore these incredible ruins; the challenge was finding the dark places for more intriguing compositions and light.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged together in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nUpon entering the grounds (Donation/Honesty box for both parking and entrance) you are greeted by the ruins and this statue of a Cistercian monk, the founders and inhabitants of the abbey. The tallest, most complete part of the ruins is one of the walls of the Cloister. This would\u0026rsquo;ve been the central element of monastic life. Monks used the cloister for reading, writing, and quiet contemplation. The design allowed natural light to enter, making it an ideal space for manuscript work and study. It also served as a place for communal activities and was integral to the daily routines of monastic life. It was such a glorious day, with nary a cloud in the sky, that the challenge for me in photographing this place was finding compositions that were not just interesting but also provided a good balance between shadow and light. This meant hiding under arches and walls so I could be in shadow whilst the light illuminated the subject, such as this alternative view of the Cloister wall. From the western end of the ruins near the entrance, looking east. I was looking for a composition that situated the ruins in context, and found this beautifully bucolic scene from near Jervaulx Park. I had lots of using various overgrown arches and corridors as framing elements in my compositions. Jervaulx Abbey, unlike a lot of ruined abbeys, is still privately owned. In this instance, they\u0026rsquo;ve decided to let nature reclaim the ruins, which these Field Forget-me-nots ( Myosotis arvensis ) have taken advantage of. Within the old Monks\u0026rsquo; Quarters, another framing composition presents itself. A lot of these archways are really quite short. Just shows how much smaller people were back in the day. I think this area constitutes what was once the kitchen. You can image large fireplaces here with ovens, monks running around preparing meals. This area might be the old Infirmary, where the sick were treated and healed. I found shade on the other side of the Infirmary, shooting the towering walls and through the arches towards the park filled with sheep bleating to their lambs.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"14 May 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/jervaulx-abbey-nidderdale-national-landscape-north-yorkshire-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"I’ve been meaning to visit here for years.\nRight on the eastern fringes of the Yorkshire Dales, just peeking over into the Nidderdale National Landscape, you can find the ruins of Jervaulx Abbey.\n","title":"Jervaulx Abbey, Nidderdale National Landscape, North Yorkshire, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/annandale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Annandale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/devils-beef-tub/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Devil's Beef Tub","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/devils-beeftub/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Devil's Beeftub","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grey-mares-tail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grey Mare's Tail","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hills/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hills","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moffat/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moffat","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moffatdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moffatdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/southern-uplands/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Southern Uplands","type":"tags"},{"content":"Happy birthday to me.\nOn Friday 25th I celebrated 42 years on this planet, subsequently becoming the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.\nHow to celebrate reaching an age I\u0026rsquo;d never thought I\u0026rsquo;d make? Well, off to Scotland of course!\nThis time we stayed in the historic and bonny town of Moffat, not far over the border from England. From Moffat you\u0026rsquo;re in a good place to start exploring a good chunk of the Southern Uplands, one of the quieter uplands areas of Scotland.\nThankfully our two-day break coincided with beautiful sunshine and very favourable light conditions.\nA good way to celebrate 42-years.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged together in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAs soon as we arrived in the evening we continued north past Moffat on the A701. In researching where to go and explore in the Southern Uplands we chanced upon one of the best geographical landmark names I\u0026rsquo;ve ever encountered: the Devil\u0026rsquo;s Beeftub . And this is the tub in question. It\u0026rsquo;s deep and steep 490 ft hollow in the hills north of Moffat, formed by four hills: Great Hill, Peat Knowe, Annanhead Hill and Ericstane Hill. We had quick peek at the area around sunset, the hills behind us casting shadows deep into the \u0026ldquo;beeftub\u0026rdquo;. Lisabet ventured as close to the edge as she dared, allowing this composition for me. The following morning we woke up nice and early to return to the Devil\u0026rsquo;s Beef Tub. From the layby you can take the Annandale Way up onto Annanhead Hill and continue on as far as you want across the peaks of the Southern Uplands. Part way up Annandale Hill we steered off the path to get close to the edge of the tub, presenting this sheer drop down and view towards the steep western face of Great Hill. From the summit of Annanhead Hill I zoomed all the way down to the flat valley bottom, dotted with small streams and sheepfolds and interspersed with bog and bracken. The racing clouds above caused shifting and shadow across the landscape, and so I waited until I got the story of light that I wanted. Already way ahead of me, Lisabet heads to the next hill—Peat Knowe—whilst I nab this composition showing the vast expanse and scale of the Southern Uplands. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist zooming in on the impressively steep and scarred western face of Great Hill, as the light gently scanned across its features. Summitting Great Hill was our next goal but even in dry conditions the path up to its peak was a veritable quagmire so we backed off and head back. Maybe another time. East from Moffat into Moffatdale the hills rise higher and higher as the valley closes in. Soon enough you\u0026rsquo;ll arrive at Grey Mare\u0026rsquo;s Tail Nature Reserve, which takes its name from the famous waterfall here, Grey Mare\u0026rsquo;s Tail. The last time we hiked up the trail towards this waterfall was November 2015, nearly a decade ago. The light conditions this time were favourable, sculpting the deep gorge created by the UK\u0026rsquo;s 5th highest waterfall, which drops 200 ft down.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"27 April 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/southern-uplands-dumfriesshire-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Happy birthday to me.\nOn Friday 25th I celebrated 42 years on this planet, subsequently becoming the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.\nHow to celebrate reaching an age I’d never thought I’d make? Well, off to Scotland of course!\n","title":"Southern Uplands, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cave/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cave","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coast","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/east-neuk-of-fife/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"East Neuk of Fife","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fife/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fife","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fife-coastal-path/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fife Coastal Path","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fife-ness/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fife Ness","type":"tags"},{"content":"The last lot of photos from our week around the East Neuk of Fife.\nAnd for this hike we decided on the easternmost point of East Neuk, Fife Ness. One the main reasons to explore this area was to check out Constantine\u0026rsquo;s Cave. It\u0026rsquo;s a natural sea cave found in the north face of a rocky cliff face at Fife Ness. The cave was first excavated in the early 1900s and found to contain evidence of a long occupation, from the pre-historic period into the 1800s.\nSupposedly, the Pictish king Causantín mac Cináeda (otherwise known as Constantine I) was killed here on the beach and placed in the cave.\nFife Ness also enjoys a historical golf course, Balcomie Links, where one can also find a beautiful beach with various clusters of wave-formed rock formations, such as Mary\u0026rsquo;s Skelly and Englishman\u0026rsquo;s Skelly. Nearer the automated lighthouse, fantastical formations and pavements at Lochaber Rock offer joyful hours of compositions you can play around with.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAt the beach, weathered sandstone rock formations with distinct layering and fracture patterns has been tilted by tectonic forces. 300+ million years of history. Striking rock formations with wavy patterns and noticeable cracks. Close up you can see twisted layers of metamorphic rock that look like thin layered sheets. These layers show signs of ancient geological activity. The swirling shapes are created by uneven erosion, which points to different minerals in the rocks. Meanwhile, the beautiful blue waters around continue to shape these rocks through their ongoing movement and waves. At Lochaber Rock, beautiful layers can be seen in the light-colored sandstone, with reddish-pink stripes. On the left side, you can see honeycomb-like patterns and wavy textures, which look different from the darker, sharp shapes on the right. These differences show how the rocks are made of different materials and react in unique ways to the ocean\u0026rsquo;s wear. A panorama of five vertical shots, stacked left to right, shows the impressive layers of sedimentary rock made of pinkish-brown sandstone. The layers form ridges that tell the story of how this rock was formed. Some of the rock is tilted as well, having been affected by movements in the Earth\u0026rsquo;s crust. You can also see different patterns of cracks in the rock, creating angular pieces that have weathered over time into various colors. Nature is an artist.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/fife-ness-east-neuk-of-fife-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The last lot of photos from our week around the East Neuk of Fife.\nAnd for this hike we decided on the easternmost point of East Neuk, Fife Ness. One the main reasons to explore this area was to check out Constantine’s Cave. It’s a natural sea cave found in the north face of a rocky cliff face at Fife Ness. The cave was first excavated in the early 1900s and found to contain evidence of a long occupation, from the pre-historic period into the 1800s.\n","title":"Fife Ness, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sand/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sand","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/design/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Design","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dundee/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dundee","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/firth-of-tay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Firth of Tay","type":"tags"},{"content":"It wasn\u0026rsquo;t entirely perfect weather during our week off.\nOn the rainier, blustery days we crossed East Neuk north over the Firth of Tay to Scotland\u0026rsquo;s 4th biggest city, Dundee.\nDundee was known for its historic industries of jute, whaling, and marmalade. Thus it experienced massive growth in the 1800s and early 1900s. However, the decline of these industries led to economic challenges.\nToday, Dundee is undergoing a revival, focusing on technology, science, and tourism. The V\u0026amp;A Dundee museum plays a key role in attracting visitors and promoting the city\u0026rsquo;s cultural transformation, and the city has also established itself as a sort of mecca for the gaming industry and gaming design.\nWe meandered around the city where we could, indulging in a wee bit of shopping, checking out the lovely cafes, and nabbing some photos in between downpours. I even treated myself to a shave and trim at Turkish barbers.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe striking design of the V\u0026amp;A Dundee. It uses multiple horizontal layers of precast concrete to create shadows and changes, reflecting the cliffs of Scotland. A large horizontal \u0026ldquo;hole\u0026rdquo; in the building connects Union Street with the River Tay, integrating the museum with the environment. Taking shelter from the rain and using the building\u0026rsquo;s design as a frame looking back to the city. The foyer, designed as a large void covered with local wood, acts as a \u0026ldquo;Living Room\u0026rdquo; for community activities. You have to admit, interior or exterior, it\u0026rsquo;s a striking place that demands attention!\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"13 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-va-design-museum-dundee-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"It wasn’t entirely perfect weather during our week off.\nOn the rainier, blustery days we crossed East Neuk north over the Firth of Tay to Scotland’s 4th biggest city, Dundee.\n","title":"The V\u0026amp;A Design Museum, Dundee, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/va/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"V\u0026a","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buddo-ness/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buddo Ness","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buddo-rock/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buddo Rock","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castle-ruins/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castle Ruins","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sea-stacks/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sea Stacks","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-andrews/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Andrews","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-andrews-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Andrews Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"There\u0026rsquo;s a lot of history in Fife.\nAside from the glorious coastline available along the Fife Coastal Path, there\u0026rsquo;s an awful lot of history in the area too. In particular Fife is home to the town of St Andrews, home to the third oldest university in the English-speaking world (founded in 1413 CE) and also the \u0026ldquo;home of golf\u0026rdquo;.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s evidence of people settling the St Andrews area around 4500 BCE—6,500 years ago—but recorded history notes a monastery established by the Pictish king Oengus I in the mid-700s CE. In the 800s, king Causantín mac Cináeda built a new church then was later captured and killed when defending against Viking raiders.\nWe spent a glorious sunny day meandering around the town, photographing all the gorgeous architecture and historical buildings. This included St Andrews Castle—originally built in the late 1100s/early 1200s, and the University of St Andrews (especially St Salvator\u0026rsquo;s Quadrangle).\nLater, towards sunset, we followed the coast east of St. Andrews to Buddo Ness, where we found another magnificent sandstone formation: Buddo\u0026rsquo;s Rock.\nAn all round corker of a day.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAfter coffee we meandered around the town centre (otherwise translated as \u0026ldquo;Lisabet went charity shop hunting\u0026rdquo;). I found this beautiful little pub, The Bothy , a \u0026ldquo;quintessential Scottish bolthole\u0026rdquo; tucked away in a corner of Church Square. This is the ruined apse of the Dominican friary, Blackfriars, which can be seen on South Street. The friary was founded in the mid-15th century. By the mid 1500s, Protestant reformers expelled the friars. This chapel is all that remains of the friary. A gatehouse known as \u0026ldquo;the Pends\u0026rdquo;, a mid-1300s large stone gatehouse of the Augustinian cathedral-priory of St Andrews. Now a roofless shell with a large entrance. To the right is The Roundel of South Street. Now, it was time to have a look at the ruins of St Andrews castle. As it sits on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea, we wanted to check it out first from below. This beautiful long rock formation served as the perfect leading line. Looking back at the front and entrance of St Andrews castle. There\u0026rsquo;s been a castle standing at the site since the era of Bishop Roger (1189–1202). This is the largest part of the castle ruins that\u0026rsquo;s still standing, the rest having largely fallen into the sea. Looking through the entrance to the castle back towards the town. Towards its latter years, the castle was the home of Cardinal David Beaton, Archbishop of St Andrews, the last Scottish cardinal before the Reformation. Cardinal Beaton was not popular, and had no issue using the wealth of the church as his own. Additionally, courtesy of several mistresses, he fathered around 20 illegitimate children, many of whom he later gave well paid positions in the Church. He came to personify everything corrupt and in need of change in the Catholic Church. Eventually he was stabbed to death, mutilated, and hung from a castle window, before being dumped in the castle\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;bottle dungeon\u0026rdquo; and covered in salt to \u0026lsquo;keip him frome stinking\u0026rsquo;. The cloisters of St Salvator\u0026rsquo;s Chapel around St Salvator\u0026rsquo;s Quadrangle, looking towards Lower College Hall. The Chapel was founded in 1450 CE built in the Late Gothic architectural style. It\u0026rsquo;s the chapel of the United college as well as being the major university chapel. The Lower College Hall, nowadays largely serving as a grand venue for hire. The students around this lawn were wonderfully friendly and accommodating, happy for me to take photos around this Hogwartsian experience. Imagine being educated in a place like this. In fact, a lot of Americans do. As sunset neared we followed the coast west of St Andrews to Buddo Ness to find another ancient sea cave , called Buddo Rock. With the tide out, various formations covered in algae and seaweed revealed themselves for some compositional fun. This is Buddo Rock. It\u0026rsquo;s a stack of pink sandstone that was once part of the cliffs along the coast; a remnant of a former sea cliff that formed around 15,000 years ago. The formation is a good 15 m (50 ft) tall, so even with my 14mm ultra-wide lens attached I still couldn\u0026rsquo;t get the whole thing in. This was image was achieved by shooting seven landscape shots, stacked top to bottom, for a massive vertorama. Looking up from underneath the massive arch of Buddo Rock, the setting sun hitting the top of the stack. Buddo Rock viewed from the sea. The name may well seem unusual. It seems to be linked to a local surname, first recorded in 1568. A Thomas Buddo is recorded in St Andrews around 1590, and there was an Effam Buddo in nearby Brownhills. Getting low and close to this fascinating formation, picking out all the enchanting textures and colours. Similarly, this unique view of Buddo Rock is made up of eight landscape photos stacked top to bottom to present a massive ultra-wide view of this incredible natural sculpture.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/st-andrews-fife-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"There’s a lot of history in Fife.\nAside from the glorious coastline available along the Fife Coastal Path, there’s an awful lot of history in the area too. In particular Fife is home to the town of St Andrews, home to the third oldest university in the English-speaking world (founded in 1413 CE) and also the “home of golf”.\n","title":"St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/university/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"University","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/anstruther/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Anstruther","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/firth-of-forth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Firth of Forth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pittenweem/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pittenweem","type":"tags"},{"content":"From Anstruther, this time we went southwest.\nAfter a brilliant day taking the Fife Coastal Path northeast to Crail, this time we ventured the opposite direction southwest to Pittenweem then St. Monans.\nWinds were still strong but the landscapes were no less beautiful for it. Gorgeous sandstone formations, sculpted by wind and water for eons, punctuated visits to civilisation, adorned in jewel-like cottages.\nCouldn\u0026rsquo;t have asked for a better day.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs edited in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBelow the playground and Anstruther Wester\u0026rsquo;s golfing area, one can play around with the crazy rock formations at Billow Ness. The cliffs and boulders are primarily composed of sandstone; the layering indicates these rocks were deposited in horizontal strata, like an ancient river or sea. The reddish-brown colouring hints at the presence of iron oxides. In the distance, across the Firth of Forth, you can just about make out two distinct \u0026ldquo;bumps\u0026rdquo; on the horizon. The one on the left is Bass Rock, and on the right is Berwick Law. A more abstract close-up of the layering of this incredible sandstone cliff. This is millions of years of history, one layer at a time. Sandstone, especially in the presence of water, also tends to produce these beautiful sculptured forms that are irresistible to photograph. Below Pitenweem, further along the coast, more Sandstone layering is exposed. The beautiful red/brown colours, due to millions of years of oxygen exposure, are complemented with vivid algae greens. A row of beautiful fishing cottages right by the water at Pittenweem. The name of the village might seem weird. The \u0026ldquo;Pit-\u0026rdquo; comes from the Pictish pett meaning \u0026lsquo;place, portion of land\u0026rsquo;, and \u0026ldquo;-enweem\u0026rdquo; comes from the Gaelic na h-Uaimh , meaning \u0026lsquo;of the Caves\u0026rsquo;. This gives us \u0026ldquo;The Place of the Caves\u0026rdquo;, probably named after St Fillan\u0026rsquo;s cave in the village. Pittenweem developed as a fishing village probably centred around an early Christian religious settlement. It likely started from the western shoreline, where these cottages are; here, the sheltered beaches were safe places for fishermen to draw their boats up out of the water. Our next destination along the Fife Coastal Path was St. Monans. Another historical fishing village, its historic buildings include this now defunct windmill that once powered a salt panning industry. St. Monans in all its glory with St Monans church on the left. The church dates from 1369 CE, built by King David II Bruce. It\u0026rsquo;s usually known as \u0026ldquo;the church nearest the sea\u0026rdquo;, which is probably true.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"6 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pittenweem-st-monans-east-neuk-of-fife-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"From Anstruther, this time we went southwest.\nAfter a brilliant day taking the Fife Coastal Path northeast to Crail, this time we ventured the opposite direction southwest to Pittenweem then St. Monans.\n","title":"Pittenweem \u0026amp; St. Monan’s, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-monans/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Monans","type":"tags"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;ve just come back from a glorious week around the East Neuk of Fife.\nEast Neuk is a little peninsula on the east coast of Scotland, north of the Firth or Forth and south of the Firth of Tay. There\u0026rsquo;s lots of arable farming here and the coastline is dotted with beautiful old fishing villages.\nWe stayed in Anstruther, an excellent base for walks along the Fife Coastal Path. On this particular walk we headed northeast from Anstruther, snapping glorious coastal scenes along the way. Halfway along, we were presented with the otherworldly forms of the Caiplie Caves, ancient sandstone sea caves that now stand alone unexpectedly from the coastline. Beyond, we finally arrived at Crail for a lunch break before enjoying the scenic harbour and historic houses.\nConsidering we were hiking in February we couldn\u0026rsquo;t have asked for better conditions: crystal clear atmosphere, low light, and powerful winds.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nShags/Cormorants (not sure which) resting on the exposed crags near Cellardyke as the powerful winds smacked the sea into the coast. What you\u0026rsquo;re looking at is from a time between 359 and 299 million years ago. The reddish-brown rocks contain a lot of iron oxide and were formed when Scotland was near the equator in a warm climate. The layers of sandstone and mudstone show how they were built up in ancient shallow seas and river deltas. Over the years, shifts in the earth\u0026rsquo;s crust created the rectangular patterns you see, and the coast being worn away by waves shaped this impressive platform. The striking column-like shapes of the rocks in Cellardyke come from ancient seabed materials that have been broken apart by tectonic forces. The unique yellow-orange colour is caused by lichen growing on the rocks and the rusting of iron minerals. This pattern appears almost like it was designed, but it was actually formed naturally as the rocks cracked over millions of years in response to pressure. Standing back from these fascinating formations show them in context. A slightly hazy but clear day just about reveals Cellardyke in the background, whilst strong gusts push wave after wave into the coastline. A dramatic yet peaceful scene. Roughly halfway between Anstruther and Crail this striking formation suddenly arrests your attention. These are the Caiplie Caves. They feature beautiful formations from around 370 to 360 million years ago. They\u0026rsquo;re notable for their bright stripes of pink, red, yellow, and cream colours, which show how the environment changed when the rocks were formed in ancient river systems and floodplains. The caves were shaped over time by the action of sea waves, which gradually wore away the softer rock layers while leaving the harder ones intact. This process created natural shelters along cracks in the rock, which were important as refuges for early Christian settlers in the coastal area of Fife. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it fascinating? Like an over-excited child, I equipped my ultra-wide 14mm lens and went hunting for compositions. In the bigger cave I spotted a small \u0026ldquo;window\u0026rdquo; and used the incredible patterns and formations in the rocks to serve as a compositional leading line. For this unique view of the caves\u0026rsquo; southwestern profile I shot seven landscape photos, stacked top to bottom, to create this ultra-expansive vertorama. Similarly, this time from behind the largest cave, I shot six landscape photos stacked top to bottom to achieve this mind-bending vertorama composition. The low morning sun blasted light through the opening, pulling out all the gorgeous textures and colours. Further along the coast, near the old Salt Pans of Crail, a stretch of massive boulders were being battered by the relentless waves pushed on by the powerful gusts. I clambered all over them looking for compositions and waited for the waves to explode over the boulders. Finally, the approach to the picturesque Crail and its harbour. You\u0026rsquo;ll commonly see along the eastern coasts of Scotland and England that houses here are typically roofed with pantiles. These are a type of fired roof tile, normally made from clay, and characteristically S-shaped. Looking up the still-cobbled King Street. Here another architectural characteristic of eastern Scottish buildings becomes visible: crow-stepped or \u0026ldquo;corbie\u0026rdquo; stepped gable-ends. The term \u0026ldquo;corbie steps\u0026rdquo; is more common in Scotland; the Scots word \u0026ldquo;corbie\u0026rdquo; meaning \u0026ldquo;crow. We probably nicked this design idea from Belgium and the Netherlands. Below the old castle fortifications, the full might of the sea and wind were on display, slamming against the harbour walls. Looking up Shoregate and taking in the beautiful architectural style around Crail.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/anstruther-crail-east-neuk-of-fife-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"I’ve just come back from a glorious week around the East Neuk of Fife.\nEast Neuk is a little peninsula on the east coast of Scotland, north of the Firth or Forth and south of the Firth of Tay. There’s lots of arable farming here and the coastline is dotted with beautiful old fishing villages.\n","title":"Anstruther \u0026amp; Crail, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kodachrome/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kodachrome","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mac-mini-m4/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mac Mini M4","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rni-films/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rni Films","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/village/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Village","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mural/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mural","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/preston/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Preston","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for something a little different.\nFor those relatively new to this blog, before moving to Cumbria I lived in Preston for many happy years. It offers excellent transport links, easy access to local countryside, a vibrant city centre, a world-class university and more.\nWe decided to visit for two reasons:\nLisabet had never visited the Brockholes Visitor Centre, a floating village set in a nature reserve; There was apparently a circuit of Preston murals one could find. After checking out Brockholes, we made our way into the city centre and—following this website\u0026rsquo;s guide—sought out every beautiful mural we could find.\nThe art on the murals were incredible and the city centre was packed. Preston has changed so much since I lived there.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nPreston bus station, one of the finest examples of Brutalist architecture in the UK and a source of considerably controversy within Preston. Personally, I think it\u0026rsquo;s ace. The interior of Miller Arcade. Opened in 1899, it was modelled after the larger Burlington Arcade in London. Our first mural of the day: The Mother , by Shawn Sharpe aka REASM . The symbolism of the lamb is often associated with Preston, which can be found on the city\u0026rsquo;s coat of arms, for example. The next mural, found behind the Slug \u0026amp; Lettuce . The piece is called Mile 0/21 by Gavin Renshaw . It depicts the official start and end of the Guild Wheel walk, created in 2012 as part of the Preston Guild celebration. The Cannon Street mural, again by Shawn Sharpe aka REASM. A more modern graffiti style painting. The Station mural, by mural art pair Urban Gypset , featuring the Lancashire red rose. The Northern Way mural, again by Shawn Sharpe aka REASM. The mural is a spin on one of Preston\u0026rsquo;s most familiar paintings, Pauline in the Yellow Dress . The Adelphi mural, created as part of the pub\u0026rsquo;s extensive refurbishment in 2021. A slight detour from the theme, but I had to nab a shot of UCLan\u0026rsquo;s Student Centre, a building that did not exist in my time in Preston. A magnificent building. It features a cross-laminated timber floor structure and supposedly the glass wall at the front is believed to be the highest single span continuous curtain walling system in Europe, at 13.5 metres high and 100 metres in length. The Black a Moor mural, round the back of what was once the Black a Moor pub but is now the Lancaster Gate. Created by Chris Dorning as a reflection of, and homage to, his time in Preston. Although not mentioned in the guide we were referencing, we did spot another Shawn Sharpe piece near the bus station, inspired by the lyrics to the song \u0026ldquo;Diamond Days\u0026rdquo; by Vashti Bunyan.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"16 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/preston-lancashire-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for something a little different.\nFor those relatively new to this blog, before moving to Cumbria I lived in Preston for many happy years. It offers excellent transport links, easy access to local countryside, a vibrant city centre, a world-class university and more.\n","title":"Preston, Lancashire, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"16 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/urban/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Urban","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/great-douk-cave/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Great Douk Cave","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pothole/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pothole","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/southerscales-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Southerscales Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"January has been freezing and storm-ridden.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a month not many are fans of, as it seems to drag on endlessly. But, hark!, February has arrived, and a bright Saturday revealed itself to us. Where to go?\nI\u0026rsquo;ve had a hankering for some limestone pavement action so, after a bite in Ingleton, we made our way into the Dales at Chapel-le-Dale to hike up to, and around, the Southerscales Nature Reserve.\nSome 300+ metres below the summit of Ingleborough, one can find a variety of limestone pavements exposed by millennia of erosion. Among, and within, the \u0026ldquo;clints\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;grikes\u0026rdquo; of the limestone pavements, you can find all manner of nationally rare flora and fauna.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s another world here, where every step must be carefully considered lest you slip and snap an ankle or, worse, find yourself tumbling down an exposed pothole. Speaking of, we also made a small detour towards a nearby cave, Great Douk, a well-known beginner-friendly cave. On this occasion we decided not to clamber down the chasm towards the cave entrance, as the going underfoot was rather slippery and muddy. Another time.\nConditions were hazier than expected, with the wind growing increasingly blustery as the afternoon went on. However, that also made for some lovely light, picking out all the beautiful forms and shapes of the limestone, with Ingleborough constantly wrestling with the clouds.\nA gorgeous afternoon.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nAbove the path towards Great Douk Cave, we spotted a nice outcrop of exposed limestone making for a nice composition. The woodland you can to the left is what surrounds the chasm that houses Great Douk Cave. In the distance is the long ridge of Simon Fell that leads to the main top of Ingleborough. Up on the clints and grikes of Southerscales Scar, my lovely Lisabet spots a composition with these three trees and Whernside looming in the distance. A burst of low afternoon light casts gold on the scene and picks out all the beautiful forms and textures of the limestone pavement. We clambered up onto the next plateau and a drone-esque composition reveals itself to us. The full expanse of this part of Southerscales Scar becomes apparent, with Whernside—the Dales\u0026rsquo; tallest peak—rising up and tussling with the clouds. The Yorkshire Dales, in all its rugged beauty. Above and east of Southerscales Scar, another small section of bog and limestone pavement is available at Douk Cave Pasture. This area sits right above Great Douk Cave. It\u0026rsquo;s a weird sensation to think that, below your feet and underneath all these clints and grikes, is a myriad of cave systems. I was having too much fun finding spots where the clints seem to point towards particularly deep grikes. Shooting right into the sun is always tricky, so I made sure to take multiple exposures. The last deep grike I could find, with more of Ingleborough\u0026rsquo;s unmistakeable shape being revealed from the clouds. Give it several thousands of years and these grikes will become new potholes down into the caves. Back near the car at Chapel-le-Dale, I take one final look back at the magnificent Ingleborough and the cloud shelf sitting on top. Crackin\u0026rsquo; scenes to round off a lovely day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 February 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/southerscales-scar-douk-cave-pasture-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"January has been freezing and storm-ridden.\nIt’s a month not many are fans of, as it seems to drag on endlessly. But, hark!, February has arrived, and a bright Saturday revealed itself to us. Where to go?\n","title":"Southerscales Scar \u0026amp; Douk Cave Pasture, Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castlerigg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castlerigg","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castlerigg-stone-circle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castlerigg Stone Circle","type":"tags"},{"content":"Finally, some proper snow.\nAfter taking on an icy hike around the Tilberthwaite/Little Langdale area, temperatures in England continued to plummet and snow arrived. As usual, it didn\u0026rsquo;t take long for stories to arrive, such as people hiking snowy fells up to their waist and getting lost, and people ignoring road closure signs and getting stuck driving on mountain passes.\nOver the weekend, we plotted a fairly straightforward route near Keswick. Starting at Nest Brow, taking the Castlerigg Lane towards the mystical Castlerigg Stone Circle, then heading east to Tewet Tarn before crossing the col between High Rigg and Low Rigg in St. John\u0026rsquo;s in the Vale and crossing all the fields at Dalebottom back to the car. A nice 5.5-mile hike with some beautiful winter scenes and snowy fells.\nThe light could\u0026rsquo;ve been better but we definitely made the most of what was available.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs converted in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited in Photoshop.\nFrom Nest Brow, the view back down valley took in the fantastic Helvellyn range of fells, covered in snow, with golden light running over the top. Plenty of folk were sledging around here. We took the old Castlerigg Lane north towards the stone circle, dodging ice wherever we could. When we came across these two bare trees, I framed the distant Blencathra using the trees\u0026rsquo; branches as an arch. Across the snow-covered fields towards the pristine peak of Skiddaw. Across the fields eastwards, the end of Helvellyn range at Great Rigg provides a beautiful panorama. A farmer\u0026rsquo;s quad tracks provide a handy compositional leading line. The ancient Castlerigg stone circle, with the beautiful Blencathra behind. From the west a weather front soon killed the light with low clouds, rendering the distant fells in a soft yet moody light. Looking south from the stone circle towards the Helvellyn and Thirlmere fells. Castlerigg stone circle was probably constructed around 3200 BCE, making it roughly 5,000-years old. Ice stalagmites developing from dripping freezing water at the bottom of a drystone wall. The last of the light, looking back towards the Thirlmere fells. Layers of cloud temporarily reveal the sun in the form of crepuscular rays of \u0026ldquo;God rays\u0026rdquo;. Just truly magical. A beautifully shaggy Highland cow enjoying its fresh hay. As we start climbing the path towards Tewet Tarn, this view of Blencathra stops me in my tracks. Nearing the plateau where Tewet Tarn is located, I scan the westerly horizon at all the beautifully snowy fells. I zoom in tight, to pick each one individually. This I believe is Crag Hill (839 m/2,753 ft). And this one I know to be Grisedale Pike (791 m/2,595 ft). I\u0026rsquo;ve lived in Cumbria for 12-ish years, and been in my fair share of Cumbrian snow, but this was the first time I\u0026rsquo;d ever seen a tarn completely frozen. This is Tewet Tarn, with Blencathra looming behind. Families enjoyed skating on the tarn and generally mucking about. Near the tarn, Herdwick sheep were grazing about in the snow being their usual hardy self.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/castlerigg-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Finally, some proper snow.\nAfter taking on an icy hike around the Tilberthwaite/Little Langdale area, temperatures in England continued to plummet and snow arrived. As usual, it didn’t take long for stories to arrive, such as people hiking snowy fells up to their waist and getting lost, and people ignoring road closure signs and getting stuck driving on mountain passes.\n","title":"Castlerigg, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fells","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helvellyn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helvellyn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/keswick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Keswick","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mountains/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mountains","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tewet-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tewet Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/thirlmere/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Thirlmere","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bowfell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bowfell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hodge-close-quarry/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hodge Close Quarry","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/little-langdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Little Langdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mining/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mining","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/slate-mining/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Slate Mining","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/slaters-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Slaters Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/smithy-brow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smithy Brow","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tilberthwaite/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tilberthwaite","type":"tags"},{"content":"A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.\nI haven\u0026rsquo;t made a post on here since the 8th November, 2024. I can only apologise. Not long after we returned from Scotland, the weather in the Northwest of England became abysmal. Near-constant murk and drizzle, punctuated by the occasional storm, have left little opportunity for a nice outing, never mind having decent light to shoot.\nMoving into 2025 though, I spotted a single day in the week that looked glorious. Clear skies and plummeting temperatures. I rearranged my work shifts and head right into the Lake District looking for some snowy fells.\nI didn\u0026rsquo;t get snowy fells unfortunately. But I did get glorious light and icy paths.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s hope 2025 isn\u0026rsquo;t as wet.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs converted in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited in Photoshop.\nI decided on the Smithy Brow route to Hodge Close Quarry for the day\u0026rsquo;s hike. Not even a few feet into the hike, I find this beautifully crystalline patch of ice reflecting the colours of the sky, fells, and nearby trees. As Smithy Brow starts to ascend, I spot a gap through the trees to the mighty Bowfell (902 m/2,959 ft), with a little whisper of snow on it. The lane known as Smithy Brow, with a glowing Wetherlam (763 m/2,503 ft) constantly demanding my attention. As Smithy Brow climbs higher, a clear section gives you this epic panorama of the Langdale fells. The peak left of centre is Pike o\u0026rsquo; Blisco (705 m/2,313 ft) with Wrynose Fell\u0026rsquo;s steep crags below it. Centre-right is Bowfell. Looking east from the same vantage point. Golden light bringing out the rusty hues of the bracken-covered fells. Around High Oxen Fell this lovely barn provided me this composition of the drystone wall leading to the combined skylines of the barn and the distant fells. Nearing Hodge Close Quarry, another frozen puddle catches my eye with these wonderful waves and curves. Hodge Close Quarry, with its sheer 150 ft drop down to the water. More concentric ice patterns spotted at the Hodge Close car park. Puts me in mind of tree rings. After arriving at Hodge Close Quarry, I pondered my options. I realised that I had never been to the famous Slater\u0026rsquo;s Bridge in Little Langdale, and the route didn\u0026rsquo;t look hard at all. 30 minutes of navigating frozen paths later, I arrived at the 17th-century packhorse bridge, this glorious timeless scene unveiling itself. The shadow cast by Knotts gradually creeping its way towards Lingmoor Fell\u0026rsquo;s shoulder. Back on Smithy Brow, nearing my car, I look back one last time for this final composition, rounding off a quality day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 January 2025","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/tilberthwaite-little-langdale-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.\nI haven’t made a post on here since the 8th November, 2024. I can only apologise. Not long after we returned from Scotland, the weather in the Northwest of England became abysmal. Near-constant murk and drizzle, punctuated by the occasional storm, have left little opportunity for a nice outing, never mind having decent light to shoot.\n","title":"Tilberthwaite \u0026amp; Little Langdale, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/argyll--bute/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Argyll \u0026 Bute","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-cruachan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben Cruachan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/highlands/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Highlands","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kilchurn-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kilchurn Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"Getting to know the local area better.\nOn this particular day we had prepared a contrasting variety of places to visit: Castle ruins, the inside of a mountain, and the village we were staying in.\nAt the start of the day we enjoyed a beautiful little walk to, and around, Kilchurn Castle, which sits on a tiny peninsula at the northeastern leg of Loch Awe. Taking in the sights and sounds of the castle ruins and the surrounding mountains, we then did more \u0026ldquo;touristy\u0026rdquo; stuff and went on the Hollow Mountain experience. This was rather fascinating, and I implore you to check the link to learn about how Ben Cruachan provides energy for Scotland.\nAfter this we made our way back to the village we were staying in, Taynuilt, to have a mosey around and see what delights it offers.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs converted in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nI was rather fortunate to be able to nab these reflections of Kilchurn Castle in Loch Awe with Beinn Donachain (651m / 2,137ft) on the right. The castle was originally built in the 1400s as the base of Clan Campbell of Glenorchy. I utilised my Pixel 9 Pro XL\u0026rsquo;s ability to do \u0026ldquo;long exposures\u0026rdquo;* in order to smooth out the water for this composition. A solitary tree branch pointing towards the mountains in the distance: On the right is Beinn Eunaich (989 m/3,245 ft), on the left is the shoulder of Monadh Driseig (646 m/2,121ft), and rising in the middle Beinn a\u0026rsquo; Chochuill (980 m/3,220 ft). * In reality, the Pixel is actually shooting a burst of shorter exposures which are then aligned and averaged together. The end result is the same. Using my Pixel\u0026rsquo;s 5x lens I zoom in nice and tight on Beinn Mhic-Mhonaidh (796 m/2,612 ft), using two trees as a framing device. An ultra-wide perspective of the front of Kilchurn Castle, with the slopes of Ben Cruachan in the distance and some beautiful wispy clouds above. Walking back to the car park, the loch was providing superb reflections that I just had to nail. Here, I utilised the dry shore and the bridge carrying West Highland Railway line as zig-zag leading lines deeper into the composition towards the mountains.\nTaynuilt # Back in Taynuilt, we learned there was a small 44 m high drumlin in the village with a beautiful monument set on its summit. Welp, this is the view as you approach the monument. Not bad, eh? The monument, styled in my mind like the Machrie Moor stones on Arran , is claimed to have been the first monument to be erected in Britain to commemorate the death of Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. The little drumlin helps you get above the roofs of Taynuilt and capture all the views beyond. This is looking north across Loch Etive towards Beinn Duirinnis ( 556 m/1,824ft). Heading back into the village a bridge crosses over the West Highland Railway line, offering a perfect leading line all the way towards the unmistakable shape of Ben Cruachan .\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kilchurn-castle-taynuilt-argyll-bute-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Getting to know the local area better.\nOn this particular day we had prepared a contrasting variety of places to visit: Castle ruins, the inside of a mountain, and the village we were staying in.\n","title":"Kilchurn Castle \u0026amp; Taynuilt, Argyll \u0026amp; Bute, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-awe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Awe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/taynuilt/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Taynuilt","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/clapham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Clapham","type":"tags"},{"content":"The last of this year\u0026rsquo;s autumn in the Dales.\nTime for a little break from my recent Scottish photography escapades.\nAlthough the Met Office were reporting a high pressure system moving over the British Isles, what that resulted in was windless, murky, and overcast conditions. As a result, I knew the light would be super soft, and there wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be any views from fell tops.\nSo we head instead to Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales. Here we would take the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, enjoying all the autumn foliage, the small waterfall and lake, and maybe even check out a little bit of Trow Gill.\nNo epic light, but gorgeous scenes nevertheless.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs converted in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe 18th century bridge that crosses Clapham Beck. This bridge once carried the old Main Road; nowadays it serves pedestrians. This beautiful waterfall, like a lot of features in Clapham, is man-made. The Farrer family, especially Reginald Farrer, have from their home in Ingleborough Hall developed Clapham village for over a century. The waterfall serves as an outflow from Clapham Lake. I zoomed in super tight to focus largely on the upper waterfall and the beautiful stone bridge that frames it. Clapham Lake, surrounded by the last of this year\u0026rsquo;s autumn colours on a lifeless day. Like the waterfall, the lake was constructed by the Farrer family as a dam to hold back the waters of Clapham Beck. A beautiful old tree with soft light gently tracing out its arching and spiralling branches. I just had to capture it. The main trail through Ingleborough Estate, framed with beautiful autumn colours. I spotted an interesting group of trees further along the lake shore, together forming a capital \u0026lsquo;H\u0026rsquo;, with vibrant autumn foliage punctuating their composition. A small beck off the trail highlights the variety of geology present in and around Clapham. The valley of Clapham Beck has cut through the limestone, present in much of the Yorkshire Dales, and into the underlying Ordovician basement rocks. These enable soils that are acidic, not alkaline like those on the limestone. A dark little scene in Clapham Woods, where little pops of autumn colour punctuate the dense woodland. The gorge of Trow Gill. The waters from the slopes of Ingleborough, what we call Fell Beck, once carved out this deep gorge with its sheer walls. Eventually, the water stopped flowing through here as Fell Beck instead broke through Gaping Gill nearer Ingleborough, dropping down as England\u0026rsquo;s longest unbroken waterfall (that is underground).\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/clapham-yorkshire-dales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"The last of this year’s autumn in the Dales.\nTime for a little break from my recent Scottish photography escapades.\nAlthough the Met Office were reporting a high pressure system moving over the British Isles, what that resulted in was windless, murky, and overcast conditions. As a result, I knew the light would be super soft, and there wouldn’t be any views from fell tops.\n","title":"Clapham, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lake/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lake","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ravine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ravine","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 November 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/trow-gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Trow Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blast-furnace/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blast Furnace","type":"tags"},{"content":"Turns out there\u0026rsquo;s a link between Cumbria and this part of the Highlands.\nA good walk from our stay in Taynuilt, one can find the grounds and buildings of the Bonawe Iron Furnace. It was built in 1753 with goal of producing \u0026ldquo;pig iron\u0026rdquo;, that is, crude iron, often used to help make steel. The company that built the iron furnace here on the southern shore of Loch Etive were from Cumbria, and chose this location as there plenty of wood around to produce charcoal, which was how the blast furnace would be fuelled.\nAt its high point this site produced 2,500 kg of pig iron a day. Ultimately, the advent of coke as a blast furnace fuel made the Bownawe Iron Furnace site less profitable and it closed down in 1876.\nJust north of the furnace is the epic southern shore of Loch Etive, where one can enjoy massive views across the loch in any direction. After exploring this area, we finished up the day with a quick visit through Glen Orchy to the epic falls known as Eas Urchaidh.\nAll photos shot on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs were converted in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nInverawe House, built 300 years ago as a stronghold of clan Campbell. These days it houses the Campbell-Preston family, with a growing business involving smoked fish, meat, and game. Looming above in the distance is the ever-present Ben Cruachan . The abandoned buildings of Bonawe Iron Furnace. This building was one of two charcoal sheds, built into a bank so that material could be brought in at the back of the building, at the top of the slope, and removed at a lower level at the front. The top of the blast furnace building, surrounded by beautiful Highland autumn foliage on a moody overcast day. The preserved ruins of the blast furnace. This composition was shot from the southern wing, known as the charging house, where raw materials were fed into the oven. The heart of the furnace. Some of the buildings, such as the blowing house and the casting house, are now long gone; their foundations all that remains. The heart of the Bonawe Iron Furnace site, framed by autumnal foliage. North from the historical ruins we made our way towards the southern shore of Loch Etive. On the way, a small pond gave beautiful reflections of the massive Ben Cruachan in the distance. From the old pier, looking all the way up towards Loch Etive\u0026rsquo;s northeastern head. Darkening clouds above press down on the mountains.\nGlen Orchy # After circling back to the car, we made a quick additional trip into Glen Orchy to checkout the series of falls of Eas Urchaidh . This place is incredible; waterfalls pouring in everywhere as the valley bottom suddenly drops down into this mighty gorge.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"25 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bonawe-iron-furnace-glen-orchy-argyll-bute-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Turns out there’s a link between Cumbria and this part of the Highlands.\nA good walk from our stay in Taynuilt, one can find the grounds and buildings of the Bonawe Iron Furnace. It was built in 1753 with goal of producing “pig iron”, that is, crude iron, often used to help make steel. The company that built the iron furnace here on the southern shore of Loch Etive were from Cumbria, and chose this location as there plenty of wood around to produce charcoal, which was how the blast furnace would be fuelled.\n","title":"Bonawe Iron Furnace \u0026amp; Glen Orchy, Argyll \u0026amp; Bute, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"25 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/iron-furnace/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Iron Furnace","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-etive/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Etive","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ardmucknish-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ardmucknish Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/benderloch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Benderloch","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for some new places to explore.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s easy to get overwhelmed with options for hiking and exploration when you\u0026rsquo;re in the Highlands, especially if you\u0026rsquo;re near Glencoe. But we did resolve to try and check out some new, to us, places.\nStaying at Taynuilt, near the southern shore of Loch Etive, we went west and north up the A828 towards Benderloch. Lisabet had found a cafe book shop here we could stop at for a brew and meander. But additionally, there was a long beach here along Ardmucknish Bay. I had also located a pretty looking forest further along the A828 from Benderloch, known as Sutherland\u0026rsquo;s Grove, that could then check out afterwards.\nTurned out to be an absolute corker of a day.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nMy Lisabet, in her happy place, waltzing along a windy Benderloch beach. Up above the crags of the northern side of the bay is Lochnell House, a battlemented mansion originally built in the 15th century, and fully restored after a fire in the late 1800s. Along the northern part of the bay, these beautiful crags and formations are revealed. They are largely metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, primarily of Dalradian origin dating back to the late Precambrian era, formed over 541 million years ago. After enjoying the sand, wind and expansive views, we drove further along the road to stop at Sutherland\u0026rsquo;s Grove, part of Barcaldine Forest. We quickly took the longest of the prescribed trails and soon veered off it completely. Still, it meant we got incredible views like this, across the forest to the Kingairloch mountains. Another corker of a view towards the Kingairloch mountains, with Loch Linnhe just coming into view. After the unexpected detour, we finally found the reservoir at the top of the trail and followed the returning path back down towards the gorge. This is the Abhainn Teithilburn gorge, a mind-bending place where giant slabs of moss-covered rocks drop down to the river at weird angles, confusing your brain. Above the gorge, moss-covered tree roots and soft light provide an enchanting scene for me to photograph. Now at the bottom of the gorge, with beautiful autumn colour on fire above. Near the end of the trail, the gorge empties out into a little forest river, but I clambered down to shot this beautiful formation as a leading line back up the gorge.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"18 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/benderloch-sutherland-grove-argyll-bute-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for some new places to explore.\nIt’s easy to get overwhelmed with options for hiking and exploration when you’re in the Highlands, especially if you’re near Glencoe. But we did resolve to try and check out some new, to us, places.\n","title":"Benderloch \u0026amp; Sutherland Grove, Argyll \u0026amp; Bute, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kingairloch-mountains/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kingairloch Mountains","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sutherlands-grove/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sutherland's Grove","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aonach-dubh/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aonach Dubh","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/black-mount-range/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Black Mount Range","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buachaille/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buachaille","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buchaille-etive-mor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buchaille Etive Mor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/corrie-nan-lochan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Corrie Nan Lochan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gearr-aonach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gearr Aonach","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glencoe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glencoe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-ba/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Ba","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-na-h-achlaise/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Na H-Achlaise","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-na-stainge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Na Stainge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-tulla/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Tulla","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rannoch-moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rannoch Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"The pull of Glencoe is impossible to resist.\nEven though we were staying much further southwest of Glencoe, the allure of its epic mountains is too much.\nBut this time, we wanted to try things a little different. Most folk head to Glencoe from the south, and pass through the vast boggy expanse of Rannoch Moor. There is, however, much to commend of Rannoch Moor; in particular two loch systems: Lochan na h-Achlaise, and Loch Bà. Both are tricky to explore and navigate, due to the boggy conditions underfoot, but we nevertheless made an attempt of it, having more success with Loch Bà than Lochan na h-Achlaise.\nBeyond Rannoch Moor we stopped off the for the usual yomp around the falls of the River Coupall and its epic views towards Buachaille Etive Mòr. We also poked around parts of upper Glencoe we\u0026rsquo;d never properly looked at as well.\nAs is usually the case, scenes around Glencoe were epic and thankfully the light was blessing us with wonderful conditions.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBefore climbing up to Rannoch Moor on the A82, there\u0026rsquo;s another loch that we\u0026rsquo;d never visited before: Loch Tulla . From the viewpoint above, one can capture cracking views towards the likes of Beinn Udlaidh (840 m/2,760 ft). It turns out that getting to the loch shore of Loch Tulla is difficult. The road runs right alongside its north-eastern point, and is raised above the loch. You can\u0026rsquo;t clamber down the verge towards the shore because of barbed fencing. So, this shot from the roadside of Tulla and towards the Black Mount range was as best as I could manage. From the viewpoint above Loch Tulla , the eastern peaks of the Black Mount range were wrestling with the clouds, a scene I just had to try and capture. The western point of Loch Bà is easier to access. There\u0026rsquo;s a small car park and a layby, where you can then clamber up a small mound to get expansive views of the loch and the moor. We continued beyond the mound to get as close to the loch shore as possible. Armed with waterproof boots and socks, we squelched tactically across the moorland to reach the loch shore, greeted by these incredible reflections. The two peaks here, left to right, are Beinn a\u0026rsquo; Chreachain (1,081 m/3,547 ft) and Beinn Achaladair (1,038 m/3,406 ft). Looking northeast across the loch, I line up this composition with the loch\u0026rsquo;s glassy reflections, the distant hills, and my Lisabet ensuring she\u0026rsquo;s captured what she wanted. On the other side of the road from Loch Bà is another, smaller, loch system: Loch na Stainge . We followed the vague trail/desire line around the loch shore, seeking compositions. I managed to nab this one of a solitary rowan tree with Meall a\u0026rsquo; Bhùiridh (1,108 m/3,635 ft) in the distance, both reflected in the loch. Further along the shore, a small series of rocks and boulders created a nice leading line into the composition towards Meall a\u0026rsquo; Bhùiridh on the right and Clach Leathad (1,099m/3,605 ft) on the left. Using the 5x lens on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, I crop in on a beautiful copse of rowan trees, laden with their vivid red berries, with the Black Mount mountains behind. Beyond Rannoch Moor and the myriad of lochs, we stopped at an unmissable place on the way towards Glencoe. This is the River Coupall, which has gouged out a gorge lined with incredible autumn foliage. In the distance is the impossibly perfect peak of Buachaille Etive Mòr (1,021.4 m/3,351 ft). Perhaps one of the most photographed Scottish mountains, and one of the most photographed compositions of it. Still, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist. Who could? As we moved further into Glencoe, we stopped at an area we\u0026rsquo;ve often just driven by, at Altnafeadh. Here, underneath the massive wall of rock that is Stob Dearg , is a delightful little white cottage, all on its own. This is Lagangarbh Hut. Formerly a crofting house, it was bought by the National Trust for Scotland in 1935, and the Scottish Mountaineering Club have been looking after it since 1946. These days the cottage is a bunkhouse for use by members of mountaineering clubs, hillwalking clubs, and individual members of the SMC and the BMC. In the heart of Glencoe we stopped at the main car park and quickly located the trail east towards the head of the valley. Looming above us were the Three Sisters of Glencoe. With light piercing through the clouds above, I captured this 5x photo of Corrie nan Lochan\u0026rsquo;s crags getting drenched in light with Stob Corrie nan Lochan (1,115 m/3,658 ft) rising above. Further down the valley two of the three sisters punch the sky like knuckly fists, looming above the autumnal ferns. On the left is Geàrr Aonach (692 m/2,270 ft) and on the right is Aonach Dubh (892 m/2,926 ft). Autumnal light piercing between Geàrr Aonach and Aonach Dubh , illuminating the crags of Corrie nan Lochan . A perfect moment.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/rannoch-moor-amp-glencoe-autumn-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":"The pull of Glencoe is impossible to resist.\nEven though we were staying much further southwest of Glencoe, the allure of its epic mountains is too much.\nBut this time, we wanted to try things a little different. Most folk head to Glencoe from the south, and pass through the vast boggy expanse of Rannoch Moor. There is, however, much to commend of Rannoch Moor; in particular two loch systems: Lochan na h-Achlaise, and Loch Bà. Both are tricky to explore and navigate, due to the boggy conditions underfoot, but we nevertheless made an attempt of it, having more success with Loch Bà than Lochan na h-Achlaise.\n","title":"Rannoch Moor \u0026amp; Glencoe, Autumn, Scotland","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/three-sisters-of-glencoe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Three Sisters of Glencoe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lochawe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lochawe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-conans-kirk/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Conans Kirk","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re back from a week in the best place on earth: the Scottish Highlands.\nIt is all too easy, once in the Highlands, to begin your break by heading straight into the mountains. However, on this occasion, we started our break by checking out a historical and architectural curiosity: St. Conan\u0026rsquo;s Kirk.\nLocated above the shore of Loch Awe—Scotland\u0026rsquo;s longest freshwater loch at 25 miles long—the church is relatively modern by British standards. The original church was built between 1881 and 1886, featuring the nave and the choir. A certain Walter Douglas Campbell, an architect, lived nearby on Innis Chonain, a small island in Loch Awe, with his sister and mother. The story goes that his elderly mother found the journey to the nearest church in Dalmally, about 5 miles, too arduous. As a result, Campbell set his sights on nearby St. Conan\u0026rsquo;s Kirk, only a mile away, and set about upgrading and expanding it.\nWhat\u0026rsquo;s curious about the design of this newer St. Conan\u0026rsquo;s Kirk is that Campbell went about implementing as many church architectural styles as he could: Norman, Celtic, Saxon, Gothic, you name it. Every direction you look gives you something new to gaze at. It\u0026rsquo;s really quite incredible.\nNot to mention the setting of the church is astounding.\nAll photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThis is the St. Brides Chapel, containing a carved effigy of Walter Douglas Campbell himself. He died in 1914, his work in the kirk unfinished, so his sister continued in his stead until she too died in 1927. The church was finally finished and consecrated, ready for worship, in 1930. This is the nave of St. Conan\u0026rsquo;s Kirk, the \u0026ldquo;original\u0026rdquo; part of the church. The large organ screen was carved by Walter Campbell himself, including grotesque monsters, four heavenly creatures and ribbonwork symbolising Eternity. Campbell made use of large unsmoothed granite boulders from the nearby mountain Ben Cruachan in order to create pillars and arches. This is the Chancel. Intricately carved Spanish chestnut stalls stand as a testament to history. These ornate fixtures display the complete heraldic symbols—including coats-of-arms, crests, and badges—of the local chieftains who once ruled over nearby lands in bygone eras. The main view from the Nave looking towards the Apse and Chancel. Services are held here regularly, still. Imagine this is the setting for your worship? Moving outside, attention has further been made to the exterior of St. Conan\u0026rsquo;s Kirk. The roof features three remarkable gargoyles crafted from lead. These depict a dog chasing two hares and were created by William Bonnington, the same skilled craftsman who constructed the roofs of the Cloister Garth. Interestingly, his descendants still reside in the village. The view from the kirk grounds across Loch Awe are a sight to behold. A blast of light escapes from the racing clouds, illuminating the kirk. It is believed that the cloister\u0026rsquo;s heavy oak beams were sourced from two recently, at the time, decommissioned wooden battleships: HMS Caledonia and HMS Duke of Wellington . A tremendous summary of St. Conan Kirk and its environs. Truly a jewel of historical and architectural Scotland.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"11 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/st-conans-kirk-argyll-amp-bute-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’re back from a week in the best place on earth: the Scottish Highlands.\nIt is all too easy, once in the Highlands, to begin your break by heading straight into the mountains. However, on this occasion, we started our break by checking out a historical and architectural curiosity: St. Conan’s Kirk.\n","title":"St. Conan’s Kirk, Argyll \u0026amp; Bute, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/art/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Art","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/auckland-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Auckland Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/auckland-palace/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Auckland Palace","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/auckland-project/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Auckland Project","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bishop-auckland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bishop Auckland","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time to explore what we missed out on last time.\nJust under a year ago we visited historical Bishop Auckland and had a lovely time checking out the amazing Faith Museum and Auckland Tower.\nThis time round, with our annual passes still active, we explored more of what the Auckland Project has to offer. Starting with the Spanish Gallery through to Auckland Palace and then a yomp around the Deer Park.\nA little splash of autumnal colour here and there made things even prettier.\nAll photos shot on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL in RAW 50 MP mode. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBilling itself as \u0026ldquo;the UK\u0026rsquo;s first gallery dedicated to the art and culture of the Spanish Golden Age\u0026rdquo;, the Spanish Gallery features one of the UK\u0026rsquo;s largest collections of Spanish art during the 1500 and 1600s from the likes of El Greco, Murillo, Zurbarán, and Velázquez. Within Gallery 1 on the ground floor this incredible room opens out, with paintings seemingly glowing against deep navy and ruby tones. This room explores the themes of \u0026ldquo;eternal devotion\u0026rdquo; found in Spanish art during the golden age, and how spiritual devotion was inspired and expressed. An interesting composition I was able to capture featuring a sculpture of St. Bartholomew and his reflection. The sculpture was made by Bernabé de Gaviria, between 1600―1622 CE. He was said to be flayed alive for converting King Polimius and his family to Christianity. From the next floor up, a cracking view down to the room of devotion can be achieved, especially if one is equipped with an ultra-wide angle lens. In a room titled \u0026ldquo;The Good Die Young\u0026rdquo; paintings and sculptures are reverently displayed, all by artists in the Spanish Golden Age who died younger than 40-years old. On the top floor a facsimile of Grenadan Spain is brought to life through photogrammetry, digital 3D printing and handcrafting. Terracota floors and Moorish tiling put visitors 400 years into the past, where the likes of Velázquez learned their trade. The work of this reproduction by Factum Arte is astounding. Renaissance wall tiles, carved architectural plasterwork or yesería , elaborate geometric-patterned timber ceilings, sculptures, a tabernacle and a tomb. A 3D printed reproduction of Berruguete\u0026rsquo;s Sepulchre of Cardinal Tavera . The original white marble sepulchre was the final commission of the sculptor Alonso Berruguete – it was made in 1552 for the Hospital of San Juan Batista (better known as the Hospital Tavera) in Toledo, Spain. Leaving the Spanish Gallery we made our way towards Auckland Palace (formerly Auckland Castle) but not before peeping over the walls to see the now-completed Walled Garden. A beautiful sight! Inside Auckland Palace, home of County Durham\u0026rsquo;s Prince Bishops, we first made our way to the Chapel of St. Peter, which was much more impressive than expected. Originally built as a great hall around 1190 CE, it was converted into a chapel for Bishop Cosin between 1661–65. The Throne Room of Auckland Palace. The bishop of Durham held a unique position of power after the Norman Conquest of 1066. His loyalty to the English king allowed him to function as a virtually autonomous ruler, with the authority to raise armies, mint coins, and levy taxes. This autonomy came with the responsibility of safeguarding England\u0026rsquo;s northern border against Scotland. In essence, the bishop of Durham became a \u0026ldquo;prince-bishop\u0026rdquo;, reaping the benefits of his territory while remaining mindful of his duty to protect the realm. The Long Dining Room, a testament to Bishop Trevor. He was a more liberal bishop and a supporter of the Jewish Naturalisation Act 1753 during a time of anti-Jew views in the UK. This interest in Jewish causes is reflected in his purchase in 1756 of 12 paintings by the 17th-century Spanish artist Zurbarán from a series known as Jacob and His Twelve Sons , depicting the Old Testament patriarch Jacob and his sons. The castle gateway, using the archway as a frame for Auckland Tower in the distance. The gateway was built in 1760 by Sir Thomas Robinson of Rokeby for Bishop William Trevor. By contrast, Auckland Tower was built in 2017. The form of the tower is intended to echo lightweight provisional structures that would\u0026rsquo;ve been used by invaders to breach castle walls. Heading back towards Market Place I spy one more composition towards the Mining Art Gallery, as soft afternoon light illuminates the buildings.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bishop-auckland-county-durham-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time to explore what we missed out on last time.\nJust under a year ago we visited historical Bishop Auckland and had a lovely time checking out the amazing Faith Museum and Auckland Tower.\n","title":"Bishop Auckland, County Durham, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/chapel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Chapel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/county-durham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"County Durham","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/spanish-gallery/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Spanish Gallery","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carmarthenshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carmarthenshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cenarth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cenarth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cenarth-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cenarth Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"Something a little different to finish this break.\nMoving away from cliffs and beaches, this final post—though small—features a small trail around Cenarth Falls, which defines the border between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.\nThese beautiful cascades are extremely accessible, with a car park right alongside the river bank and defined easy trail to take in the falls and beyond, which we duly followed.\nThe falls are known for leaping seatrout and salmon in the autumn, as this is their first boundary on their migratory journey from the sea back upstream to spawn. We didn\u0026rsquo;t see any; we were probably a little early.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nA hop, skip and a jump from the car park brings you right down to the falls. Not as full as we\u0026rsquo;d prefer, but still lovely scenery regardless. The mill, standing proud here but no longer in use, was once powered by a leat that drew water from behind the falls during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It made for a pleasing and timeless composition. The trail tightly follows the river bank courtesy of boarding that was constructed a few years ago. The trail then veers away from the river and into the woodland, giving you scenes like this. The beautiful Cenarth Bridge, unfortunately somewhat spoiled by all the parking that\u0026rsquo;s allowed right next to it. It was built in the late 1700s. The holes, designed to reduce the structure\u0026rsquo;s weight and allow floodwaters to pass through them, serve a crucial function. While the river typically flows only under the southern arch, during floods the Teifi surges through all three arches.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cenarth-falls-ceredigion-wales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Something a little different to finish this break.\nMoving away from cliffs and beaches, this final post—though small—features a small trail around Cenarth Falls, which defines the border between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.\n","title":"Cenarth Falls, Ceredigion, Wales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ceredigion/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ceredigion","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wales/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wales","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/waterfalls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Waterfalls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/birds/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Birds","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cardigan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cardigan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dolphins/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dolphins","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/harbour/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Harbour","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/new-quay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"New Quay","type":"tags"},{"content":"Sometimes you just have to be a bit of a tourist.\nOn a particularly lush day, we moved away from clifftop trekking and head to the beautiful little town of New Quay, Welsh name Cei Newydd.\nNew Quay is known for its vast sandy beaches, incredible local geology, and wildlife spotting. Until the early 19th century New Quay basically consisted of a few cottages and farm land. This all changed in the 1830s when a stone pier was constructed, which is still in use, and shipbuilding became the dominant industry here. Shipbuilding ceased 30–40 years later but ship navigation continued, and New Quay was the place to go and learn navigation. A local newspaper printed \u0026ldquo;New Quay\u0026hellip; has more retired sea captains living in it than any other place of its own size in Wales.\u0026rdquo;\nLike a lot of UK seaside towns, two world wars ended industry and manufacturing here, and began New Quay\u0026rsquo;s emergence as a desirable tourist destination. Which, on this occasion, included us.\nAnd boy, what a glorious day it was.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and editing and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe day started fairly cloudy and overcast, with the occasional pocket of rain, but we knew this would be clearing. By the old stone pier, I spotted someone fishing in Cardigan Bay and made this composition. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. In UK seaside towns, an additional certainty is seagulls, which were plentiful and confident at New Quay. Lisabet and I paid for a small boat trip around the waters of Cardigan Bay from New Quay, courtesy of SeaMôr Dolphin Watching . While we were waiting at the old stone pier, I captured this scene of New Quay in its full summery touristy glory. On our little boat we ventured north out of the harbour and head west around cliffs of New Quay Head. Here we could see the results of coastal erosion in these tilted folds. Rounding the corner of New Quay Head, the aptly named \u0026ldquo;Birds Rock\u0026rdquo; comes into view. It\u0026rsquo;s home to an expanding colony of Common Guillemots, Razorbills, European Shags and Kittiwakes. Pulling the zoom back shows the crazy geology of New Quay and Birds Rock in full view. Getting these shots on a bumpy boat ride was a new challenge to me! I knew I needed fast shutter speeds, so set the camera to Auto ISO—maxing out at 12800—and let the lens aperture stay open as much as possible. Camera body and lens stabilisation definitely helped too. Look at those layers of rock; millions of years of history, laid on top of each other like pages in a book. Further geology processes have compressed, folded, and intruded into these layers, then eroded away by the sea, leaving these incredible scenes. We weren\u0026rsquo;t going to assume we\u0026rsquo;d see any dolphins on this dedicated dolphin-spotting boat trip\u0026hellip; but we were thankful we did! A pair of bottlenose dolphins gave us a couple of glimpses near the boat before heading further out to sea. At this point, Wales is just showing off.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/new-quay-ceredigion-wales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Sometimes you just have to be a bit of a tourist.\nOn a particularly lush day, we moved away from clifftop trekking and head to the beautiful little town of New Quay, Welsh name Cei Newydd.\n","title":"New Quay, Ceredigion, Wales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wildlife/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wildlife","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llangrannog/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llangrannog","type":"tags"},{"content":"The coast that time forgot.\nTowards the end of our week around the Cardigan Bay coastline, we plotted a final clifftop trail. Starting at beautiful Llangrannog, up the coast from Aberporth and Tresaith, we would fuel up then follow the Ceredigion Coast Path northeast up onto the cliff tops and around the perilous shoulder of Pendinaslochdyn. Then we could drop back down to explore the peninsula of Ynys Lochtyn.\nA beautiful, sunny, and hazy day greeted us for a crackin\u0026rsquo; hike and some of the most epic coastal scenes and geology I\u0026rsquo;ve ever witnessed.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nA close-up abstract composition of Llangrannog\u0026rsquo;s cliffs shows a dramatic geological story. These intensely folded and faulted rocks, likely turbidites deposited in a deep ancient sea, were deformed during the Caledonian Orogeny, the mountain-building event that shaped much of Wales. Each layer and fracture is a testament to millions of years of Earth\u0026rsquo;s history, continually exposed by the relentless sea. The sea stack is the well-known Carreg Bica , found under the northern cliffs of Llangrannog. A popular story claims Carreg Bica is actually the tooth of a giant named Bica who once resided in the Ceredigion region. The tale suggests Bica suffered from a terrible toothache, ultimately forcing him to spit the offending tooth onto the beach where it remains to this day. A more abstract composition, highlighting the folded and weathered rocks at Llangrannog. These formations tell a story of ancient deposition, tectonic forces, and the ongoing processes shaping the Cardigan Bay coastline. Looking to Llangrannog\u0026rsquo;s southern cliffs, and the pointy crag of Pen-rhip , I wait for the sun to strike this beach boulder and use the lighting as a leading line into the composition. The cliffs around here almost look liquid; absolutely fascinating. I line up a series of beach boulders and outcrops in this composition towards Pen-rhip again. Also included: A group of Sikh gentlemen enjoying the sea and the scenes. A simpler image of Carreg Bica , with people playing around its base for scale. I waited for the rising tidal waves and shot multiple frames to get the waves in just the right shape and angle. Beyond Llangrannog we took the Ceredigion Coast Trail up onto the clifftops. Looking back gave us this wonderful, if hazy, panorama of the Llangrannog cliffs. After a rather steep pull up the vertiginous trail, it finally descended down towards the Ynys Lochtyn peninsula. This was what awaited us. Part way down the steep trail towards the peninsula, Lisabet—ever the keen mushroom hunter—spotted these two sizeable fungi. These look like Macrolepiota procera , or \u0026ldquo;parasol mushrooms\u0026rdquo;. Down onto the peninsula, the cliff edge views were simply awe-inspiring. My first composition here is looking back to Pendinaslochdyn hill, where you can see that part of the hill\u0026rsquo;s shoulder has now fallen away into the sea. That is also where the trail is. Yikes. Even with my 14mm ultra-wide angle lens attached, the scenes were so vast that I had to do some stitching for wide views. This composition was made of four 14mm images, stitched together to get all the incredible cliff face geology as well as the sea, hill, and dramatic sky. Further along one of the cliff edges of Ynys Lochtyn , I shot two 14mm landscape exposures, stacked on top of each other, so I could later stitch them top-to-bottom for this ultra-expansive composition. The peninsula was full of otherworldly and unusual geology. Sea caves, folds, synclines and anticlines, sea stacks, the works. My lovely Lisabet in the distance provides scale for the sheer drop of these cliffs into the Irish Sea. Zooming in long with my 24-240mm allows me to focus on the natural arch and geological unconformities. Looking back at Pendinaslochdyn and the cliffs from the northern tip of the peninsula. This is five vertical 14mm exposures, shot left to right, later stitched together into this massive panorama. Heading clockwise from the northernmost point of the Ynys Lochtyn peninsula, a full view of the tidal island that gives its name to the peninsula comes into view. Access to this tidal island is possible only at the lowest of tides. I\u0026rsquo;m still not sure that white streak in the headland is guano or some sort of geological intrusion of a different type of rock. From the eastern cliffs of the peninsula, I zoomed in and down to the beach of Traeth-yr-ynys directly below the sheer cliffs of Pendinaslochdyn . Folk were milling about on the beach; presumably they accessed it via kayak or boat of some nature. Returning back to Llangrannog, the southern cliffs are home to this statue of Saint Carannog, who gives his name to this place. He is a 6th-century abbot, confessor, and saint in Wales and the West Country. He is credited with founding churches in Wales and Cornwall. There are conflicting stories about his life, but some say he fled to Wales to avoid being king.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"9 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/llangrannog-ynys-lochtyn-cardigan-wales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"The coast that time forgot.\nTowards the end of our week around the Cardigan Bay coastline, we plotted a final clifftop trail. Starting at beautiful Llangrannog, up the coast from Aberporth and Tresaith, we would fuel up then follow the Ceredigion Coast Path northeast up onto the cliff tops and around the perilous shoulder of Pendinaslochdyn. Then we could drop back down to explore the peninsula of Ynys Lochtyn.\n","title":"Llangrannog \u0026amp; Ynys Lochtyn, Cardigan, Wales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"9 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ynys-lochtyn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ynys Lochtyn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ceibwr-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ceibwr Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"Heading for the Witches Cauldron.\nFollowing the more moodier day around Aberporth and Tresaith, our planned hike to Ceibwr Bay and Pwll y Wrach beyond looked promising.\nCeibwr Bay (pronounced KYE-boorr) forms part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It\u0026rsquo;s known for its amazing cliff folds, a result of glaciation during the last Ice Age as well as the Ceibwr Bay Fault. We started our hike from further up the valley at Moylgrove, navigating the wooded valley down to the open bay. After gawping at the bay and snapping probably too many photos, we followed the trail up the cliffs along the western side of the bay. Our goal, ultimately, was to visit Pwll y Wrach, known as the \u0026ldquo;Witches Cauldron\u0026rdquo;, a collapsed cave.\nIt turned out to be a corker of a day, and the scenery was simply out of this world.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged together in Photomatix, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe northeastern folded cliffs of Ceibwr Bay. Look at those layers. Millions of years of fossilised history. The stony beach of Ceibwr Cove is surrounded by bushes of rosehip, which I made use of for this wider composition. The southwestern side of the cove features these folds of Carreg Bica Mudstones, interspersed with fauna wherever it can get a foothold. A wide and tightly composed image. In fact, part way up the western clifftop path a small desire line branches off back down towards the sea. We followed it, finding these amazing folds and grooved formations, which I used as leading lines towards the folded cliffs. A particularly sharp fold served as a dominant leading line towards the two shark fin sea stacks of Careg Wylan . Gingerly navigating the ankle-breaking fins and folds, I edged closer to the cliff face. This wonderfully deep fold in the rocks gave me another composition to explore with the two sea stacks. Before heading back up onto the clifftop trail, I sought a wider composition of these otherworldly folds and fins, using them as a leading line towards the deeply incised cliffs of Ceibwr. Up on the cliff tops, extensive views north east reveal the cliffs towards Pen-yr-Afr and their spectacular synclines and anticlines. 50 million years or so, during the Caledonian Orogeny, colliding continents closed up an ocean basin and crumpled the sedimentary strata, giving rise to these impressive anticlines (upland ridges) and synclines (valleys and lowlands). A sheer drop down to the sea at my feet, as near as I dared it, but for this vertiginous composition of Careg Wylan . From the same point, looking north east back to Ceibwr Bay and the cliffs beyond. Unbelievable geological forces recorded here. The smaller shark fin sea stack, part of Careg Wylan . I zoomed in tight to really feature it. Looking down on the seemingly impossible-looking sea stack of Careg Wylan , twisting and rising like a corkscrew above the sea. Just ridiculous. Heading further southwest before dropping down to Pwll y Wrach, a wide view opens itself to me, featuring a kaleidoscope of twisting sea stacks, gnarly cliff faces, secret sea caves, and everything in between. Around it all, wonderful azure tones in the water. The path steeply descends down to Pwll y Wrach , the Witches Cauldron. It\u0026rsquo;s a striking geological feature; a collapsed cave, formed where the sea has picked out soft crumbling shales and sandstones along a fault. The crater still connects to the sea and is a popular place for daring canoeists, which we saw. I attempted to capture the entire expanse of this collapsed cave by shooting five vertical frames at 14mm each, stitching them together into this massive panorama. Further southwest from above, it\u0026rsquo;s clear to see how Pwll y Wrach is a collapsed cave. Who knows how long the land bridge separating the cauldron from the sea will last?\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ceibwr-bay-amp-pwll-y-wrach-pembrokeshire-wales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Heading for the Witches Cauldron.\nFollowing the more moodier day around Aberporth and Tresaith, our planned hike to Ceibwr Bay and Pwll y Wrach beyond looked promising.\nCeibwr Bay (pronounced KYE-boorr) forms part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It’s known for its amazing cliff folds, a result of glaciation during the last Ice Age as well as the Ceibwr Bay Fault. We started our hike from further up the valley at Moylgrove, navigating the wooded valley down to the open bay. After gawping at the bay and snapping probably too many photos, we followed the trail up the cliffs along the western side of the bay. Our goal, ultimately, was to visit Pwll y Wrach, known as the “Witches Cauldron”, a collapsed cave.\n","title":"Ceibwr Bay \u0026amp; Pwll y Wrach, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ceibwr-cove/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ceibwr Cove","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pembrokeshire-coast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pembrokeshire Coast","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pembrokeshire-coast-national-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pembrokeshire Coast National Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pwll-y-wrach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pwll Y Wrach","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sea-cave/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sea Cave","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/witches-cauldron/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Witches Cauldron","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aberport/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aberport","type":"tags"},{"content":"Where better to enjoy the last of summer than on the Welsh coast?\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve been to a fair bit of Wales, including Snowdonia, Bannau Brycheiniog, Anglesey, and Pembrokeshire. However, there\u0026rsquo;s a good chunk of \u0026ldquo;Mid Wales\u0026rdquo; that we haven\u0026rsquo;t touched, especially the coastline around the Cardigan Bay. This was the destination of our recent one week stay.\nThe coastline of Cardigan Bay definitely feels a lot more quiet compared to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Saying that, it still has a lot to offer. Our first major hike of the week was the clifftop hike from Aberport to Tresaith. This was definitely one of our easier hikes, but no less rewarding.\nIntermittent showers punctuated our hike, which just made scenes all the more moodier. Some of the scenes and geology around here are absolutely stunning.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nFrom the beach at Aberport Bay it was easy to locate the Ceredigion Coast Path, which quickly climbs up onto the cliff tops. Not long after, we soon veered away from the official trail in order to nab this incredible scene towards Tresaith, our destination, and the Ceredigion coastline beyond. Further along the trail a rosehip bush catches my attention, along with some fishermen who\u0026rsquo;d managed to clamber down the cliffs onto the crag. I lined up this composition featuring the two subjects. The cliffs were lush with colourful flowers, especially of the vibrant vermilion Coppertips, or Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora , (also sometimes called \u0026ldquo;montbretia\u0026rdquo;). These are actually classified as an invasive plant in the UK, with their natural habitat located in southern and eastern Africa. Curious about the fisherman on the distant crag, our next goal was to seek a way down to it. We found a rough cut trail leading down from one of the cliffs, which got us down to this fantastic crag. I quickly equipped my 14mm ultra-wide angle lens, seeking to accentuate the lines created by the foreground rock as well as capture the vast coastal scene. My lovely Lisabet had already hopped skipped and jumped onto the crag, and graciously posed for a shot to give a good sense of scale. From the edge of the crag I got low to emphasise the amazing geology as a compositional aid towards the cliffs of Aberport. Even on a gloomy day, the waters here were still a beautiful azure. A short scramble up the rough cut route was all that was needed to get back onto the coastal path, but not before I nabbed this composition. Back on the clifftops, we spotted some cormorants(?)/shags(?) perched on one of the protruding cliffs, airing their wings. I zoomed in tight for this photo, which also includes the Aberport MOD site in the distance. Eventually the path wound its way down steeply to Tresaith. We immediately scanned along the bottom of the southern cliffs, seeking compositions of the fascinating geology here. For this photo I spotted a secluded little cove within the cliffs, featuring virgin sand. I lined up this more abstract composition. I just like it. Another abstract composition of the southern cliffs of Tresaith, featuring a fault line and some sort of intrusion. Further down the beach I found this rather deep sea cave that had been carved out by the Irish Sea. I tucked myself deep into the cave as far as I could, then turned back towards the sea and shot multiple exposures for this composition. This was as far as I could manage along the southern cliffs of Tresaith, where the Irish Sea leaves no space between itself and the cliffs. Here, the cliffs were covered in brilliantly colourful moss, a nice colour contrast with red hues of the sand. The northern cliffs of Tresaith are more popular, and this waterfall plunging into the sea is the main reason why. After some clambering over and around the slippery rocks, I lined up several compositions involving the incredible crag geology, the cliffs, and the waterfall. This one ended up being my favourite because of the extra energy lent by the rushing waves. Facing the other direction, I sought out more interesting shapes, colours, and patterns in the local geology. I took a few turns on this composition, and as the Irish Sea was rushing in, I tried taking a few where the waves crashed against the raised crag I was on. This image was the best of the bunch.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/aberport-amp-tresaith-ceredigion-wales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Where better to enjoy the last of summer than on the Welsh coast?\nWe’ve been to a fair bit of Wales, including Snowdonia, Bannau Brycheiniog, Anglesey, and Pembrokeshire. However, there’s a good chunk of “Mid Wales” that we haven’t touched, especially the coastline around the Cardigan Bay. This was the destination of our recent one week stay.\n","title":"Aberport \u0026amp; Tresaith, Ceredigion, Wales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/irish-sea/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Irish Sea","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tresaith/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tresaith","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/west-wales/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"West Wales","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/catrigg-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Catrigg Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glacial-erratic/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glacial Erratic","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hoffmann-kiln/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hoffmann Kiln","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/langcliffe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Langcliffe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lime-kiln/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lime Kiln","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ribblesdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ribblesdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"It finally feels a bit more like summer.\nAfter one of the wettest summers I can remember, a bright weekend was looking up. Both feeling the need to soak up some VitD and get some miles in, we made our way once again into the Yorkshire Dales. It\u0026rsquo;d been a while since we visited the beautiful Ribblesdale area around Stainforth so we plotted a good 10km circular, taking in Catrigg Force, the Winskill Stones Nature Reserve, and Langcliffe.\nThe views above Stainforth and Langcliffe were just wonderful, and it was nice to explore Winskill Stones, somewhere we\u0026rsquo;d never been to before. We also came across the Craven Lime Works, which we had no idea existed, and explored a massive Hoffmann kiln!\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe Pennine Bridleway from Stainforth up to Catrigg Force is short, but steep. Quickly it allows for wonderful views across Ribblesdale towards the fells above Feizor . At the top of the bridleway, a small trail veers off towards the wooded gorge that houses Catrigg Force. In the distance, the unmistakeable shape of Pen-y-ghent. Even though water levels were low, Catrigg Force and its setting is always an impressive sight. We were able to clamber right to the pool of the waterfall for some closer compositions. Probably one of the best shots I\u0026rsquo;ve ever got of Catrigg Force. Back onto the bridleway, we made our way towards the Winskill Stones Nature Reserve. Turning back, this zoomed in composition of a typical Yorkshire Dales barn with Pen-y-ghent looming caught my eye. A glacial erratic! In the Dales, the most famous erratics are the Norber Erratics, but it was ace to find another one in Ribblesdale. This glaical erratic boulder is \u0026ldquo;Samson\u0026rsquo;s Toe\u0026rdquo;, approximately 8 foot high and balances upon limestone stilts. Because the limestone has been sheltered from the rain, they have not eroded away. The boulder was deposited here at the last Ice Age 12,000-13,000 years ago. Oh look, Ian takes another photo of a drystone wall. But they\u0026rsquo;re so cool! And, in this photo, really aid composition. In the distance are the cliffs of Attermire Scar. With the clouds racing above, the light was constantly drifting and sculpting the landscape around us. This solitary tree, surrounded by walls, with the fells in the distance made for a captivating scene. We clambered up around the Winskill Stones Nature Reserves seeking extensive limestone pavements. Whilst they weren\u0026rsquo;t as sizeable as the likes of Malham Cove, they nevertheless made for nice compositions, especially towards Pen-y-ghent. We located Henside Lane, which takes you rather steeply back down to Ribblesdale and Langcliffe. In the far distance I noticed the light illuminated Stainforth village nestled in the valley, with dark Ingleborough looming above. I zoomed in all the way to 240mm for this wonderful scene. Nearer to Langcliffe another pocket of light blasts the face of Stainforth Scar. A gate and some drystone walls helped frame the composition with Stainforth Scar and Upper Ribblesdale.\nBonus # Just north of Langcliffe, making our way back to Stainforth, we came across the former Craven Lime Works area. Here we were free to explore this massive Hoffmann Kiln, such a cool experience! There was no way my Sony, handheld, would be able to do this place justice, so the above image is a quick iPhone snap. Definitely have to come back here with my Sony mounted onto a tripod!\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ribblesdale-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It finally feels a bit more like summer.\nAfter one of the wettest summers I can remember, a bright weekend was looking up. Both feeling the need to soak up some VitD and get some miles in, we made our way once again into the Yorkshire Dales. It’d been a while since we visited the beautiful Ribblesdale area around Stainforth so we plotted a good 10km circular, taking in Catrigg Force, the Winskill Stones Nature Reserve, and Langcliffe.\n","title":"Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stainforth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stainforth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 August 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/winskill-stones-nature-reserve/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Winskill Stones Nature Reserve","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aysgill-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aysgill Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"It finally got me.\nFour years since the COVID-19 Pandemic, I got the disease.\nThankfully—in a way—as a Type-2 Diabetic, I\u0026rsquo;ve had more COVID vaccines and boosters than your average person. As a result, my symptoms were minor and I came out the other side unscathed. My other half, unfortunately, had a worse time with it.\nOnce we were both recovered and clear, it was time to actually get out and enjoy some of this British summer that had finally arrived i.e. stopped raining for long enough.\nMindful not to push too hard on our recently attacked lungs, we plotted a nice little circular from Hawes in Wensleydale, Yorkshire Dales, to the little village of Gayle and further to a waterfall we\u0026rsquo;d both never visited before: Aysgill Force.\nA glorious summer\u0026rsquo;s day greeted us and conditions couldn\u0026rsquo;t have been nicer. There\u0026rsquo;s nowt like the Yorkshire Dales in t\u0026rsquo;summer.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nHeading south out of St. Margaret\u0026rsquo;s Church onto the Pennine Way, the characteristic barns and fields segmented by drystone walls, oh so typical of Yorkshire, comes into view. Above is the peak of Wether Fell (614 metres/2,014 ft). There\u0026rsquo;s an old Roman Road that traverses right over the summit. St. Margaret\u0026rsquo;s Church flying the St. George\u0026rsquo;s flag, the Pennine Way serving as a leading line into the composition. In the distance are the High and Low Clints of Stags Fell. At Gayle, a field full of flowers gives us pause to consider a characteristic Yorkshire Dales scene. Just south of Gayle it\u0026rsquo;s enough to find the trail that leads down the woodland right alongside Gayle Beck. A little further on, Aysgill Force comes into a view, a beautiful curtain or veil of a waterfall set in a small yet deep gorge. A cluster of Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria , make for lovely foreground interest with the veil of Aysgill Force behind. Clambering back out of the gorge and back north across all the farmland (whilst batting off horseflies), a view over Hawes towards Stags Fell presents itself, which I dutifully shoot. A true Yorkshire composition: Sheep, barns, copses, and drystone walls. Near Gayle Mill, Lisabet and I clamber down alongside the old stone for some shots around Gayle Beck. I get low underneath for this shot towards Gayle Mill and Wensleydale fells beyond.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"31 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/aysgill-force-wensleydale-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It finally got me.\nFour years since the COVID-19 Pandemic, I got the disease.\nThankfully—in a way—as a Type-2 Diabetic, I’ve had more COVID vaccines and boosters than your average person. As a result, my symptoms were minor and I came out the other side unscathed. My other half, unfortunately, had a worse time with it.\n","title":"Aysgill Force, Wensleydale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gayle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gayle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hawes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hawes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/upper-wensleydale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Upper Wensleydale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wensleydale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wensleydale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/crook-o-lune/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Crook O Lune","type":"tags"},{"content":"Lancashire has little treasures of its own.\nThinking away from the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, we decided instead to explore more quiet parts that the Lancashire countryside has to offer. Situated on the north-western edge of the Forest of Bowland, within the Lune Valley—and not too far from Lancaster—one can find the Crook o\u0026rsquo; Lune area.\nThe Crook o\u0026rsquo; Lune is named so literally. As the River Lune winds southwest from Kirkby Lonsdale down a wide and flat valley, the Lune valley, it makes a couple of sheer winding bends as it navigates around small hills flanking the valley. The sharpest bend is the Crook. From the hill above the crook one can enjoy expansive views east all the way up the valley, and even make out the unmistakeable shape of Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales. This view was made famous by J. M. W. Turner\u0026rsquo;s Crook of Lune, looking towards Hornby Castle, painted c. 1818.\nWe enjoyed a solid 6.4 km circular route from Bull Beck Picnic Site, taking in all the sites and sounds on an otherwise overcast day. Dramatic clouds followed us throughout the route, and I\u0026rsquo;m sure I could get even better photos with more complementary light.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs converted in Lightroom, edited in Photomatix, and finalised in Photoshop.\nThis is the old Station House that was once part of Caton railway station. The station was opened in 1849, and closed in 1961, with the last passengers on the line being served until 1966. This station house survived and is now a private residence. The railway line passing by here has been dismantled and converted into a footpath and cycleway, which we took to make our way towards the Crook o\u0026rsquo; Lune. Passing over the eastern viaduct, we made a small detour to the Crook \u0026lsquo;o Lune picnic site. It\u0026rsquo;s from here that one can enjoy variations of Turner\u0026rsquo;s view that he famously painted. An explosion of summer flowers served as my foreground interest for this composition. The famous view of the Crook o\u0026rsquo; Lune, ringed by wildflowers with the shadow of Ingleborough looming in the distance. The steep hill to the left, View Field, is what contributes to the sudden change in direction of the Lune. Retracing our steps, we crossed back over the old railway viaduct to locate the footpath alongside the river. At the river shore, families and dogs played around in the water with the Caton Lune Bridge standing above. This is a Grade II listed road bridge. The original bridge at this spot was built privately in 1806. It was a stone structure with three arches, nicknamed \u0026ldquo;Penny Bridge\u0026rdquo; because of its toll. By 1880, this original bridge had suffered structural damage. As a result, the current Caton Lune Bridge was built in 1883. Like its predecessor, the new bridge features three arches, but it\u0026rsquo;s made of sandstone ashlar. At my lens\u0026rsquo; widest point of 24mm, I was able to capture both the Eastern Viaduct and the Caton Lune Bridge. The East Viaduct has five spans and was built in 1849 to carry the \u0026ldquo;Little\u0026rdquo; North Western Railway over the river. Like I mentioned earlier, the railway line was fully closed by 1967 and has since been converted into a footpath and cycleway. It underwent major repair and refurbishment in 2013. Now on the riverside footpath, a view zoomed in from atop the waterworks bridge—which carries the Thirlmere Aqueduct—shows the distinctive profile of Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales. Looking back at the Waterworks Bridge, originally built in 1906 to carry the Thirlmere Aqueduct over the Lune. The Thirlmere Aqueduct conveys water from Thirlmere, in the Lake District, all the way down to Manchester. At the left of the bridge you can see a series of pillars. There are various stone blocks dotted about those pillars which have inscribed on them flood markings of various historical flood levels. There was also one for Storm Desmond, which occurred in December 2015, that I have intimate experience of. See the image below, my attempt of a reconstruction of where the flood level came up to as indicated by the stone. In other words, Storm Desmond turned the entire Lune Valley into a lake. Closer to the Lune\u0026rsquo;s shore we could make out the characteristic peep! sounds of Oystercatchers, Haematopus ostralegus . I quietly crept towards the water and zoomed in to my lens\u0026rsquo; full 240mm reach to snap these two Oystercatchers. Over the course of eons, the Lune has scoured away the foot of View Field hill, revealing millions of years of historical geology. On the return leg back to Bull Beck picnic site, dramatic and foreboding clouds build up over the Bowland fells. A bend in the river, complete with glassy reflections, made me stop and attempt a composition.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/crook-o-lune-lancashire-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Lancashire has little treasures of its own.\nThinking away from the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, we decided instead to explore more quiet parts that the Lancashire countryside has to offer. Situated on the north-western edge of the Forest of Bowland, within the Lune Valley—and not too far from Lancaster—one can find the Crook o’ Lune area.\n","title":"Crook o’ Lune, Lancashire, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/landscaoe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Landscaoe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lune-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lune Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/railway/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Railway","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-lune/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Lune","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/viaduct/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Viaduct","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/devils-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Devil's Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kirkby-lonsdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kirkby Lonsdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"In most seasons, Kirkby Lonsdale is lovely.\nBut during summer, it\u0026rsquo;s impossibly pretty.\nThe last couple of weeks my focus has primarily been helping the Better Half recuperate after double Carpal Tunnel Relief surgery, hence the lack of content on this website. But, with the removal of stitches on the horizon, a gorgeous weekend was looking promising, so we made our way to beautiful Kirkby Lonsdale for a gentle walk around the town and its environs.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s hard to take a bad photo of Kirkby.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii, using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, edited in Photomatix, and finalised in Photoshop.\nOne of the more iconic views of Kirkby Lonsdale, shot from near the top of Mitchelgate. Some of these cottages have been standing here since the late 17th century. Interestingly too, large parts of Mitchelgate in the early and mid-1900s were considered slums, and there was talk of taking some of these buildings down. On the right, the Sun Inn, which has been around since the 1600s at the intersection of Market Street and Church Street. It retains a lot of its original features such as the overhanging first floor support by these huge limestone pillars. This little area down Red Dragon Yard and Mill Brow is known as Swine Market because, historically, that\u0026rsquo;s what this area was. The pillar structure is the Old Market Cross, formerly located at the junction of Main Street, Market Street, and Mill Brow. It was relocated to Swine Market in 1822. The steps and crowning ball were a later addition. Opposite Swine Market is a small road known as Horse Market because, again, historically this is what it was. Some of the houses down here still have horse insignia on plaques above their doors; again, some of these houses have been around since the late 1700s. Tucked away from Mill Brow, Red Dragon Yard, and Horse Market is this gorgeous old property. I can\u0026rsquo;t find mention of it anywhere on the world wide web. The stone panels on the first floor have intricate masonry decorations too. I wonder what the history of this property is. Looking down Mill Brow as it steepens, another wonderful view opens up towards Gragareth (627 m / 2,057 ft). Historically this fell formed the boundary between the West Riding of Yorkshire and Westmorland; there\u0026rsquo;s still a drystone wall up there that follows the old county boundary. Another classic Kirkby Lonsdale view: Old Manor House on Mill Brow, with the Leck and Barbondale fells in the distance. And of course, during the summer, the House\u0026rsquo;s gardens burst into colour. Old Manor House dates from around 1700, probably incorporating parts of an older structure. Around Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, cows were chilling and gently grazing on the full pastures around the river. A proper bucolic scene I wanted to capture. Kirkby\u0026rsquo;s famous Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, dating from around the 12th or 13th centuries. For centuries this was one of the few bridges for miles that crossed the River Lune. Nowadays modern traffic is diverted over Stanley Bridge from where this photo was shot. On a hot summer\u0026rsquo;s day you\u0026rsquo;ll always find people milling about the bridge, jumping into the river (even though they shouldn\u0026rsquo;t) and genuinely enjoying the natural delights around here. From Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, people swim and play in the river, and picnic on the rocks. What better way to enjoy a gorgeous summer\u0026rsquo;s day? Stanley Bridge from Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge. Stanley Bridge is now what carries motor traffic over the Lune. We took the riverside path along the Lune. Near the island, where the Lune temporarily splits in two, we stopped and hushed as we spotted a Grey Heron across the river. It was carefully watching the water, so I happily zoomed in tight and made a few compositions of this magnificent bird. Further along the Lune and set back from the river, Lunefield Farmhouse demands your attention. A 19th century stone-built former coach house, it\u0026rsquo;s now been restored as holiday accommodation for up to 8 people. At the end of the riverside path before heading up the Radical Steps, glassy reflections in the Lune make me stop and nab a composition of this trio of trees. Up and beyond the Radical Steps, I equip my 14mm ultra-wide lens and frame this composition of St. Mary\u0026rsquo;s Church using the old gateway. Parts of the church date from Norman times. Near where we parked our car, just outside of town, is Underley Lodge, a former gatehouse to the Underley Estate, now private tenanted accommodation.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"28 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kirkby-lonsdale-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"In most seasons, Kirkby Lonsdale is lovely.\nBut during summer, it’s impossibly pretty.\nThe last couple of weeks my focus has primarily been helping the Better Half recuperate after double Carpal Tunnel Relief surgery, hence the lack of content on this website. But, with the removal of stitches on the horizon, a gorgeous weekend was looking promising, so we made our way to beautiful Kirkby Lonsdale for a gentle walk around the town and its environs.\n","title":"Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conistone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conistone","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conistone-dib/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conistone Dib","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conistone-pie/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conistone Pie","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for somewhere new.\nThe weekend was looking massively busy in Cumbria, what with the Appleby Horse Fair, Dave Day, and the Great North Swim, amongst other things. So with a cool and windy Saturday in stall, we head east once again into the Yorkshire Dales to explore somewhere new, to us: Conistone.\nConistone is a tiny idyllic village in Upper Wharfedale, across the valley from Kilnsey and its famous Kilnsey Crag. Although we\u0026rsquo;ve meandered around Grassington and Kilnsey before, we\u0026rsquo;d never ventured around the Conistone area of Upper Wharfedale. What we found were two incredible and fascinating geological wonders: Conistone Dib—a dry and steep gorge—and the Conistone Pie, an isolated limestone crag outcrop that, yes, resembles a pie.\nDue to the high winds, conditions and light were changeable, which made shooting all the more challenging and fun.\nAnd some of the views we got from around the pie were just… something else.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs were developed in Lightroom, edited in Photomatix, and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe centre of Conistone village, looking impossibly idyllic. A few homes here had datestones from the mid-17th century. Heading immediately east out of the village, a footpath can be picked up that takes you up the first part of Conistone Dib, known as Gurling Trough. Delicate flowers pepper the grasses around the trail. Our excitement builds. Thousands of years after retreating glaciers and meltwaters have finished their work, life clings on in this gorge in beautiful ways. The gorge winds its way uphill, in increasingly tight channels. Now we\u0026rsquo;re in summer, foliage and wildflowers adorn every possible nook and cranny. Up ahead, Lisabet gawps at the stunning walls of the gorge. The only way up and out of the gorge, a tiny person-wide chute, evidence of where prehistoric water would\u0026rsquo;ve raged through this gorge. Looking back down the chute, I picture in my mind how gallons of water would\u0026rsquo;ve created enormous forces as it was squeezed through this tiny gap. After popping out from the squeeze at Gurling Trough, you are presented with this glorious view of the dry valley of Conistone Dib. To the right is the imposing crag of Bull Scar. Further up the valley our next squeeze presents itself. A characteristic drystone wall acts as a leading line all the way towards the next gorge. Halfway up the dry gorge of Conistone Dib. An old drystone wall leads the way up, as does the ankle-breaking loose limestone scree. Near the top, Lisabet stops to photo some flora that her eagle-eye spotted. Two trees act as a kind of \u0026ldquo;gateway\u0026rdquo;, marking and maybe even guarding the exit. We scramble our way up and out of the gorge, but not before I turn back around and nab this composition from behind one of the \u0026ldquo;guardians\u0026rdquo;, using them to frame the gorge back downstream. From the top of the Dib, looking perilously down to the gate and the dry gorge below that we scrambled up. From above the Dib, multiple trails criss-cross each other towards a multitude of destinations. We took a small diversion around the top of the gorge, and found this stunning composition of Conistone Dib gorge, with the Upper Wharfedale fells beyond. Our next destination was to find the Conistone Pie. From the Dib, it didn\u0026rsquo;t take long to locate and follow the path northeast. We soon clambered towards the Pie, and I immediately scouted around its circumference, snapping compositions of its wonderful limestone crags with views towards the far reaches of Upper Wharfedale. The views from the top of Conistone Pie! Not bad, eh? My 24-240 mm zoom lens allowed me to really zoom in tight and crop in on these more intimate landscapes my eye can spot. Another long zoom composition, showing the characteristic upland fell farming landscape of the Yorkshire Dales; land parcelled off with drystone walls. I waited as slivers of golden light scanned across the landscape, and picked my moment when the foreground barn was illuminated. From the top of the Pie you can even make out, across the valley, the impressive sheer face of Kilnsey Crag, a famous and challenging climb. At the full 240 mm zoom, I pick out the farthest reaches of Upper Wharfedale as golden evening light scans across the dale. Before descending back down towards the village, I sought a composition that \u0026ldquo;described\u0026rdquo; the Conistone Pie well. This was the best I could do. You can see why it\u0026rsquo;s called a pie! From the pie we retraced our steps towards the top of Conistone Dib and located the main path, called Scot Gate Lane, which takes you all the way back down to the village. Along the way, lambs and their mums bleat and scamper away from us, but not before I was able to zoom in and capture this timeless scene. Nearing the bottom of Scot Gate Lane, an unusual yet welcome and unfortunately rare cacophony of sounds surrounded us: Curlews! I had never heard so many. As they cried and whistled around us, the low evening low picked out this incredible scene of Conistone Dib and the valley floor of Upper Wharfedale. Back at the village, the evening light drenches the old buildings in soft amber.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/conistone-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for somewhere new.\nThe weekend was looking massively busy in Cumbria, what with the Appleby Horse Fair, Dave Day, and the Great North Swim, amongst other things. So with a cool and windy Saturday in stall, we head east once again into the Yorkshire Dales to explore somewhere new, to us: Conistone.\n","title":"Conistone, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dry-gorge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dry Gorge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/extinct-waterfall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Extinct Waterfall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gurling-trough/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gurling Trough","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kilnsey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kilnsey","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kilnsey-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kilnsey Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/upper-wharfedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Upper Wharfedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wharfedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wharfedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cows/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cows","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/howgills/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Howgills","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/meadows/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Meadows","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sedbergh/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sedbergh","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s summer! Y\u0026rsquo;know what that means? Wild flower meadows.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re rather fortunate to live where we do, sandwiched between abundant nature. You can take your pick of beautiful places to see wildflower summer meadows. A particular favourite is Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales.\nBut I can also recommend the Sedbergh meadows underneath the Howgills.\nWe usually start this hike from Sedbergh town itself, but this time we started from Straight Bridge, walking away rather than into the sun.\nSedbergh is pretty enough anyway, but in the summer it becomes positively idyllic. And the meadows around the town were filled with wildflowers.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, edited in Photomatix and Photoshop.\nFollowing the path alongside the River Rawthey, a beautiful field full of buttercups stopped us in our tracks. So did these mushrooms. These are possibly Dryad\u0026rsquo;s Saddle, or Cerioporus squamosus . A Kendal Rough Fell yow enjoying the summer sun in the meadows. A pair of geese, following each other around the fields. New Bridge, which is quite a funny name given that it was built in the 1700s. A lush scene framing this gorgeous structure. There\u0026rsquo;s plenty of horses about at the moment as travellers make their way to the Appleby Horse Fair. One particularly shaggy fella posed for me in a field full of flowers, and I couldn\u0026rsquo;t say no. After a brief pit stop and refreshment in Sedbergh town, we continued the hike. The trail circumnavigates Castlehaw and climbs up the hillside underneath the Howgills. A very dry Settlebeck Gill provides a leading line in between these gnarly old trees. Out into the open, fields full of flowers surrounded us. Passing clouds temporarily darkened the summit of Knott, whilst sheep and their lambs happily graze on the meadows below. Further along the trail, a field of curious bullocks idly stare at us as we made our way towards Ghyll Farm. Just before you reach Ghyll Farm the trail narrows into a beautiful little lane, surrounded by hedgerows and old trees. It created a natural frame that I made a composition of. Beyond Ghyll Farm, you continue southeast towards Stone Hall, a Grade II* listed building. Formerly a farmhouse, it dates from 1695. Between Stone Hall and Ellerthwaite, the wildflower meadows just got better and better. One particular field was absolutely chock full of them. I nabbed a shot of Lisabet admiring the buttercup fields, a timeless scene. We spotted this old tree, host to a load of bracket fungi, so I equipped my ultra-wide lens in order to make a composition of the tree, the fungi, the buttercup meadow and the Howgills. Success! The cloud cover was beginning to thicken, but pockets of sun still broke through. A distant scene looking south towards the Dent fells made me zoom right in. At Ellerthwaite we came across this magnificent field full of buttercups. I spotted these tracks winding through the field and waited for the sun to burst through, illuminating the field whilst the distant hills darkened under the clouds. Beyond Buckbank the trail follows the trees above the River Rawthey back to Straight Bridge. Another beautiful meadow lined with farm tracks, with Lisabet ahead, gave me my final composition.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sedbergh-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s summer! Y’know what that means? Wild flower meadows.\nWe’re rather fortunate to live where we do, sandwiched between abundant nature. You can take your pick of beautiful places to see wildflower summer meadows. A particular favourite is Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales.\n","title":"Sedbergh, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sheep/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sheep","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wildflowers/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wildflowers","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/canal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Canal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/farleton-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Farleton Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/farleton-knott/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Farleton Knott","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/horse/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Horse","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lancaster-canal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lancaster Canal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/northern-reaches/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Northern Reaches","type":"tags"},{"content":"A wet Bank Holiday weekend finally gave way to a glorious evening.\nWith little time off left, we decided on familiar jaunt that nevertheless is always a pleasure to do: Lancaster Canal\u0026rsquo;s Northern Reaches.\nThe Northern Reaches is a part of Lancaster Canal that\u0026rsquo;s cut off from the rest of the UK\u0026rsquo;s canal network. In the 1960s, the construction of the M6 motorway north of Carnforth bisected the northern section of the Lancaster Canal, isolating the Tewitfield terminal and leaving the disconnected remnants of the canal to be reclaimed by the natural environment.\nFor this simple hike we elected to take the route south from Millness Bridge to where the M6 cuts off the canal near Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge. This route offers foliage galore, waterfowl, insect heaven, and fantastic views towards the imposing shape of Farleton Knott.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, tonemapped in Photomatix, and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe section of the trail between Millness Bridge and Moss Side is rather muddy and greasy, especially after all the rain we\u0026rsquo;ve had. However, once you emerge from the tunnel at Moss Side, this lovely view to Farleton Knott finally opens up. A swan couple, busy feeding from the bottom of the canal, their fresh-faced cygnets milling about aimlessly. Across the canal, this horse impassively stairs at us. Nearer Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, a load of local cows have found their way to the canal for a wee drink. I zoomed in tight on this beaut, giving us The Eye. My favourite view anywhere on the Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal. I managed to capture this reflection of Farleton Knott as the sun started to dip behind us. A little further up a small gap in the overgrown foliage allowed for another composition of Farleton Knott. The low evening light catching the tops of the foliage and the bridge. A delightfully idyllic scene. This dark and shaggy horse posed for me near Marsden Farm underneath Farleton Knott. Couldn\u0026rsquo;t say no, really.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"28 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-northern-reaches-of-lancaster-canal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"A wet Bank Holiday weekend finally gave way to a glorious evening.\nWith little time off left, we decided on familiar jaunt that nevertheless is always a pleasure to do: Lancaster Canal’s Northern Reaches.\n","title":"The Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/feizor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Feizor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moughton-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moughton Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s been nearly a month since my last post.\nI must apologise for that. Times, they are a\u0026rsquo; changin'.\nTo start, we moved house! That in itself has consumed most of my time and energy, as house moves usually do. Thankfully we\u0026rsquo;re now all settled in and getting down to the important things in life, like looking at curtain textiles and measuring all the things.\nWith things settling back down a little, and the British weather drastically improving, we thought we\u0026rsquo;d try to capture the last of this year\u0026rsquo;s bluebells. Over the years we\u0026rsquo;ve found some proper lovely places to photograph bluebells, such as:\nBeckmickle Ing near Staveley Barkbooth Lot near Kendal This time we tried somewhere new, to us, based on personal recommendation: the woods of Oxenber and Wharfe near Feizor.\nAnd we were absolutely blown away.\nCarpets of bluebells, some in ancient woodland, some out in the open with spectacular views to the likes of Moughton Scar and Ingleborough.\nHappily, this was also my first full outing with my newly acquired Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS, courtesy of my Dad. This lens easily replaced five other lenses I had, which has significantly reduced my carrying load.\nI hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking and editing them.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Sony 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens. RAWS edited in Lightroom, edited in RNI Films, and finalised in Photoshop.\nOur hike started from Austwick and we were soon on the easy well-defined trail towards the elevated Oxenber and Wharfe woods. A beautiful Holstein Friesian lady, basking in the glorious sunshine. We followed Wood Lane as the trail started to ascend. Looking back across the segmented fields towards Robin Proctor\u0026rsquo;s Scar and the Norber Erratics. The signage was clear enough as to where we needed to go. Soon enough we began the short and sharp ascent off Wood Lane and into Oxenber Wood. Bluebells everywhere . This area of woodland and pasture was once an important quarry and source of timber for Austwick. Now it\u0026rsquo;s marked as an SSSI and largely left to its own devices. Open areas of former pasture meant acres of bluebells, out in the open, enjoying views towards the likes of Moughton Scar and Ingleborough. A carpet of bluebells with Moughton Scar on the left and Bargh Hill on the right. Higher up, more former pasture land has given way to more bluebells. I found this solitary limestone boulder covered in moss that made for a lovely composition. In addition to all the bluebells were tracts of limestone pavement, much to my delight! Entering the denser woodland of Wharfe wood, a small trail branched off, giving views towards Moughton Scar. Wharfe wood\u0026rsquo;s thicker coverage meant for beautiful soft light and trees covered in moss and lichen. A small trail heads deeper into Wharfe Wood, with a hint of yet more bluebells beyond. Our route was to exit out of the eastern end of the woodland, but not before I chanced upon this mystical scene. Popping out of Wharfe Wood, the unmistakable shape of Pen-y-ghent quickly makes itself known to us. The route now followed the Pennine Bridleway towards Feizor. To the left are the shoulders of the limestone hills above Feizor. This year\u0026rsquo;s spring lambs, of the Swaledale kind, quickly scampered to their mums. On our descent to Feizor I spotted this little cottage and its field covered in buttercups. The rest of the route back to Austwick was simple enough, just follow the Pennine Bridleway from Feizor to Austwick. This ancient country lane was lined with wild garlic ( Allium ursinum ) and its delicious smell. The collapsed ruins of Meldings Barn, with a doorway still standing on its own. Back at Austwick, the local cows gently made their way to Austwick Beck for a cool down and a drink to relieve from the warm spring day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"20 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/oxenber-wharfe-woods-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s been nearly a month since my last post.\nI must apologise for that. Times, they are a’ changin'.\nTo start, we moved house! That in itself has consumed most of my time and energy, as house moves usually do. Thankfully we’re now all settled in and getting down to the important things in life, like looking at curtain textiles and measuring all the things.\n","title":"Oxenber \u0026amp; Wharfe Woods, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 May 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/woods/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Woods","type":"tags"},{"content":"I don\u0026rsquo;t explore the Yorkshire Dales enough.\nAfter finally getting over my post-Skye mourning and depression period, it seemed like spring finally arrived in Northern England.\nAware of how busy the [Lake District](/blog/tag/lake district) would be, we instead ventured east to the [Yorkshire Dales](/blog/tag/yorkshire dales). We quickly realised that we hadn\u0026rsquo;t explored the Feizor area of the Dales in a long time, like maybe 7-years or so. Time to fix that.\nFeizor (pronounced \u0026ldquo;FAY-zer\u0026rdquo;) is a tiny l\u0026rsquo;al hamlet between Austwick and Settle, and easy to miss. Home to a few houses, a farm, and the famous Elaine\u0026rsquo;s Tearoom, rising high above the hamlet are the limestone fells of Pott Scar and Smearsett Scar. These were the focus of the day\u0026rsquo;s hike and exploration.\nPott Scar and Smearsett Scar were beautiful examples of limestone karst landscapes, but they also offered immense views to either the back of Ingleborough or the shapely Pen-y-ghent.\nA super day.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then tweaked and finalised in Photoshop.\nA near-timeless scene in the heart of Feizor. Old stone buildings, dry stone walls, foliage everywhere, and the fells rising up behind. This quaint scene, complete with old water pump, was something I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist making a composition of. Round the back of Pott Scar, before ascending, one can enjoy expansive views towards Pen-y-ghent, one of the Three Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales. The squelchy slog up the fell was rewarded with beautiful views from Pott Scar towards Smearsett Scar. Fin-like clints and grikes of limestone made for a nice leading line towards Smearsett Scar. Nearer the edge of Pott Scar, I focus stacked these bare limestone edges as they curved off into the distance towards Smearsett Scar. From the summit of Smearsett Scar, the full extent and shape of Pott Scar is revealed. The day was brightening up too, albeit with a haze. The summit of Smearsett Scar offers a bounty of limestone clints and grikes that I want to make compositions of. Another variation from the summit of Smearsett Scar, using the exposed clints and grikes as a leading line towards Pott Scar. Back down the back of Pott Scar, drafting clouds cast dancing shadows across Moughton Scar and the back of mighty Ingleborough, another one of the Three Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales. Plenty of teeny Swaledale lambs about, hastily retreating back to their mums as we followed the track back to Feizor. The single road that winds its way through Feizor. A super-zoomed in composition of the back of Ingleborough, taken from the small lane between Feizor and Buck Haw Brow, light dancing across the karst features of the land.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/feizor-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"I don’t explore the Yorkshire Dales enough.\nAfter finally getting over my post-Skye mourning and depression period, it seemed like spring finally arrived in Northern England.\nAware of how busy the [Lake District](/blog/tag/lake district) would be, we instead ventured east to the [Yorkshire Dales](/blog/tag/yorkshire dales). We quickly realised that we hadn’t explored the Feizor area of the Dales in a long time, like maybe 7-years or so. Time to fix that.\n","title":"Feizor, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/karst/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Karst","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lambs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lambs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/nik-collection/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nik Collection","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pott-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pott Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/settle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Settle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/smearsett-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smearsett Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sony-fe-28-70/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sony Fe 28-70","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/vivitar-series-1-70-210/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Vivitar Series 1 70-210","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/duntulm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Duntulm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/duntulm-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Duntulm Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/flodigarry/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Flodigarry","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/isle-of-skye/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Isle of Skye","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pentax-smc-28mm-f3.5/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pentax Smc 28mm F3.5","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/skye/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Skye","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/torridon/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Torridon","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/trotternish/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Trotternish","type":"tags"},{"content":"The last series of photos from our Skye spring 2024 trip.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a part of me that doesn\u0026rsquo;t want to post these, because it concludes in a way that we\u0026rsquo;re no longer on Skye.\nAnd that is always painful.\nFor this post, I\u0026rsquo;ve assembled a rag-tag of photos taken from around Skye\u0026rsquo;s Trotternish peninsula that didn\u0026rsquo;t really fit in with other posts. This includes:\nDuntulm Bay, with the epic ruins of Duntulm Castle perched on top of cliffs of volcanic sill The ridiculously clear views we got from near the Flodigarry coast, across the sea to the Torridon mountains on the mainland I hope you enjoy these photo as much as I enjoyed seeing and taking them.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 prime lens and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe epic ruins of Duntulm Castle, perched on top of basalt cliffs nearly 100ft above the surf. Southwest of the ruins, the coast is made of volcanic sill intrusions, criss-crossing joints that make for wonderful compositions. Further west away from the castle ruins we could even spot across the sea here, known as the Little Minch, the islands of Lewis and Harris. I couple of crystal clear rock pools helped me create some sort of coherent composition from the chaos of rock joints. Closer to the castle ruins, the sun broke out from the clouds above the Quiraing, giving fantastic side light to this scene. These ridged tufts of grass made for a nice compositional leading line into the scene. From Flodigarry, above Loch Langaig, a small ruin made for a nice composition, mimicking the shape of the distant mountains. We were astounded when stopping at Flodigarry to see crystal clear views across the sea towards the Torridon mountains on the mainland. So clear you almost felt you could reach out and touch the mountains. Further along the mainland, the unmistakable shape of Slioch (\u0026ldquo;the spear\u0026rdquo;), above Loch Maree, is immediately apparent, standing 3,219 ft above the sea.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 April 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/trotternish-peninsula-isle-of-skye-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"The last series of photos from our Skye spring 2024 trip.\nThere’s a part of me that doesn’t want to post these, because it concludes in a way that we’re no longer on Skye.\n","title":"Trotternish Peninsula, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/duirinish/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Duirinish","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-bracadale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Bracadale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/macleods-maidens/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Macleod's Maidens","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/macleods-tables/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Macleod's Tables","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/minginish/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Minginish","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/oronsay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Oronsay","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;ve only been to the tiny isle of Oronsay once before.\nThis was back in autumn 2020, before the 2nd pandemic lockdown happened.\nConditions on that occasion were cloudy, flat, and grey. But still, the scenery and views were stunning and we vowed to return again.\nAnd so we did, this time with bright spring skies. A world of difference!\nOronsay can be found in Loch Bracadale, along with lots of other little islands, sandwiched in between the Duirinish and Minginish peninsulas. It\u0026rsquo;s possible to access Oronsay on foot via a tidal causeway consisting of ankle-breaking fist-sized rocks.\nThough only 44 acres in size, it features cliffs 240 ft high, which means it offers incredible views to either the cliffs and hills of the Duirinish peninsula, or the cliffs and Cuillins of the Minginish peninsula.\nWe didn\u0026rsquo;t see another soul.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 prime and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nFrom the mainland at Ullinish it\u0026rsquo;s a simple, if squelchy, walk from the settlement to the coast. The way to Oronsay then becomes clear; at low tide, the sea is parted by a causeway of boulders and rocks. Once on the island it\u0026rsquo;s simple enough to navigate your way towards the highest cliffs. Once there, you get stunning views like this . Zoomed in, the island of Wiay is clear and you can even make out the cliffs and sea stacks of MacLeod\u0026rsquo;s Maidens. Looking further east, the eastern end of Wiay gives way to the two distinctive flat-topped hills on the Duirinish peninsula, known as MacLeod\u0026rsquo;s Tables. The one on the left―MacLeod\u0026rsquo;s Table South or Healabhal Bheag ―is 489 m/1,604 ft. The one on the right―MacLeod\u0026rsquo;s Table North or Healabhal Mhòr ―is 469 m/1,538 ft. From Oronsay\u0026rsquo;s tallest cliff, the view northeast down the island and across the loch all the way to Skye proper is just stunning. Looking back at the tallest cliff, it\u0026rsquo;s contrasty shape and shadow is used to frame the distant island of Wiay and Duirinish cliffs. My little Lisabet hiking her way up to the next cliff, whilst I shuffled as close as I dared to the precipitous edge for this monstrous view. A simple leading line of Oronsay\u0026rsquo;s cliff edges, all the way back to Ullinish and the moorlands of Skye. Returning to the lowest part of Oronsay, I venture around its more boggy eastern area for a view back to the craggy cliffs, again using the harsh light and shadow to aid in a leading line composition.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/oronsay-isle-of-skye-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’ve only been to the tiny isle of Oronsay once before.\nThis was back in autumn 2020, before the 2nd pandemic lockdown happened.\nConditions on that occasion were cloudy, flat, and grey. But still, the scenery and views were stunning and we vowed to return again.\n","title":"Oronsay, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ullinish/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ullinish","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-chracaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben Chracaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-tianavaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben Tianavaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cuillins/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cuillins","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/isle-of-raasay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Isle of Raasay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-portree/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Portree","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/portree/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Portree","type":"tags"},{"content":"For our 1st full day in Skye, we gradually eased ourselves in.\nDriving 7–8 hours can take it out of you.\nSo, with pleasing light conditions, we aimed straight for arguably the island\u0026rsquo;s main settlement, Portree. There\u0026rsquo;s a fairly well-known hike one can do from Portree, known as the Scorrybreac circuit. You head northeast out of town, take the coastal path below the cliffs of Ben Chracaig, navigate around the corner at Sgeir Mhòe, and follow the coastline towards Toravaig, with magnificent views down the Sound of Raasay and the cliffs of Sìthean a\u0026rsquo; Bhealaich Chumhaing. Then it\u0026rsquo;s a question of hiking up the sharp ascent to Ben Chracaig and onto the path and road back down to Portree.\nThe views and light around the walk were stunning. Glamaig of the Red Cuillins was coated in snow and clear as a bell.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 prime lens and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nUpon our arrival at Portree, and parking up at the main car park, the views down Loch Portree towards the snowy Cuillins were already staggering. I quickly attached my longest lens and went snappy happy as the lighshow was constantly changing. Our goal was to follow the coastal path below the left hill. But before we could get on that, this scene opened in front of me, putting me in mind of the fjords of Norway. I zoomed all the way to 210mm to get a real tight composition, involving the flanks of Ben Chracaig to the left, the crags of Ben Tianavaig to the right, and the hills of the Isle of Raasay in the middle. On the trail, the sound of rushing water caught our attention. We quickly nipped off trail and followed the sound, locating this beautiful and totally unexpected waterfall! These unnamed falls belong to the River Chracaig as it tumbles down the hills above. As we rounded the corner at Sgeir Mhòr, this magnificent view down the coastline to the illuminated cliffs of Sìthean a\u0026rsquo; Bhealaich Chumhaing appeared. We followed the trail further down the coastline until it abruptly turns inland near this area of flat land. The path then zigzags up the steep hillside of Ben Chracaig. Halfway up, lighting conditions changed and I quickly nabbed this dramatic shot. Away from the cliffs and onto the moorland above Portree, this frankly ridiculous scene revealed itself to us. The Storr, lightly dusted in snow, with a thick and dramatic storm above, whilst the Portree moorlands and this house receive a strong burst of sunlight from behind us. Back at Portree the light continued to change dramatically, with the clouds lifting above the Cuillins. I zoom in tight on this composition of Portree harbour as the light broke through the clouds enough to highlight the snowy Cuillins.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/portree-isle-of-skye-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"For our 1st full day in Skye, we gradually eased ourselves in.\nDriving 7–8 hours can take it out of you.\nSo, with pleasing light conditions, we aimed straight for arguably the island’s main settlement, Portree. There’s a fairly well-known hike one can do from Portree, known as the Scorrybreac circuit. You head northeast out of town, take the coastal path below the cliffs of Ben Chracaig, navigate around the corner at Sgeir Mhòe, and follow the coastline towards Toravaig, with magnificent views down the Sound of Raasay and the cliffs of Sìthean a’ Bhealaich Chumhaing. Then it’s a question of hiking up the sharp ascent to Ben Chracaig and onto the path and road back down to Portree.\n","title":"Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/raasay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Raasay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scorrybreac-circuit/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scorrybreac Circuit","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sound-of-raasay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sound of Raasay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/an-corran/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"An Corran","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/quiraing/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Quiraing","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/staffin/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Staffin","type":"tags"},{"content":"The sheer variety along Skye\u0026rsquo;s coastline is ridiculous.\nBasalt columnar cliffs? Billion-year old boulders? White sand? Knife-edge sea stacks? Waterfalls? Sea caves? Skye\u0026rsquo;s got it all.\nAnd—at An Corran, Staffin—there is the \u0026ldquo;Jurassic coast\u0026rdquo;.\nAs I\u0026rsquo;ve mentioned on this site before, Staffin\u0026rsquo;s An Corran gained national attention in 2002 when a local couple walking along the coast noticed a large three-toed lizard-like footprint in a slab of rock. Further exploration uncovered additional dinosaur footprints. Turns out that were likely produced by a creature akin to a Megalosaurus. These fossils are estimated to be around 160 million years old, which makes them the most recent dinosaur relics found in Scotland.\nThis is the main draw of An Corran. But for us, we were more interested in the cliffs and the coastline.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 prime lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nBelow the cliffs at An Corran, the rocky coastline is dotted with giant boulders, often situated on top of raised platforms. Millennia of coastal and wind erosion have carved them into fantastic shapes. As the tide was out, we were able to fully explore the revealed geology of An Corran\u0026rsquo;s coastline. I enjoyed myself immensely, a veritable playground of geometry, leading lines, light and subjects to play with. Beautifully sculpted and layered formations give a glimpse of time way before the dawn of humans. In the distance, Staffin island is bathed in golden light. Picking my way around slippery slabs, moss, and seaweed, I lined up this composition of the raised boulder, with the basalt cliffs in the distance. Even closer to the boulder, I was able to obtain a reflection of sorts in a rock pool. This particular boulder I find amazing. No human intervention whatsoever. A chunk of rock broke off the nearby cliffs, rolled down onto the coastline. Over the course of aeons, water and wind washed and carved the surrounding rock, leaving this boulder sitting on its protected pedestal. Amongst all the ankle-breaking fist-sized pebbles, this arrangement of stones caught my eye. Further towards the northwest side of An Corran, the rocky coastline gives way to sand. I carefully navigate around, seeking a composition of these embedded boulders in the sand. At the far northwestern edge of the beach, a crackin\u0026rsquo; view of the Quiraing opens up. I relied on the sensor stabilisation of my camera to slow down the shutter as much as possible at f/22, whilst still getting a relatively sharp image. The result came out alright.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"20 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/staffin-isle-of-skye-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"The sheer variety along Skye’s coastline is ridiculous.\nBasalt columnar cliffs? Billion-year old boulders? White sand? Knife-edge sea stacks? Waterfalls? Sea caves? Skye’s got it all.\nAnd—at An Corran, Staffin—there is the “Jurassic coast”.\n","title":"Staffin, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"16 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fingals-pinnacles/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fingals Pinnacles","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s so hard to ignore the Quiraing when you\u0026rsquo;re on Skye.\nComprising the northernmost aspect of the Trotternish peninsula landslip, the Quiraing is a true marvel. It features sheer cliffs 150 m tall, emotive and otherworldly geological formations such as the Prison, the Needle, and Table, as well as individual peaks formed from ancient landslips such as Cleat and Bioda Buidhe.\nWe approached the Quiraing from two separate sides. On one day we took the short and steep route into the Quiraing via Flodigarry, the eastern side. On another day we returned and hiked the more conventional tourist route. Both offer equally astounding scenes.\nOne day, we\u0026rsquo;ll be able to walk the entire Quiraing, in all its treacherously steep glory.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC and Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe Quiraing from Flodigarry # At Flodigarry you can find a small car park, fit for 5 or so cars. From here it\u0026rsquo;s a simple walk to the first loch you\u0026rsquo;ll come across, Loch Langaig. Above the loch are the block-shaped crags known as Fingal\u0026rsquo;s Pinnacles, which includes Leac nan Fionn , or \u0026ldquo;Fingal\u0026rsquo;s tomb\u0026rdquo;. Beyond Loch Langaig, the trail starts to quickly ramp up and you soon arrive directly beneath the impressive Fingal\u0026rsquo;s pinnacles. Below the pinnacles is Loch Hasco, which I cautiously clambered down to for this breathtaking composition. We returned to the trail as it began its steep pull towards the cliffs of Meall na Suiramach , the highest peak of the Quiraing. From the side, the Pinnacles reveal a more slender profile that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t ignore. Above Loch Hasco and beneath the cliffs of Meall na Suiramach , we took some rest and explored more fascinating rock formations. I found this weird nubbin of rock as the sun crested above the cliffs of the Quiraing.\nThe conventional Quiraing route # The more \u0026ldquo;tourist-friendly\u0026rdquo; way around the Quiraing has seen a lot of infrastructure improvements over the years, including a new car park at the top and better road surfacing. There\u0026rsquo;s also a new viewing platform, giving people an easy way to get these views. Along the trail north, chunks of the edge of the Quiraing have been cordoned off due to unstable cliffs and to protect rare flora. From one vantage point, as the sun emerged, I nabbed this composition looking straight down to the valley floor, a mountain sheep looking back at me. One of the classic views of the Quiraing. It\u0026rsquo;s been done numerous times, of course, and often better than what I can manage. Nevertheless, I refuse to let another opportunity pass by. It\u0026rsquo;s such a wonderful scene.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"16 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-quiraing-isle-of-skye-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s so hard to ignore the Quiraing when you’re on Skye.\nComprising the northernmost aspect of the Trotternish peninsula landslip, the Quiraing is a true marvel. It features sheer cliffs 150 m tall, emotive and otherworldly geological formations such as the Prison, the Needle, and Table, as well as individual peaks formed from ancient landslips such as Cleat and Bioda Buidhe.\n","title":"The Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/armadale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Armadale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/black-cuillins/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Black Cuillins","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dun-scaich-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dun Scaich Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dun-scaith-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dun Scaith Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-eishort/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Eishort","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ord/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ord","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/red-cuillins/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Red Cuillins","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sleat/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sleat","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sleat-peninsula/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sleat Peninsula","type":"tags"},{"content":"Skye\u0026rsquo;s Sleat peninsula often gets overlooked.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s understandable why. When the island contains wonders such as the Cuillins, the Quiraing, the Storr, the Fairy Pools and more, why would you go to the extreme south/south-west of the island?\nIn my experience, Sleat is where you take photos from, not of. While the peninsula does have some lovely coastline, arguably it\u0026rsquo;s finest aspect is the views you can get from its southern and northern shores.\nLooking south across the Sound of Sleat one can enjoy immense views of the Knoydart mountains, such as Ladhar Bheinn, Meall Buidhe, and Luinne Bheinn.\nOver the peninsula onto its northern shores, Sleat harbours beautiful beaches and craggy coastlines, punctuated by bonny little crofting settlements, such as Tarskavaig, Tokavaig, and Ord. These places get unparalleled views across Loch Eishort towards the entire Cuillins range.\nMy advice: Give yourself a day to explore Sleat. You won\u0026rsquo;t regret it.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC and Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 prime lenses, and my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom then edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nJust north of Armadale there\u0026rsquo;s a stretch of coastline known as Bàgh a\u0026rsquo; Mhuilinn (\u0026ldquo;Bay of the Mill\u0026rdquo;). Here, one can play around with incredible rock formations and the Knoydart mountains in the distance. The geology around Armadale is largely comprised of Lewisian Gneiss, which are some of the oldest rocks on Earth; roughly 3.0–1.7 billion years old! In the distance the main peak in the Knoydart is Ladhar Bheinn (\u0026ldquo;peak of the hoof\u0026rdquo;). From near Armadale you can take the single-track winding road over the Sleat peninsula towards its northern shores. Along the way, though, magnificent views of the Cuillins reveal themselves. We stopped to nab some photos from above Loch Dhùghaill because who can say no to this?! Arriving at Tarskavaig Bay, Lisabet and I quickly wandered off to explore and photography. I found this fascinating person-high crag on the beach, and clambered within its nooks and crannies looking for compositions. These are Lewisian Gneiss again, but have been squashed and stretched so much that they\u0026rsquo;ve become very fine-grained and have lots of cracks. They also have minerals like chlorite and epidote in them. Away from the massive crag I head towards the more expansive beach, with fantastic clear views towards the Cuillins. I find another otherworldly rock formation and seek to compose along with the winding channels towards the Cuillins. Moving on from Tarskavaig, we continue up the northern shore of Sleat to Tokavaig. At Tokavaig Bay, one can find the ruins of Dùn Scaich castle, formerly owned by Clan MacDonald of Sleat, a branch of the Clan Donald or MacDonald. With my long zoom lens, I can really compress the distant views, capturing the ruins of the castle as well as the mighty Blàbheinn mountain in the distance. Dùn Scaich castle sits atop a crag on the Tokavaig coast, given near 360 views of its surroundings. It would\u0026rsquo;ve once been possible to enter the ruins across the arched footpath, but the floor of it has collapsed. The fortress is alternatively referred to as the \u0026ldquo;Fortress of Shadows.\u0026rdquo; It is famously associated with the legend of the warrior woman Scáthach, who is said to have resided there, giving the castle its name. Further long the coastline from the castle ruins are several sheer cliffs that offer unimpeded views across Loch Eishort to the entire Cuillins range. Here, my Lisabet stands perilously close to the edge of one cliff, providing a sense of scale. The view you can enjoy from Tokavaig\u0026rsquo;s cliffs. The small trio of islands in the loch are called Eilean Ruairidh , translating as \u0026ldquo;Isle of the Red King\u0026rdquo;. There was once a fort here too. From this view, it\u0026rsquo;s clear to view the geological differences between the Black Cuillins, towards the left, and the Red Cuillins towards the right. The Red being smoother and made of granite, and the Black being more jagged and made of gabbro. Further along the coastline we arrive at Ord, where one can take the minor road back over the Sleat peninsula to its southern shores. Before we did, we explored the bay here too. At Ord, you can find crags on the beach where old rocks meet some younger rocks called quartzites, and the younger rocks are found underneath the older ones, which is a bit unusual. The quartzites have some cool features, like cross-bedding (patterns in the rock) and folding (where the rock has been bent). From Ord I once again equipped my 70-210mm zoom lens for some tighter compressed compositions. I lined up the small rocky islands just off the bay to lead towards the Strathaird coastline and Blàbheinn looming above everything.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sleat-peninsula-isle-of-skye-scotland-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Skye’s Sleat peninsula often gets overlooked.\nIt’s understandable why. When the island contains wonders such as the Cuillins, the Quiraing, the Storr, the Fairy Pools and more, why would you go to the extreme south/south-west of the island?\n","title":"Sleat Peninsula, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tarskavaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tarskavaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tokavaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tokavaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glamaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glamaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hebrides/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hebrides","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/marsco/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Marsco","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sligachan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sligachan","type":"tags"},{"content":"I have returned from my fifth visit to Skye.\nGod damn I love that island so much.\nWhat definitely helps, apart from the fantastic scenery, is that for entire week of our stay the weather and light conditions were fantastic.\nAll in all, I returned to Cumbria with 200+ RAW files of epicness. Where does one start?\nFor me, with one of my favourite places on Skye: Sligachan.\nSligachan is a small settlement on Skye\u0026rsquo;s eastern coast, somewhat halfway between two of Skye\u0026rsquo;s major population centres: Portree and Broadford. There\u0026rsquo;s not much at Sligachan apart from a hotel and a couple of houses. What it does offer is some of the finest views of the Black Cuillins and Red Cuillins on Skye.\nIn particular, there are a number of small rivers that run from the Cuillins towards Loch Sligachan, and the underlying geology has enabled some fantastic waterfalls. You\u0026rsquo;ve just gotta be prepared for some boggy hiking.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve played around these waterfalls many a time, always seeking the \u0026ldquo;one\u0026rdquo; winning photo from this area. On this occasion, I\u0026rsquo;ve come closer than ever before of capturing that special photo from this magical place.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAW files developed in Lightroom, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nOn our first full day on Skye, we first enjoyed the Scorrybreac circular around Portree. Afterwards, we nipped south to visit Sligachan. Whilst Portree was relatively sunny, conditions at Sligachan were significantly different. Stormy skies and powerful freezing winds made for some awe-inspiring conditions. On this occasion this was the best image I could make on this brief visit, the Red Cuillins topped in snow with storm clouds brewing above. Returning to Sligachan on another day presented a completely different story, with strong sun bursting through the passing, racing clouds. Our first port of call was getting under the Old Sligachan Bridge for a composition of the Black Cuillins. Afterwards, we began the hike up alongside one of Sligachan\u0026rsquo;s many rivers, this one being the Allt Dearg Mòr (\u0026ldquo;Great Red River\u0026rdquo;). Numerous waterfalls can be found along the river, this one being one of the bigger ones. My ultra-wide 14mm lens was able to capture not only the entirety of the falls and the snow-capped Black Cuillins, but some of the Red Cuillins too. Beyond the large waterfall, a wide series of falls presented a beautiful composition involving the Black Cuillins as the clouds sank over the mountains. Getting closer to the falls as I dared, I faced directly towards the sun and attempted a composition of the falls with one of the Red Cuillins, Marsco (736 m/2,415 ft). A 3-shot 28mm panorama stack from top to bottom enabled this composition of another waterfall with the snowy Black Cuillins darkening above. Looking back down the river towards the Red Cuillins saw clearer skies. On the left, the wizard\u0026rsquo;s hat of a mountain is Glamaig (775 m/2,543 ft), catching the light on its smooth flanks. The other Red Cuillin in the distance is Beinn Dearg Mhòr (731 m/2,398 ft) Back at the Old Bridge, a classic composition involving the bridge and Glamaig proved impossible to resist. In the late 1800s a Gurkha named Harkabir Tharpa scaled Glamaig , starting and finishing at sea level in the bar of the Sligachan Hotel, in 55 minutes . That\u0026rsquo;s nuts, especially considering most routes up the mountain involved a steep climb on loose scree.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"10 March 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sligachan-skye-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"I have returned from my fifth visit to Skye.\nGod damn I love that island so much.\nWhat definitely helps, apart from the fantastic scenery, is that for entire week of our stay the weather and light conditions were fantastic.\n","title":"Sligachan, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"19 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ambleside/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ambleside","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mountain/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mountain","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pentax-smc-55mm-f2/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pentax Smc 55mm F2","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rydal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rydal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/under-loughrigg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Under Loughrigg","type":"tags"},{"content":"A brief respite amongst all the rain.\nDespite the weather, this week has been as busy as ever. A large part of that is simply that it\u0026rsquo;s half-term for schools. Still, we figured people would be starting to head back home, so the Lake District wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be as busy.\nNope.\nOur planned circuit of Grasmere was foiled due to every car park being full. Every. One.\nSo, change of plan. We managed to park further towards Ambleside, right next to the cricket ground, and instead do a small circuit around the Under Loughrigg area in between Ambleside and Rydal.\nStill proper bonny. And, happily, signs of spring are starting to appear.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0 prime lenses, plus Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nOn the A591 between Ambleside and Rydal, one can enjoy formidable views towards Nab Scar (455 m/1,493 ft). The flat pasture land in between Loughrigg Fell and the A591 allows for extensive views across to the surrounding fells. There were also plenty of signs of storm damage, with fallen trees and split trunks everywhere. In this case, it allowed for a nice composition towards a highlighted Low Pike (508 m/1,667 ft). I cropped in tightly for this composition at 210mm to grab these Swaledale ewes milling around a beautiful crag, and subtle hints of the wall of Nab Scar in the background. A surviving Scots Pine makes for a dramatic composition with the Kirkstone fells in dark shadow behind. One of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s well-known views, often causing sudden brakes by drivers on the A591. Looking towards Rydal, with the Kirkstone fells catching a sweeping lightbeam.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"19 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/under-loughrigg-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"A brief respite amongst all the rain.\nDespite the weather, this week has been as busy as ever. A large part of that is simply that it’s half-term for schools. Still, we figured people would be starting to head back home, so the Lake District wouldn’t be as busy.\n","title":"Under Loughrigg, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/horton-in-ribblesdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Horton in Ribblesdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hull-pot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hull Pot","type":"tags"},{"content":"A month since my last post.\nI do apologise.\nThe weather in January has been, well, shocking to say the least. We endured three named storms: Henk, Isha, and Jocelyn. Isha, in particular, was one of the most powerful storms the British Isles have seen since 2000.\nAdditionally, we\u0026rsquo;ve had periods of below freezing temperatures, resulting in widespread ice.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been… interesting.\nThankfully, the weekend just gone, it was nice enough for us to finally head out. We chose the Hull Pot route from Horton-in-Ribblesdale in the Yorkshire Dales. I had an inkling that there\u0026rsquo;d still be some snow liggin\u0026rsquo; about in the Dales, contributing to a water-saturated landscape and, hopefully, a waterfall flowing into Hull Pot.\nAnd we finally saw it.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5, Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0, and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom, edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe characteristic drystone walls of the Yorkshire Dales remained steadfast in the face of all the snow we\u0026rsquo;ve had recently, resulting in these snowdrifts piled up against them. Our way forward. We knew on this day that there\u0026rsquo;d only be 2-3 hours of good light, and boy was it dramatic. Looking back at where we came from. We were very much on the edge of two weather systems. Conditions over Horton-in-Ribblesdale saw blue skies and puffy clouds, but closer to Pen-y-Ghent it was blowy, dark, and stormy, giving us epic light. A good sign: A small waterfall where there usually isn\u0026rsquo;t at Horton Scar. Above, Pen-y-Ghent fights with the dark and stormy clouds. Further up the bridleway, the site of an extinct waterfall below Pen-y-Ghent, which is now obscured by clouds laden with snow. A burst of sun to our right picks out the details in the land. And there she is, finally ticked off my bucket list. England\u0026rsquo;s largest natural hole, Hull Pot, with Hull Pot Beck tumbling down 60ft into the chasm. As mentioned before on this blog, Hull Pot is a large cave where the roof has collapsed, which has resulted in this massive chasm below Pen-y-Ghent. With my ultra-wide 14mm equipped, I was able to capture the entire scene. We clambered as close to the waterfall as possible as it crashed over the edge into Hull Pot. As I had no tripod, I shot this with my ultra-wide 14mm at f/22, taking multiple exposures of the same scene. In post, I then averaged the exposures together that gave me that long exposure effect on the water. Looking up Hull Pot Beck and its many cascades. By the normal way of things, this beck is dry as it usually disappears into the maze of caves beneath Pen-y-Ghent before it reaches Hull Pot. With all the rain and snow we\u0026rsquo;ve had, the beck was able to complete its route, crashing 60ft down into Hull Pot and re-emerging at the surface nearer Horton-in-Ribblesdale. A different view of Hull Pot from its eastern end. Two boulders balance precariously on the lip of the pot. At around 450 m/1,476 ft above sea level, a few snow patches have lingered around the edges of Hull Pot, allowing for some interesting compositional leading lines. A particularly clean snow patch nearer the falls gives me an idea for a composition involving Pen-y-Ghent in the distance. Fellow hikers milling about the edge of Hull Pot give you a sense of scale of this place. Heading back down to the village, signs were clear that the best of the day\u0026rsquo;s light were done as the storm clouds rolled in. We were thankful to get what we did, though.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"14 February 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hull-pot-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"A month since my last post.\nI do apologise.\nThe weather in January has been, well, shocking to say the least. We endured three named storms: Henk, Isha, and Jocelyn. Isha, in particular, was one of the most powerful storms the British Isles have seen since 2000.\n","title":"Hull Pot, Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/allan-bank/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Allan Bank","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grasmere/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grasmere","type":"tags"},{"content":"The winter lurgy has struck.\nFollowing a lovely hike around Ambleside, Lisabet came down with a rather nasty cold and I followed suit soon after.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re both at the tail end of this bug now, but with depleted energy levels as can be expected. A crisp, clear, and super cold Sunday greeted us, so we set off towards the impossibly bonny village of Grasmere for a wee waltz around the area.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom and edited in Photoshop.\nThe trail in the direction of Allan Bank enjoys wonderful views towards Helm Crag and Seat Sandal. Here, the latter of the two fells is stroked by golden afternoon light across its flanks. Across the vale, the craggier yet smaller Helm Crag receives similar treatment from the emerging winter sun. Heading down the hill towards Goody Bridge, the snowcapped Great Rigg on the right is illuminated. Love the rusty colours some of the Lake District and Scottish fells turn in the autumn and winter. Expansive views from the Allan Bank trail lead to Seat Sandal being bathed in afternoon winter sun. A timeless route back to the village centre. There\u0026rsquo;s no need to hurry.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grasmere-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The winter lurgy has struck.\nFollowing a lovely hike around Ambleside, Lisabet came down with a rather nasty cold and I followed suit soon after.\nWe’re both at the tail end of this bug now, but with depleted energy levels as can be expected. A crisp, clear, and super cold Sunday greeted us, so we set off towards the impossibly bonny village of Grasmere for a wee waltz around the area.\n","title":"Grasmere, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helm-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helm Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/seat-sandal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Seat Sandal","type":"tags"},{"content":"Temperatures have plunged.\nThe nigh persistent rain of November and December has given way to a sub-zero climate and clearer conditions. Much better.\nWith a bright Saturday forecast, Lisabet and I ventured into the heart of the Lake District and major tourist hotspot, Ambleside. We wanted to do two walks: one, a small circular of Stock Ghyll Force, the other bigger hike up to High Sweden Bridge.\nDespite being in the middle of a blisteringly cold winter in the Lake District, Ambleside was as busy as ever. This town never gets any rest.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my SMC Pentax-M 28mm F3.5 and SMC Pentax-M 55mm f2.0 prime lenses, plus my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom. RAWs developed in Lightroom, edited in Photoshop.\nA misty shot from the top of Stock Ghyll Force. Made by stacking five landscape 28mm shots, top to bottom, for a wider field of view. The classic view of Stock Ghyll Force, currently in its more barren winter finery. After stopping for delicious hot brews at Force Cafe , we followed the trail back down to the town. By the side of the road, this still life-esque scene revealed itself to me, and so quickly I quickly nabbed a composition. From the town centre, it\u0026rsquo;s easy enough to find the route to the High Sweden Bridge trail. Given the direction of the low sun, we opted instead to take the trail anti-clockwise, which we\u0026rsquo;ve never done before, to get more side light. The old packhorse bridge itself, with my Lisabet providing a nice colour contrast as she strolls across it. As I\u0026rsquo;ve mentioned on this site elsewhere, the name \u0026ldquo;High Sweden Bridge\u0026rdquo; might seem unusual, given this is located in the Lake District, England. The \u0026ldquo;sweden\u0026rdquo; aspect originally comes from the Old Norse sviðin (pronounced \u0026ldquo;swee-thin\u0026rdquo;), the past participle of svíða , meaning \u0026ldquo;to burn\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;to singe\u0026rdquo;. In this context, it refers to the clearing of land by burning. Looking up Scandale, admiring the light beams scanning across the face of High Pike (656 m/2,152 ft). Heading back down the higher eastern side of the Scandale valley, I equipped my 70–210mm lens for some tight and distant compositions. Fully zoomed in, I was able to pick out the mist clearing from the summits of the Langdale Pikes, on the right, and Bowfell on the left. My 70–210mm also has a macro mode, which I used to try and capture these beautiful and tiny Cladonia pyxidata lichen. Lake District sheep get all the best views.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"11 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ambleside-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Temperatures have plunged.\nThe nigh persistent rain of November and December has given way to a sub-zero climate and clearer conditions. Much better.\nWith a bright Saturday forecast, Lisabet and I ventured into the heart of the Lake District and major tourist hotspot, Ambleside. We wanted to do two walks: one, a small circular of Stock Ghyll Force, the other bigger hike up to High Sweden Bridge.\n","title":"Ambleside, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-sweden-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Sweden Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/langdale-pikes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Langdale Pikes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/packhorse-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Packhorse Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scandale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scandale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stock-ghyll-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stock Ghyll Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/.britain/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":".Britain","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dollywaggon-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dollywaggon Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grisedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grisedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Happy New Year, everyone! Here\u0026rsquo;s to a more peaceful and gentle 2024.\nThough I\u0026rsquo;ve enjoyed time off work between Christmas and New Year, it\u0026rsquo;s not exactly been pleasant. Storm Gerrit washed across the UK, rendering most days miserably wet. There were even tornado warnings, largely unheard of in the UK.\nOn New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve we learned that New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day promised much nicer conditions, and so we endeavoured to rise early and head into the Lake District for a solid yomp on the first day of 2024.\nConditions were certainly nicer, though you can never predict weather in the Lake District 100%. Hiking along the valley bottom of Grisedale towards the valley\u0026rsquo;s head, we were washed with wave after wave of fine drizzle. Thankfully, it never rained that hard, and in between the downpours we still managed to nab some glorious photos.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, finalised in Photoshop.\nA sign of things to come. St. Sunday Crag (841 m/2,759 ft), rising above a sodden landscape with stormy clouds above. Much of the first half of hiking into the valley comprised of dodging waves of drizzle. When one cleared up for long enough, I snuck this shot of Eagle Crag and Dollywaggon Pike (858 m/2,815 ft) battling with the low clouds. Arriving closer to the turning point, we contemplated the condition of the trail on the other side of the valley. The hike in, on the south of the valley, is thankfully paved but had still been rendered in parts as a beck due to all the rain. I knew that the northern path back down the valley wasn\u0026rsquo;t in as good nick. So, from here, we turned back the same way we came in. Thankfully, this was also when conditions started to clear up and the Helvellyn range of fells began to reveal themselves. Eagle Crag with Nethermostcove Beck roaring down the fellside. A project was started in 2021 to return the valley\u0026rsquo;s main river, Grisedale Beck, back to its original \u0026ldquo;wiggly\u0026rdquo; form. To quote the Friends of the Ullswater Way : \u0026ldquo;As with many rivers in the UK, Grisedale Beck has historically been straightened and reinforced so that fields can be drained to improve grazing. This work was undertaken over 200 years ago and since then we have learned a lot about how straightened and reinforced rivers can negatively affect wildlife and increase flood risk. It should be noted that, despite the historic changes made to the river at the project site, this is still not particularly good grazing land, being very rough pasture and quite boggy in areas.\u0026rdquo; Heading back down the valley, we kept turning back at the beautiful view at the head of Grisedale. Primarily to check on any incoming rain washing over the fells, but also to gawp at them. I enjoyed this composition as the trail seemingly leads across the image towards Nethermostcove Beck on the right. Pure mood. One of the few pines left in the valley points a vibrant branch towards the beautifully cracked glacial erratic. As the cloud cover finally starts to lift, Falcon Crag and Tarn Crag emerge from behind Dollywaggon Pike. Light finally breaks through the clouds as we retreat further down the valley. The beck streaming down from Blind Cove provides a nice leading line towards the vertical face of St. Sunday Crag. The fells become obscured again. Another wave of rain heads towards us. As another squall washes over us, I look across to the northern side of Grisedale and spot these bright becks cascading down the fellside. I very quickly nab a photo. Soon, we near the foot of the valley and the rains were finally done for the afternoon. Look at that mountain backdrop. Heading back towards the car, the hulking mound of Place Fell catches the warm winter light across its crags. We elected for the scenic route back to Kendal, heading north out of Patterdale, through Matterdale, and onto the A65. That way we could turn off to head down St. John\u0026rsquo;s in the Vale and join the A591 back to Kendal. I kept my camera out, with the 55m attached to it, and grabbed this epic scene of Blencathra from the passenger\u0026rsquo;s side. Down St. John\u0026rsquo;s in the Vale, I kept snapping happily, praying that at least one of the shots rendered sharp. Here, the deep cleft of Beckthorns Gill cuts into various crags of Clough Head. Further south on the A591, near Thirlmere, Fisherplace Gill cuts a deep fissure within the crags of the Helvellyn massif. The farmhouses below look miniscule in comparison. The distinctive shape of Browncove Crags, a subsidiary top of Helvellyn, with another deep gill caused by Helvellyn Gill.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grisedale-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a more peaceful and gentle 2024.\nThough I’ve enjoyed time off work between Christmas and New Year, it’s not exactly been pleasant. Storm Gerrit washed across the UK, rendering most days miserably wet. There were even tornado warnings, largely unheard of in the UK.\n","title":"Grisedale, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/nethermost-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nethermost Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/new-years-day/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"New Years Day","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/patterdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Patterdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-johns-in-the-vale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Johns in the Vale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-sunday-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Sunday Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2024","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ullswater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ullswater","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/boxing-day/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Boxing Day","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/levens-estuary/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Levens Estuary","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pepperpot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pepperpot","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sir-john-barrow-monument/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sir John Barrow Monument","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-hoad/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Hoad","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ulverston/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ulverston","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s been a while since my last post.\nApologies.\nI hope every one has had a nice and/or peaceful Christmas.\nFollowing the arctic blast at the beginning of December, the UK has been wet. Two storms washed over the British Isles—Elin and Fergus—bringing with them intense winds and lots of rain.\nBeing in Cumbria, we got the bulk of the rain.\nFinally, on Boxing Day, clear skies and cool temperatures greeted us. We immediately donned gear and head out to the Furness Peninsula of Cumbria. It was time to hike up the Hoad above Ulverston.\nIt felt good to finally get out and about.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii, using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0 prime lenses, plus my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAW images edited in Lightroom using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, finalised in Photoshop.\nLocating the path from Ford Park, we followed it gently up towards the Hoad. Along the way, this group of trees presented a wonderful framing composition of the Hoad. The trail quickly grew steeper, which also provided fantastic views. From the shoulder of Hoad Hill, the wet autumn and December are evident in the flooded fields near the coast of the Leven Estuary. Near the top of the hill, as the trail levelled out, we could start making out the Lakeland fells above the Furness hills. The particularly rounded fell centre-right is Wetherlam (763 m/2,502 ft). Near the monument, outcrops of Bannisdale Slate gave me a wonderful opportunity for some compositions involving the Hoad. The Hoad goes by a few names. It\u0026rsquo;s officially known as the Sir John Barrow Monument, but is also known locally as \u0026ldquo;the Pepperpot\u0026rdquo;. The Hoad was built in 1850 at a cost of £1,250, roughly £138,000 in today\u0026rsquo;s money. It was built to commemorate Sir John Barrow, who was a founding member of the Royal Geographical Society, and born in Ulverston. Though it looks like a lighthouse, it has never functioned as one. The views from the Hoad are extensive and panoramic. Plenty of folk were out and about, enjoying a Boxing Day waltz and soaking in the views from the Hoad. With my 70–210 mm equipped, I was able to pick small sections of Ulverston town. Here, looking southwest from the Hoad, the winding A590 road provides a focal point for the busy architectural landscape of Ulverston. The view north from the Hoad couldn\u0026rsquo;t be more different. Rolling countryside, drystone walls, and sheep give way to the mighty Coniston Fells. Northeast of Hoad Hill, another small hill provides sustenance to yet more sheep. In the distance, the Windermere fells partially obscure the Kentmere fells. The way back to Ulverston town. You know me, I can\u0026rsquo;t resist a winding path. A winding drystone wall catches my eye for a nice composition involving the Hoad. Back in Ulverston, a wall mural tells the story of Sir John Barrow.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"26 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ulverston-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s been a while since my last post.\nApologies.\nI hope every one has had a nice and/or peaceful Christmas.\nFollowing the arctic blast at the beginning of December, the UK has been wet. Two storms washed over the British Isles—Elin and Fergus—bringing with them intense winds and lots of rain.\n","title":"Ulverston, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kendal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kendal","type":"tags"},{"content":"Winter has arrived rather abruptly.\nAfter a week of near- and sub-zero temperatures, the weekend arrived and the snow fell. In Kendal, conditions didn\u0026rsquo;t seem too bad so we decided to hop int\u0026rsquo; car and head into the Lake District proper for some lovely snowy mountain photography.\nAt Ambleside, we quickly decided we should turn back.\nThe further we drove into the Lake District, the heavier the snow was. We decided the sensible thing was to turn back and return home. Ultimately, this turned out to be the correct decision. The central and southern Lake District area was buried in snow. 5,000 people have been left without power, and cars have been dumped where they stand, with people seeking temporary shelter.\nToday we woke up to a snow covered Kendal. So, we donned our winter gear and some sturdy boots to have a waltz around town whilst we got some errands done.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Pentax SMC 55mm f2.0 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles. Finalised in Photoshop.\nMy Lisabet, immediately digs in and cleans up for the good of the neighbourhood. Virgin snow in the courtyard. Looking back down the cobbled yard to our place. An almost timeless scene. Families were out in full, making snowmen, throwing snowballs, and sledding on hills. Abbott Hall, its grounds covered in snow. I love the symmetry of this composition. The sky attempted to brighten up, but to no avail. Pleasing shapes and lines created by fresh snow on a winding garden fence. The picturesque Nether Bridge. I love how timeless this scene is. Heading back home via Kirkland, the old part of Kendal town. The main road\u0026rsquo;s been cleared, but I\u0026rsquo;m sure lots of the minor country roads are still suffering. Did you enjoy these photos?\n","date":"3 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kendal-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Winter has arrived rather abruptly.\nAfter a week of near- and sub-zero temperatures, the weekend arrived and the snow fell. In Kendal, conditions didn’t seem too bad so we decided to hop int’ car and head into the Lake District proper for some lovely snowy mountain photography.\n","title":"Kendal, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 December 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rural/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rural","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cobalt-images/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cobalt Images","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/durham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Durham","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/durham-cathedral/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Durham Cathedral","type":"tags"},{"content":"My first time in Durham.\nOn the day of our anniversary proper, we woke up nice and early for a full day exploring the historical city of Durham.\nI\u0026rsquo;d never visited the city before. Durham didn\u0026rsquo;t let me down. The day was bright and clear, bouncing golden light off Durham\u0026rsquo;s architecture, both modern and ancient.\nThough our itinerary was kinda loose, a definite desire was to explore the epic Durham Cathedral, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site with Durham Castle.\nThough our day was unfortunately cut short as I unexpectedly developed a stomach bug, what we did manage to see inspired to visit again.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs were developed in Lightroom using Cobalt Image\u0026rsquo;s Sony profiles, with extra help from Photoshop and Photomatix.\nA weir at the River Wear. Clear and low autumnal light makes Durham\u0026rsquo;s buildings glow gold.\nI moved into the shadows on Saddler Street, so I could pick out my compositions where the golden autumnal light was landing in interesting places. Saddler Street is one of Durham\u0026rsquo;s older roads, originally called Saddlergate.\nBranching off Saddler Street is Elvet Bridge. There are numerous little \u0026ldquo;vennels\u0026rdquo;, or alleyways, that branch off Elvet Bridge. This was, Drury Lane, was home to a particularly picturesque cafe that we stopped for a brew at. I had to record this ridiculously timeless scene.\nSoon we headed towards our main destination of the day: the massive Durham Cathedral, standing tall since the 11th century.\nYou enter the cathedral first via the Galilee Chapel. Constructed in 1170 CE, this part of the cathedral now serves as the resting place of St. Bede. Saint Bede (673-735) was an English monk and scholar renowned for his work Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, which provides invaluable insight into the history of Britain and the spread of Christianity among the Anglo-Saxon tribes.\nAfter sorting out our entrance, we paid for the tower climb. Here you can ascend all 325 steps, 218 ft, to enjoy some immense views over Durham. I felt like a drone taking these photos! This is the view looking east.\nThe other side of the Central Tower gave us more extensive views looking west, pops of autumn colour here and there.\nThe nave of the cathedral, with its central ribbed vault obscured by the lighting fixtures assembled for an upcoming light show. The nave wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have looked much different compared to 900 years ago, except their wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be any seating.\nHome to the Cathedra, the choir stalls, the organ, and the high altar, the Quire is where daily worship takes place.\nThis is the South Transept, from where you would access the Central Tower and climb its 325 steps. It features the Prior\u0026rsquo;s clock, constructed by Prior Castell in the late 15th or early 16th century.\nThe High Altar in the Quire. This would\u0026rsquo;ve been one of the earliest parts of cathedral to be constructed. Monks in the 11th century were seeking a place to hide from Vikings raids as they carried the relics of Saint Cuthbert.\nThe Chapel of the Nine Altars, built in the 13th century to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims visiting the cathedral. Since St. Cuthbert\u0026rsquo;s shrine was seated here, Durham Cathedral has been an important place of worship for Christian pilgrims for centuries.\nThe Bishop\u0026rsquo;s Throne, built by Bishop Thomas Hatfield in the 14th century, with his tomb below it.\nThe light and stained glass windows around the Chapel of the Nine Altars was just astounding.\nFrom around the Cloister, made more famous in modern times as one of the filming sets in the Harry Potter movies.\nThis is the Monks\u0026rsquo; Dormitory, completed around 1404, and nowadays is home to the Cathedral Library, part of Durham Cathedral Museum. This was originally built as sleeping quarters for the Durham Priory monks.\nThe museum was truly fascinating and, much like the Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland, contained artefacts of faith and religious importance in the area from beyond Roman Times. This place lead to the Great Kitchen, which now houses a sacred part of the museum: Saint Cuthbert\u0026rsquo;s treasures and coffin.\nKingsgate Footbridge, completely resplendent in autumn colours. Our next goal was to locate the riverside footpath and take a wander along the river bend.\nUniversity boat racing was alive and well on the river as the sun began to set.\nThe woodland deep in the gorge was filled to the brim with incredible autumn colours.\nFrom Prebends Bridge, the boat racing was in full flow, surrounded by vivid autumn foliage.\nPutting Prebends Bridge in context of the river, the setting sun bursting from just above the trees.\nAnd finally, Durham Cathedral from the riverside, catching the last of the light and glowing bright.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/durham-county-durham-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"My first time in Durham.\nOn the day of our anniversary proper, we woke up nice and early for a full day exploring the historical city of Durham.\nI’d never visited the city before. Durham didn’t let me down. The day was bright and clear, bouncing golden light off Durham’s architecture, both modern and ancient.\n","title":"Durham, County Durham, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ipad-pro/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ipad Pro","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/saint-bede/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Saint Bede","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/saint-cuthbert/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Saint Cuthbert","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/derbyshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Derbyshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fuji-classic-neg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fuji Classic Neg","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/haddon-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Haddon Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"Towards the end of Peak District foray, we decided it was time for something more historical.\nLisabet had zeroed in on a grand building near Bakewell known as Haddon Hall. It has been described as \u0026ldquo;the most complete and most interesting house of its period\u0026rdquo;. The origins of the hall are from the 11th century, with additions at various stages between the 13th and the 17th centuries, latterly in the Tudor style. Due to the building becoming uninhabited for two centuries until the 1900s, a lot of its tudor and medieval heritage has survived the modernisation of the Georgian and Victorian periods.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been used extensively as a location for filming, including in Treasure Houses of Britain; The Princess Bride; the BBC\u0026rsquo;s adaptation of The Silver Chair; Jane Eyre; Elizabeth; Pride \u0026amp; Prejudice; A Tudor Feast at Christmas; Time Crashers, and Gunpowder.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s definitely not a cheap place to visit, but the grounds and hall are absolutely fascinating and incredibly well preserved. I had a lot of fun with my 14mm ultra-wide lens.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide prime lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom using Cobalt Image\u0026rsquo;s Fuji Classic Neg profile.\nThe entrance to Haddon Hall\u0026rsquo;s Lower Courtyard. The main entrance to the Banqueting Hall, built in the 1300s, can be seen to the left.\nThe way in to the Banqueting Hall, where tour guides are ready to present the story and history of Haddon Hall to visitors (including us).\nThe main kitchen, west of the Banqueting Hall. It dates from around 1370 CE. The multiple fireplaces would\u0026rsquo;ve baked bread and spit roasted meats.\nThe pantry, located in between the kitchen and Banqueting Hall, also built in the 14th century. You can imagine carcasses being hung up on tenter hooks, another being butchered on the wooden slab, whilst butter was being churned elsewhere.\nThe Buttery, also built in the 14th century. Stone floor and walls would\u0026rsquo;ve kept the room cool enough to all manner of dairy products to be made and stored here.\nThe Banqueting Hall, built in 1370 CE, so it is truly medieval. It remains furnished with its original Dais table, behind which hangs a tapestry gifted to the family by a visiting Henry VIII.\nThe Great Chamber was a Solar or Solarium, otherwise known as \u0026ldquo;an upper chamber of a mediaeval house\u0026rdquo;. It was completed between 1540 and 1567 and served as a drawing room. It has a 16th Century plaster frieze round the top of the walls, bay windows overlooking the gardens and Flemish tapestries depicting woodland scenes.\nA small little study in between the Great Chamber and the Long Gallery.\nThe Long Gallery of Haddon Hall, perhaps the most filmed part of the entire building. In contrast to the Tudor and Medieval Rooms below, the light and airy first floor Elizabethan rooms culminate in this spectacular 110ft Long Gallery, reputed to be one of the most beautiful rooms in England.\nAbove the fireplace, a painting of Haddon Hall itself, situated in the landscape. The Long Gallery dates back to about 1600 CE and its panelled walls and plaster ceiling are decorated with the coats of arms of the Vernon and Manner\u0026rsquo;s families.\nThe way to the Ante Room and State Bedroom. The panelling and carving above the door frame shows the Manners Peacock, standing proudly over the pediment and one of the crests.\nLooking back down the Long Gallery in all its light and airy splendour.\nThe Ante-Room in between the Long Gallery and the State Bedroom. Tapestries decorate the walls. The walls all throughout Haddon Hall would\u0026rsquo;ve been covered in tapestries. However, the family\u0026rsquo;s most prized tapestries were stored in the stables, which is where a huge fire started in 1926, destroying most of them.\nNow no longer in use as a bedroom, instead an intricately carved handmade snooker table sits in this room, decorated with tapestries and flooded with light.\nThe terraced 17th century gardens. Often regarded as an English interpretation of a 16th century Italian garden. Haddon Hall\u0026rsquo;s Elizabethan walled gardens are a rare survival of the 16th century.\nThe Hall\u0026rsquo;s walls around the gardens are covered in a wide variety of climbing roses.\nNot a bad little place for a spot tea, hmm? The doorway is our next entrance, towards the Parlour.\nFor less formal occasions, the Parlour would be the dining room instead of the Banqueting Hall. Large windows were regarded as a costly luxury in mediaeval times. Large areas of glass could not be viably produced other than by combining smaller, often diamond-shaped, pieces held together with lead beading. These days the Parlour can be booked for weddings.\nMaking our way back to the Banqueting Hall, we crossed the Lower Courtyard to the Chapel of St. Nicholas. It\u0026rsquo;s a small humble building with Norman origins. The present building was finished in 1427 CE.\nThe chapel boasts a rare series of medieval wall paintings, most likely commissioned in the early 15th century. The paintings were whitewashed during the Reformation, but became visible in the 19th century and were restored in the early 20th century.\nExquisite and very rare 15th century fresco seccos adorn the walls of the Medieval Chapel.\nOne last look back across the footbridge to Haddon Hall. You can imagine a horse and cart, carrying esteemed guests, making their way towards the Hall.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"18 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/haddon-hall-derbyshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Towards the end of Peak District foray, we decided it was time for something more historical.\nLisabet had zeroed in on a grand building near Bakewell known as Haddon Hall. It has been described as “the most complete and most interesting house of its period”. The origins of the hall are from the 11th century, with additions at various stages between the 13th and the 17th centuries, latterly in the Tudor style. Due to the building becoming uninhabited for two centuries until the 1900s, a lot of its tudor and medieval heritage has survived the modernisation of the Georgian and Victorian periods.\n","title":"Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/peak-district/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Peak District","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tudor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tudor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buxton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buxton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buxton-crescent/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buxton Crescent","type":"tags"},{"content":"Buxton. Spas. Spring water.\nA certainty on our itinerary when holidaying in the Peak District was to explore the historical spa town of Buxton.\nThough almost slap-bang in the middle of the Peak District, Buxton isn\u0026rsquo;t actually in the National Park. Look…\nThis means Buxton has excellent links to other parts of the National Park.\nBuxton has been inhabited since the Stone Age, but the first major development of the area came courtesy of the Romans. They named the settlement Aquae Arnemetiae, that is, \u0026ldquo;Baths of the grove goddess\u0026rdquo;.\nVarious peoples throughout history have treasured Buxton for its natural geothermic spring, which constantly gushes water out at a steady 28ºC. The town grew in the 18th century due to the Dukes of Devonshire, but it was really in the Victorian era where Buxton drew the crowds. Touring Victorians were attracted to the reputed healing powers of the natural spring.\nWe enjoyed a long and pleasant meander around the town, on what turned out to be a wonderfully clear autumnal day. Buxton really showed off what it had to offer.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed and edited in Lightroom for iPad using Digistock\u0026rsquo;s Ektar 100 profile.\nWe first wandered around Buxton Park before entering the town proper. Beautiful autumn colours were really starting to pop all around the park. Geese were plentiful, too, and clearly very accustomed to humans.\nA fellow tourist takes in the view across one of the many ponds and lakes in the park. In actuality, these ponds are all part of the River Wye, which was heavily landscaped in the 19th century.\nThe park and Pavilion Gardens were opened in 1871, designed by Edward Milner, a well-known landscape architect. He also developed three parks in Preston, Lancashire, amongst many others.\nAnother lovely English scene, full of ducks, meticulously maintained landscaping, and Victorian architecture.\nBuxton Opera House was designed by Frank Matcham in 1903. It\u0026rsquo;s reportedly the highest opera house in the country. Matcham also designed several London theatres, including the London Palladium, the London Coliseum, and the Hackney Empire.\nBuxton saw a decline as a spa resort in the early 20th century. The Opera House re-opened in 1979 with the launch of the Buxton Festival, and the town saw rejuvenation as a base for exploring the Peak District.\nPart of the Pavilion Gardens is this 19th century conservatory. Originally, the building was used as a small concert hall, complete with organ. In 1982 it was remodelled as a greenhouse conservatory, with tropical plants and a fish pond.\nThe Conservatory now houses many beautiful plants, several of which are extremely rare to find anywhere else in the UK.\nA visit of Buxton is not complete without checking out St. Ann\u0026rsquo;s Well and the Pump Room. The room was built in 1894 to dispense the well\u0026rsquo;s water from taps for drinking. Now restored and managed as a Tourist Information Centre, I shot this 10-shot panorama to really take in the Victorian architecture.\nBuxton Town Hall, opened in 1889, was designed in the style of a French château. It now houses the offices of High Peak Borough Council.\nAround the corner from the Opera House, we found this wonderfully preserved piece of living history: a Victorian chemists\u0026rsquo;. The shop assistant even showed us a ledger they\u0026rsquo;ve kept of patients and their prescriptions all the way back to the Victorian times.\nThe crowning jewel of Buxton: the Crescent. It is often compared to the more famous Royal Crescent in Bath, but some argue that Buxton\u0026rsquo;s is \u0026ldquo;more richly decorated and altogether more complex\u0026rdquo;.\nThe Crescent was built in the late 18th century for the 5th Duke of Devonshire. His plan was to elevate Buxton into a popular Georgian spa town. It was built as a unified structure incorporating a hotel, five lodging houses, and a grand assembly room with a fine painted ceiling. By the mid-1980s the last part of the Crescent that was still functioning as a hotel closed due to the high cost of necessary repairs. Then, the whole building was closed when major structural problems were discovered in 1992.\nWhat followed was a couple of decades of the building changing hands, fundraising for essential repairs and upgrades, and consulting on its future. Finally, in October 2020, Ensana reopened the hotel following 17 years of refurbishment.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/buxton-high-peak-derbyshire/","section":"Posts","summary":"Buxton. Spas. Spring water.\nA certainty on our itinerary when holidaying in the Peak District was to explore the historical spa town of Buxton.\nThough almost slap-bang in the middle of the Peak District, Buxton isn’t actually in the National Park. Look…\n","title":"Buxton, High Peak, Derbyshire","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/digistock/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digistock","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ektar-100/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ektar 100","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-peak/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Peak","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ipad/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ipad","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sheffield/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sheffield","type":"tags"},{"content":"I don\u0026rsquo;t visit cities enough.\nAnd with staying in the Peak District, we found an opportunity to get on the (extremely busy) train for a day out in Sheffield.\nI\u0026rsquo;d never been to Sheffield before.\nWhat I found was a beautiful city centre, bustling with excitement, development, diverse cultures, delicious food, friendly faces, and wonderful architecture.\nI guess it\u0026rsquo;s probably easy to overlook Sheffield in the face of Manchester or Leeds, but the city had a lot to offer.\nAnd certainly, from a photographic perspective, plenty of fun compositions and buildings to play around with.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide angle lenses. RAWs developed and edited in Lightroom for iPad, with a little finalising in Darkroom for iPad.\nThe first thing that struck us after stepping out of Sheffield Station was Sheaf Square and its wonderful cascades of water. This instantly got me into the \u0026ldquo;ultra-wide\u0026rdquo; mindset, and I started snapping compositions.\nThere was a lot of development happening around Sheffield city centre. This, however, did not detract from the already excellent architecture. These lovely buildings are called the Hubs. Originally built in 2001 to house the National Centre for Popular Music, they were eventually bought by Sheffield Hallam in 2004 and repurposed as the new Hallam Students\u0026rsquo; Union building.\nThis arresting building is, in fact, a car park. Q-Park Charles Street car park was built in 2008, designed by Allies \u0026amp; Morrison, it has \u0026ldquo;affectionately\u0026rdquo; been given the nickname \u0026ldquo;the Cheesegrater\u0026rdquo;. I think it\u0026rsquo;s wonderful.\nBetween Norfolk Street and St. Paul\u0026rsquo;s Place, this narrow walkway between two buildings allowed a very stark and simple composition towards the Cheesegrater.\nSimilarly, this composition down St. Paul\u0026rsquo;s Parade towards the City Lofts also deserved to be captured.\nOur first stop of the day were the Peace Gardens. Originally laid out in 1938, they were extensively re-modelled in 1997 to include water features and a central fountain. I immediately zoned in on the fountain, waiting for the water to rise up sufficiently high. I then stopped down to f/22 to get as long an exposure as I could, and framed the impressive 19th century gothic Sheffield Town Hall.\nChannels of water line the footpaths around the gardens. They represent the rivers of Sheffield, which were crucial to powering Sheffield\u0026rsquo;s steel industry in the centuries gone by.\nInto the Millennium Square is the entrance to the Sheffield Winter Gardens building. This fabulous piece of architecture features arches of Glulam, that is, Glue Laminated Timber.\nThe Sheffield Winter Garden is one of the largest temperate glasshouses to be built in the UK in the last 100 years. It\u0026rsquo;s also the largest urban glasshouse anywhere in Europe.\nThis place is home to more than 2,000 plants from around the world. Incorporated is the Building Management System, which controls fans and vents to make sure the plants are cooled in summer and kept warm in winter. The system learns year after year.\nOur next stop was Sheffield Cathedral. The earliest parts of the cathedral date from the 1200s, with newer constructions (such as on the left in this photo) built in the 1960s.\nEntering the cathedral, my attention is drawn upwards to the beautiful abstract pattern in the Lantern Tower. An opportunity to practice composing photos whilst looking straight up.\nThe nave of the cathedral, probably built in the latter part of the 18th century. A truly grand place.\nThese 3-metre high wings, Solace Angel Wings, are on display until November 2023. Made up of 100 glass feathers. They serve as a symbol of freedom, unity, and strength. People are encouraged to pose in between the wings, so they too can be angels.\nAfter lunch, we continued wandering around the city centre. Here, Chaps Fountain gave me a lovely image looking towards Sheffield City Hall.\nThe Fountain Precinct building, built in the 1970s. It primarily offers corporate and office space for businesses. Here, its glass panes caught some beautiful late afternoon light.\nAnother place we wanted to check out was Sheffield\u0026rsquo;s Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of St Marie. It\u0026rsquo;s home to Sheffield\u0026rsquo;s tallest spire, at 195 ft tall. When Catholicism was allowed to be openly practised again in England, this building was constructed in the mid-19th century.\nBack to the Peace Gardens for one last composition.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"28 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sheffield-south-yorkshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"I don’t visit cities enough.\nAnd with staying in the Peak District, we found an opportunity to get on the (extremely busy) train for a day out in Sheffield.\nI’d never been to Sheffield before.\n","title":"Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/south-yorkshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"South Yorkshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dark-peak/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dark Peak","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/darkroom/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Darkroom","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/edge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Edge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/escarpment/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Escarpment","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gritstone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gritstone","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stanage-edge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stanage Edge","type":"tags"},{"content":"Perhaps the Peak District\u0026rsquo;s most famous edge.\nFroggatt Edge and Curbar Edge were epic enough. But further north, above the bonny village of Hathersage, one can find the massive 3.5-mile long Stanage Edge, which peaks at High Neb 458 m (1,503 ft).\nAside from the height and length of Stanage Edge, and its epic views plus incredible rock formations, the escarpment is famous for rock climbing. Any of the crags and rock walls are not particularly high, perhaps up to 25 m in height, but they are challenging and have been tackled extensively from the mid-20th century onwards.\nThankfully access to Stanage Edge is easy courtesy of numerous small, and free, carparks and road laybys. With the addition of high winds and ever-changing light, we enjoyed an epic hike along this most famous Dark Peak edge.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed and edited in Lightroom for iPad, with a little finalising help using Darkroom for iPad.\nUpon ascending the trail from the off the road, the views immediately open up across the expansive moorland towards Over Owler Tor.\nAt the trig point 457 m/1,499 ft a. s. l., my Lisabet climbs up to capture those seemingly endless panoramas towards Edale and the Hope Valley.\nSmoothed gritstone boulders line the way towards the trig point. Happily, cloud formations above endeavoured to provide another leading line to the trig point.\nA drop between two walls provides a nice composition as the light explodes from the clouds, illuminating Over Owler Tor in the distance.\nThe sun almost completely out, I find a solitary boulder perched precariously on the edge of a gritstone platform.\nI crept underneath an overhanging crag that provide me this lovely arrangement of boulders with a view towards Burbage Moor. Fighting the 50+ mph wind gusts, I carefully place the trail below the edge in between the boulders and the crag for a clean leading line.\nFurther north along Stanage Edge I found a few large gritstone boulders, beautifully smoothed and carved by millennia of erosion. They put me in mind of tortoise shells.\nA set of beautifully smooth boulders huddle together against the powerful winds. In the distance, you can just make out Hope Valley with Mam Tor and the Great Ridge rising above.\nLisabet enjoyed making me nervous by standing perilously close to the edge of several severe drops. They did, however, make for excellent photos.\nBelow Stanage Edge the sharp drop down gives way to miles of fern and bracken, now displaying their rusty autumnal hues as they creep up the escarpment wall.\nThis was about as close to the edge as I dared, in order to nab a composition with these rock formations, like piles of messily stacked CDs.\nAbove Hook\u0026rsquo;s Car, the drop from Stanage Edge is more vertiginous and clearly an area where rock climbers like to upgrade their skills. People to the bottom-left of the image and on top of the edge to the right show the scale of the place.\nThis was a particularly popular climbing section, with one climber recently ascending to the top of the edge and victoriously pulling up his rope.\nFrom here, it\u0026rsquo;s actually possible to make out where the White Peak limestone of the Hope Valley gives way to the eastern Dark Peak gritstone.\nThere were a few of these boulder bridges spanning across gaps that provided lovely little \u0026ldquo;portal\u0026rdquo; style compositions to play around with.\nDark Peak landscapes aren\u0026rsquo;t really known for their caves, like the White Peak is, but there\u0026rsquo;s a famous one on Stanage Edge: Robin Hood\u0026rsquo;s Cave, pictured here with people enjoying the shelter and relief from the wind. Did Robin Hood ever rest in this cave? Who knows?\nOne of my favourite shots from the day, showing the sheer vertical drop down from Stanage Edge, and the full extent of its length into the distance.\nTwo pillars of gritstone stacks provide another \u0026ldquo;portal\u0026rdquo; composition looking across the moorland towards the Peak District\u0026rsquo;s limestone plateau.\nA wider composition, with Stanage Edge continuing on into the distance on the right. In the middle, Bamford Moor gives way to the rolling hills above Derwent Reservoir.\nWe located one of the main trails down the escarpment and back towards the road. About halfway down, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t escape this arresting composition. Miles of rusty ferns with Stanage Edge and clouds above.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"21 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stanage-edge-peak-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Perhaps the Peak District’s most famous edge.\nFroggatt Edge and Curbar Edge were epic enough. But further north, above the bonny village of Hathersage, one can find the massive 3.5-mile long Stanage Edge, which peaks at High Neb 458 m (1,503 ft).\n","title":"Stanage Edge, Peak District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dove-holes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dove Holes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dovedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dovedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"From the Dark Peak to the White.\nIn my last post, I talked about how the Peak District can be broadly split into two areas: the Dark Peak and White Peak. They reflect the predominant underlying geology: gritstone for the Dark Peak, and limestone for the White Peak.\nAfter exploring the Dark Peak\u0026rsquo;s Froggatt and Curbar Edges, it was time to navigate the deep valley of Dovedale in the White Peak.\nDovedale is a particularly famous area in the Peak District—and the UK in general—seeing around 1 million tourists a year. It features stepping stones, rocky spires, craggy hills, and caves.\nWe elected to hike the full route, south to north, from the main car park to Milldale and back. In my view, Dovedale exceeded spectations.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs were developed and edited in Lightroom for iPad, and finalised with the help of Darkroom for iPad.\nUpon entering the valley, it became immediately apparent how steep and craggy the valley sides were.\nArguably Dovedale\u0026rsquo;s most recognisable landmark, the stepping stones. Used to cross the River Dove and continue up the valley. This photo was unfortunately timed. I waited for this composition, looking for someone to cross the river to provide context for the photo. Instead, I managed to snap the moment just before this poor gentleman fell into the river. He wasn\u0026rsquo;t hurt, thankfully, and was quickly helped out.\nFurther into Dovedale and glorious autumn colours revealed their hues in the woods of the valley.\nThe first tastes of what was to come. This limestone spire is part of the Tissington Spires that line the eastern side of the valley past Lover\u0026rsquo;s Leap.\nWe paid particular attention to finding this spot, and were not disappointed. Beyond Tissington Spires an inconspicuous trail branches off the main valley footpath. It climbs up the steep valley side, revealing this monumental scene: a limestone archway, beyond which is Reynard\u0026rsquo;s Cave. A stupendous scene.\nBeyond Raynard\u0026rsquo;s Cave, Dovedale narrows and deepens further into an area known as the Straits. Passage is possible only via a raised boarded trail. Once off the boards, we noticed a small cave with a clear and tempting stream trickling out of it.\nThe most accessible, and driest, caves in Dovedale are the Dove Holes, pictured here high above the trail.\nAnother solitary limestone spire pierces the sky above the woods.\nThe Dove Holes caves. They were formed during the last two ice ages by glacial water erosion. The caves became dry as the meltwater and river cut deeper into the gorge.\nI got closer to the caves with my ultra-wide angle lens attached. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to imagine various ancient peoples and cultures have used these caves as shelter and storage.\nThe other, bigger, cave of Dove Holes, separated by a spire.\nAt Milldale, we paused for lunch and took the opportunity to wander around this bonny little village.\nMilldale probably got its name from the corn mill that once stood on the River Dove here. Nowadays, it\u0026rsquo;s a sleepy little village with old stone cottages. Proper lovely.\nAfter lunch it was time to take the return trip back down south the valley. This scene very much put me in mind of something like Yosemite.\nOne of the more famous spires in Dovedale can be seen on the right: Ilam Rock. Facing it is Pickering Tor. Ilam Rock rises 80 ft high from the valley floor, and is an impressive sight from any angle.\nNear the Tissington Spires, Jacob\u0026rsquo;s Ladder rises above the woodland and catches the late afternoon light.\nFrom below, the Tissington Spires are an imposing sight. Here they catch the golden afternoon light as the valley floor recedes into cold shadow.\nNearing the stepping stones once again, Dovedale\u0026rsquo;s most famous peak—Thorpe Cloud—comes into view. Here I took two exposures: one with my thumb covering the sun and one unobstructed. Blocking the sun with my thumb allowed me to blend the exposures with minimal lens flare.\nThorpe Cloud is an impressive pyramidal peak from across the River Dove.\nOne final look back into Dovedale before exiting for the day. An absolutely spectacular place.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dovedale-peak-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"From the Dark Peak to the White.\nIn my last post, I talked about how the Peak District can be broadly split into two areas: the Dark Peak and White Peak. They reflect the predominant underlying geology: gritstone for the Dark Peak, and limestone for the White Peak.\n","title":"Dovedale, Peak District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ilam-rock/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ilam Rock","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/staffordshire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Staffordshire","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stepping-stones/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stepping Stones","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/thorpe-cloud/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Thorpe Cloud","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tissington-spires/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tissington Spires","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/white-peak/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"White Peak","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/curbar-edge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Curbar Edge","type":"tags"},{"content":"If there\u0026rsquo;s one thing that the Peak District has a lot of, it\u0026rsquo;s Edges.\nThe Peak District can roughly be divided into two areas: the White Peak, and the Dark Peak. The naming is based on the underlying geology: the White Park is limestone, and the Dark Peak is gritstone.\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll find the Peak District\u0026rsquo;s edges exclusively in the Dark Peak, particularly the eastern part of the National Park. From below, they appear has formidable walls and cliffs with fantastical rock formations and crags. Beyond those crags usually lies acres of boggy moorland.\nOn this particular occasion, we decided to explore every nook and cranny of two of the more famous edges: Froggatt Edge and Curbar Edge. They form a near-continuous route, north to south.\nThe day was bright, much cooler, and clear, save for the creeping clouds that gradually covered the sun as the day went on. Nevertheless, the scenes were absolutely sublime.\nAll photos taken on my Sony a7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAWs developed and edited in Lightroom for iPad, finalised in Darkroom for iPad.\nStarting from the north, the first part of the walk involves a beautiful woodland, Froggatt Woods, full of silver birch and autumnal ferns.\nEmerging out of the woods, the views quickly open up and we find our first clump of gritstone boulders to climb around. Lisabet immediately hopped on one for a better view.\nAlready my excitement levels build as a veritable playground of compositions and rock formations present themselves to me.\nA smooth nook in this boulder provided a nice foreground composition, with other crags forming a lead line towards the distant Upper Derwent Valley.\nLisabet\u0026rsquo;s woodland elf-like abilities means she easily clambers up to the highest boulder to nab those special photos. For me, her slight frame provides wonderful context for the scene.\nAn isolated pillar of a crag, whipped into otherworldly shapes by millennia or wind and rain, provides a lovely subject for this composition of heather, tors, and across the valley.\nNavigating through the various crags and boulders, a little gap catches my eye. As peep through it, a sheer cliff wall down to the valley floor makes my stomach grip. And of course, I snap a photo to convey this sudden drop.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s not much separation between Froggatt and Curbar Edge. However, the drop from Curbar Edge is even more severe. This gap between two walls of gritstone provides a lovely leading line towards Baslow Edge in the distance.\nClambering on top of the some of the crags, these beautifully smoothed boulders with deep fissures provide a paradise of compositions, which I line up with Baslow Edge far away.\nThe staggeringly sheer drop down from the top of Curbar Edge is a sensation I\u0026rsquo;ll never forget.\nThis was about as close as I dared to the edge of the precipitous fall to the valley bottom from Curbar Edge.\nA stronger burst of sun pulls out all the detail and texture in these windshaped crags.\nThe amount of heather up on Curbar and Froggatt Edge makes me realise that I need to come back here in late summer, when the heather\u0026rsquo;s vibrant magenta flowers will carpet the landscape.\nTwo neighbouring boulders, blasted by wind and rain for millennia, give another gorgeous composition to shoot as stronger sunlight emerges.\nQuarrying has occurred on the Peak District\u0026rsquo;s various edges for centuries. The hard-wearing gritstone made for great millstones, used to grind grain like oats, barley and rye or other feedstuffs.\nA lady rests in a nook on Curbar Edge, taking in the panoramic views whilst talking on her phone. She gave the scene a wonderful sense of context and scale that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t ignore.\nAnother isolated pinnacle of gritstone catches my eye. As the sun emerges again from the clouds, I line up this composition, using the various boulders to point a zigzagging route to the pinnacle.\nGreat slabs of gritstone with fissures and covered in lichen allow me to draw another composition looking north as the sun bathes the scene.\nAfter we stopped from lunch using a boulder as shelter, we head back north along the trail. I equip my longer 70–210 mm lens to try and nail some zoomed in, tighter compositions. Here, from the edge, I zoom in on Stony Middleton nestled in its deep limestone gorge.\nI enjoyed zooming in on the fell side as it caught the light; the land neatly divided by drystone walls, as a contrast to the pillars of rough gritstone.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"13 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/froggatt-curbar-edges-peak-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"If there’s one thing that the Peak District has a lot of, it’s Edges.\nThe Peak District can roughly be divided into two areas: the White Peak, and the Dark Peak. The naming is based on the underlying geology: the White Park is limestone, and the Dark Peak is gritstone.\n","title":"Froggatt and Curbar Edges, Peak District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/froggatt-edge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Froggatt Edge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/upper-derwent-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Upper Derwent Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/back-tor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Back Tor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castleton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castleton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/edale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Edale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/great-ridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Great Ridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hollins-cross/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hollins Cross","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mam-tor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mam Tor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mountain-pass/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mountain Pass","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/winnats-pass/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Winnats Pass","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time to revisit more familiar areas.\nLast time we attempted to explore Winnats Pass and Mam Tor was way back in May 2015. Back then I was considerably heavier and unfit. Since then I\u0026rsquo;ve lost a lot of weight and gained fitness. It would be interesting to see how I would fare tackling these locations compared to last time.\nOur day started in bonny Castleton, heading west to the foot of Winnats Pass and hiking up the pass alongside the road, a 20% gradient uphill. After reaching the top, we would then continue up the moorland to locate the Mam Tor trail. Then it\u0026rsquo;s simple enough to follow the path to the summit, along the Great Ridge and then down the valley to Castleton.\nThough the tops were windier than in the past few days, it was still unreasonably hot for an October day, pushing 21ºC. In any case, the light was compliant and the views were astounding.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs were developed in Lightroom for iPad, finalised in Darkroom for iPad.\nThe impressive limestone crags above Winnats Pass dominate the skyline as you make your way up.\nLooking back down Winnats Pass from roughly halfway up, the sun starting to rise above the gorge walls.\nWe found an isolated crag that gave us a solid composition looking down the pass. The name \u0026ldquo;Winnats\u0026rdquo; is a corruption over time of the original name \u0026ldquo;Wind Gates\u0026rdquo; Pass, due to the howling winds that funnel through the gorge.\nFrom the top of the pass, it was easy enough to head up the moorland and locate the Mam Tor trail. Even just climbing up the trail a little bit, the views back down to Rushup Edge are already superb.\nAround the shoulder of Mam Tor, the views towards Edale and Kinder Scout above are stunning. Aided, in part, by the winding road as a lovely leading line.\nOn the way up Mam Tor, the view back towards Winnats Pass reveals the dramatic drop of the gorge. It was once believed to be a giant collapsed cave, but evidence suggests it formed around an underwater canyon. Over time, other rocks covered this area. Much later, erosion revealed the pass we see today, shaped by melting water finding weak points in the rock.\nAs we climb higher, I find a sheep on the shoulder of Mam Tor, seemingly enjoying the views towards Edale.\nBeyond the summit of Mam Tor, at 517 m / 1,696 ft above sea level, our next goal was clear in front of us: Hollin\u0026rsquo;s Cross and Back Tor along the Great Ridge.\nNear Hollin\u0026rsquo;s Cross, fellow hikers rest and take the time to enjoy the extensive panoramic views across Edale.\nLooking back along the ridge from Hollin\u0026rsquo;s Cross reveals profile of Mam Tor. The hill is also known as Shivering Hill, as its southeastern face near-constantly sheds rocks and causes landslips. In fact a long-established road underneath this side of Mam Tor, the A625, was abandoned in 1979 due to the constant need to repair the road after landslides.\nBeyond Hollin\u0026rsquo;s Cross, our next destination was unmistakeable: the hulking crag of Back Tor.\nBack Tor has similar geology to Mam Tor, and as such what you see is the result of a large shale landslip that falls dramatically down to the valley floor of Edale.\nAfter falling on my arse a few times navigating the muddy trail down from the Great Ridge (and getting punctured by gorse on both occasions), I\u0026rsquo;m relieved to finally locate a paved country lane. Happily, it was also a nice composition to record.\nFrom almost everywhere in Castleton, the towering crags of Winnats Pass are never far away.\nFriends enjoy a pint outside the Bulls Head, whilst Mam Tor\u0026rsquo;s southeastern face rises clearly in the distance.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"11 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/winnats-pass-mam-tor-peak-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time to revisit more familiar areas.\nLast time we attempted to explore Winnats Pass and Mam Tor was way back in May 2015. Back then I was considerably heavier and unfit. Since then I’ve lost a lot of weight and gained fitness. It would be interesting to see how I would fare tackling these locations compared to last time.\n","title":"Winnats Pass \u0026amp; Mam Tor, Peak District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/capture-one-for-ipad/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Capture One for Ipad","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/chasm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Chasm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hen-cloud/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hen Cloud","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/luds-church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lud's Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-roaches/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Roaches","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re in the Peak District for a fortnight!\nThe last time we explored the Peak District was way back in May 2015. Even then, it was only for a long weekend.\nAfter a gentle Saturday spent enjoying the sights and sounds of Buxton, we embarked on a more strenuous Sunday; a 10km hike along the Roaches to the summit, then down into Back Forest to explore the chasm of Lud\u0026rsquo;s Church.\n20,000+ steps, 1,184 ft of ascent and 1,178 ft of descent. My feet are paying the price.\nTotally worth it though.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, finalised in Lightroom for iPad.\nThe steepest and most sheer of the Roaches\u0026rsquo; crags are at the southeastern end. In the distance, the pyramidal shape of Hen Cloud (410 m/1,315 ft) can be seen, an outlier of the Roaches separated by a col.\nThe Roaches are especially popular at the weekends. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to see why. Apart from hikers and freerunners, these crags attract climbers and boulderers seeking challenging projects to tackle.\nTo get on the trail above the Roaches, we followed the smaller trail below them and through this beautiful autumnal woodland, once the site of an old quarry.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a long way down. Although the day was hazy, and unreasonably warm for an October day (20ºC), the views from the Roaches are extensive.\nLooking northeast towards the Five Clouds, with a sheer drop down to the valley in front of me. Beautiful autumnal colours are just starting to emerge.\nThe name of this area, the Roaches, comes from the French les roches, meaning \u0026ldquo;the rocks\u0026rdquo;. These crags are made of a coarse sandstone called gritstone, deposited millions of years ago as part of an ancient river delta. Over time the surrounding landscape eroded away, leaving these isolated crags standing tall.\nFrom the summit, 505 m above sea level, the 360º views are extensive. Beyond these crags you can make out the smaller ridge above Back Forest.\nPassing through the crags on our way down to Back Forest, I spot a young couple staging a precarious \u0026ldquo;cliffhanger\u0026rdquo; for a photo.\nThese two windswept crags provided a wonderful frame of the distant hill towards Congleton.\nThe last of these overhanging crags must provide a wonderful challenge for boulders and climbers.\nOur route involves a sharp drop down to the col. At this point, we\u0026rsquo;d follow the trail down to Back Forest. Our next destination was the epic Lud\u0026rsquo;s Church.\nWe gingerly navigated the extremely muddy path through Back Forest until, eventually, we found the way down to the chasm of Lud\u0026rsquo;s Church. Before getting down to the bottom, a small slot to the side catches my eye for a photo.\nAnd here, we\u0026rsquo;re down to the bottom of Lud\u0026rsquo;s Church. This is a 60ft chasm in the woods of Back Forest, caused by a huge landslip in the Gritstone bedrock. Even on a warm October day, Lud\u0026rsquo;s Church is wet, dark, and refreshingly cool. It is also rather muddy.\nYou may be wandering about the name. This chasm has Christian history. A group of Christian reformers, the Lollards, apparently used this place to worship in the early 15th century. It may have been named after a Walter de Ludank/Walter de Lud-Auk, who was captured here at one of the aforementioned \u0026ldquo;services\u0026rdquo;.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"9 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-roaches-luds-church-peak-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’re in the Peak District for a fortnight!\nThe last time we explored the Peak District was way back in May 2015. Even then, it was only for a long weekend.\n","title":"The Roaches \u0026amp; Lud’s Church, Peak District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grass-wood-nature-reserve/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grass Wood Nature Reserve","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grassington/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grassington","type":"tags"},{"content":"Autumn is coming.\nKnowing that yet more rain was on its way in the afternoon, and that our best chances were further east, we elected to head into the Yorkshire Dales. Here we embarked on a nice 10 km hike, taking in the epic Linton Falls, timeless Grassington, and Grass Wood Nature Reserve.\nWhile there were certainly hints of autumn colours, it seems we need another couple of weeks around our latitude before they reach peak conditions. That\u0026rsquo;s assuming, of course, that the weather cooperates and doesn\u0026rsquo;t just blow all the leaves straight off the trees.\nAlthough strictly speaking a town, Grassington has a wonderfully timeless Yorkshire village vibe. As a result, it was selected as the primary location for the 2020 reboot of All Creatures Great and Small, playing the role of the fictional Yorkshire town of Darrowby.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs were largely developed using Capture One for iPad, and finalised using Lightroom for iPad and Darkroom for iPad.\nLinton Falls, a series of powerful cascades crashing over a limestone fault in the River Wharfe.\nJust above the falls are a couple of weirs that sweep across the river, disrupting the flow of water so as not to sweep away at the river bank so much.\nMy Lisabet on the footbridge above the thundering falls. It\u0026rsquo;s quite the drop and a somewhat unnerving sensation.\nFrom the footbridge looking down, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to make out the fault. Here, a prehistoric seismic shift in the earth will have uplifted some of the limestone in the river bed higher than the rest, creating these cascades and limestone platforms.\nLooking upstream, you can make out the second weir and Linton Falls Hydro. There\u0026rsquo;s been a hydroelectric power station here since 1909, but was closed down in 1948. Decades later, in 2012, the building came back into use once again as a hydroelectric generating power station, modified to minimise harm on nature and local wildlife.\nBeyond the footbridge we took the ancient Sedber Lane up the fellside towards Grassington. Looking back down offers an enchanting, if moody, Yorkshire Dales scene.\nGrassington. Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 CE, the village was originally documented as Gherinstone, Garsington, or Gersington. The name is a mix of Old Norse and Old English, meaning either \u0026ldquo;the town of the grassy ings\u0026rdquo; or a \u0026ldquo;farmstead surrounded by grass.\u0026rdquo;\nStopping for some coffee and cake, we then wandered gently around the village documenting some of the more timeless scenes Grassington had to offer (save, of course, for all the vehicles unceremoniously dumped everywhere).\nA lot of old architecture in Grassington has survived remarkably well, aiding the village\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;ye olde worlde\u0026rdquo; appeal.\nBunting zigzagged across the skyline above us as we made our way up the higher parts of Grassington.\nThe Black Horse Hotel. Originally built in the 17th century as a coaching inn, it saw additions and alterations in the 18th and 19th centuries.\nAbove the Black Horse Hotel, we continued up Garrs Lane. Save for the road markings, you could easily transport your mind back several centuries, looking at this scene.\nA beautiful cottage with window shutters. To the right an old resident had just finished tending to a beautiful garden.\nRight near the junction of Main Street, Garrs Lane, and Moor Lane, this wonderful shop—Ashton House Crafts \u0026amp; Carving—was busy displaying all its various sculptures, carvings, and wood chimes. Just delightful.\nChamber End Fold has maintained its cobbled street, helping to cement this ageless Yorkshire scene (if we carefully ignore the car).\nWe continued up north out of Grassington, taking the ancient Bank Lane onto the Dales High Way and west towards Grass Wood Nature Reserve. Old stone barns decorate the way towards the woods.\nThese little pops of autumn hues were a tantalising prospect of what is to come.\nGrass Wood Nature Reserve is one of the largest broadleaved woodlands in the Dales, comprised primarily of ash woodland interspersed with limestone scars. We followed the minor trail alongside Gregory Scar, thick in the woods.\nA delicate little scene, showing the beginnings of those beautiful autumnal colours.\nNearing the exit, this part of the woods was carpeted in fallen autumnal foliage.\nNearing Grassington via Grass Wood Lane, one final composition arrested my attention near the cricket grounds.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grassington-yorkshire-dales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Autumn is coming.\nKnowing that yet more rain was on its way in the afternoon, and that our best chances were further east, we elected to head into the Yorkshire Dales. Here we embarked on a nice 10 km hike, taking in the epic Linton Falls, timeless Grassington, and Grass Wood Nature Reserve.\n","title":"Grassington, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/linton-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Linton Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yorkshire-wildlife-trust/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yorkshire Wildlife Trust","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/almshouses/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Almshouses","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/appleby/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Appleby","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/appleby-moot-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Appleby Moot Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/appleby-in-westmorland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Appleby-in-Westmorland","type":"tags"},{"content":"Here\u0026rsquo;s something a little different.\nEvery September volunteers for Heritage Open Days organise events and open up usually private buildings to celebrate the culture and heritage of England. Best of all, all of these events and visit are free.\nWe did some scouting on the Heritage Open Days website and found that a lot of usually closed off/private buildings in Appleby-in-Westmorland were opening up for talks and tours of these historical buildings. Armed with an ultra-wide 14mm lens and my steady 28–70mm, we set about to explore and document.\nIt turned out to be a fascinating morning and afternoon. Appleby-in-Westmorland is already steeped in history, and has managed to retain a lot of its architectural heritage. Being able to enter some of these buildings, some of which were 400+ years old, and document them as best I could was a joy and an honour.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One, then finalised in Photoshop.\nThis is the study room of the Colour Makers House, on High Wiend in Appleby. This building was rebuilt in 1677 CE and has the datestone to prove it. It is currently undergoing a full refurbishment.\nThe kitchen, retaining the original range and oven, complete with oak beams.\nThe building has become home to a unique Artist Colourman\u0026rsquo;s Shop making pigments and paints from naturally foraged earth and rocks from Northern England. A gentleman there was demonstrating techniques used for over 4,500 years.\nInside the Council Chamber of Appleby\u0026rsquo;s Moot Hall. \u0026ldquo;Moot\u0026rdquo; comes from the Old English word mōt, meaning a meeting place. The Moot Hall was built in 1596 CE. Unlike many similar Moot Halls up and down the country, Appleby\u0026rsquo;s is rare in that it\u0026rsquo;s still used for its original purpose as a Council Chamber. The walls are lined with paintings and photos of all the mayors that have served Appleby over the centuries.\nAppleby Moot Hall is also one of the earliest purpose-built Moot Halls in England. It\u0026rsquo;s had alterations made in the 18th and early-19th centuries, and was recently restored in 2022.\nThe Crown \u0026amp; Cushion, formerly listed as the Crown and Cushion Hotel and Wilson\u0026rsquo;s Stores, was probably constructed from an earlier building in the mid-1700s.\nThe way to St. Lawrence\u0026rsquo;s Church. It retains a significant amount of its architectural heritage, with an early 12th century foundation in addition to a reset Norman entrance and the lower parts of a defensive Norman west tower.\nSt. Lawrence\u0026rsquo;s Church includes a 13th-century porch, and a 14th-century nave and aisles, restored in the 17th and 18th centuries with 19th and 20th century alterations.\nSt. Lawrence\u0026rsquo;s bridge, built in the late 19th century to replace a much earlier structure. Every May/June Appleby sees thousands of people from the Gypsie/Traveller community, who come from all over the UK and Ireland for the Appleby Horse Fair. A custom at the Fair is to take their horses down to the Sands, pictured above, and into the River Eden where the horses are washed.\nLooking up the historic Boroughgate from the near the junction with Low Wiend. Now that Sunday Service was finished, it was time to check the interior of St. Lawrence\u0026rsquo;s church.\nInside the church, medieval traceried Gothic screens with a variety of stained glass window illustrations attest to the historical interest of this building.\nThe nave of the church. The pews were installed in the 1700s, and the nave ceiling was plastered in the early-mid 1800s.\nAscending Boroughgate, our next stop was St. Anne\u0026rsquo;s Almshouses. Inside the courtyard we were delighted with what we found; a different world tucked away from the ongoings of the main road.\nSt. Anne\u0026rsquo;s Hospital was founded by Lady Anne Clifford in 1653 CE and for more than 350 years, ageing, widowed, or single ladies have lived there rent free. The upkeep of the almshouses has been paid for by Holme Farm, which was gifted by Lady Anne for the benefit of the almshouse.\nThere is space to the rear where the ladies were each given a strip of land on which to grow their own produce.\nThe grounds include a small private chapel, which retains some original 17th century fittings and wall paintings.\nThe coat of arms over the archway belongs to Lady Anne and her mother, and the others around the yard represent Lady Anne\u0026rsquo;s noble connections.\nI was amazed at how immaculately kept these 350+ year old almshouses were. A true testament to their original purpose.\nIn the mid-1800s, one of the houses (number six) was demolished to create a wider opening from the courtyard to the rear gardens; the former communal hall was converted to a house by way of replacement.\nAt the top of Boroughgate is High Cross, a 17th-century stone Tuscan column on a square base and with a square top. It bears the inscription \u0026ldquo;Retain your loyalty Preserve your rights\u0026rdquo;. A windvane was added on top in 1936.\nFurther south from Boroughgate, beyond Appleby Castle, is Castle Bank House. Privately owned, we were allowed a wander of the grounds, stables, and art gallery. Built in the 18th century, these stables were particularly fine.\nThe walled garden below the house was chock full of bugs and insects enjoying all the flowers and plants.\nSlap bang in the middle of the walled garden, an apple tree, brimming with fruit.\nWe took the minor road north east from Castle Bank House and over the River Eden via a footbridge. Halfway across the bridge, Bongate Mill caught our eye. An 18th century former corn mill.\nAcross the bridge and by the riverside we could see that there were river gauges. This means that, yes, you can technically ford across the river in your car to continue along the \u0026ldquo;road\u0026rdquo;. No thank you.\nThe appropriately named Rock Cottage, built on top of a giant crag of red sandstone.\nNear the old Church Institute buildings, we spotted this wee little door built right into the sandstone crags along the road. What is it\u0026rsquo;s purpose? What is it for? Who knows?\nA final shot looking down the historic Boroughgate towards St. Lawrence\u0026rsquo;s church, before making our way back to the car.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/appleby-in-westmorland-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Here’s something a little different.\nEvery September volunteers for Heritage Open Days organise events and open up usually private buildings to celebrate the culture and heritage of England. Best of all, all of these events and visit are free.\n","title":"Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castle-bank/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castle Bank","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/colour-makers-house/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Colour Makers House","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/heritage-open-days/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Heritage Open Days","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moot-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moot Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-lawrences-church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Lawrence's Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/westmorland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Westmorland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/colwith-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Colwith Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"The last of the summer holidays.\nAfter a lovely Friday evening in Dentdale, and a glorious Saturday in Kingsdale, we returned to the Lake District on Sunday for a hike to Colwith Force and back.\nThe weekend saw the advent of a heatwave settling over the British Isles. To counter, we head to Skelwith Bridge early in the morning for cooler conditions and before the majority of summer holidayers were about.\nWe were rewarded with beautifully moody, misty conditions to start, then as the temperatures rose the mist burned off, swirling around the fell tops and creating dramatic scenery. Just perfection.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, finalised in Photoshop.\nTypically, we start the walk to Colwith Force from Skelwith Bridge. From here we cross the River Brathay and head west. But before crossing the river, we can never resist getting up close and personal with the beautiful Skelwith Force.\nLooking upstream from Skelwith Force. You can just about make out the bridge that takes you across the river.\nUp and out of the woods around Skelwith Force, we head west where the views started to open up. Well, to a degree. Early morning fog clung to the fell tops, making for moody images.\nLooking back down the route we came up. You can just about make out the knuckly profile of Loughrigg but nothing beyond.\nAfter navigating a series of narrow footpaths punctuated with tight kissing gates and stiles, the trail starts to head back down Little Langdale. But before we do, this magnificent composition demands your attention: Wetherlam (763 m/2,502 ft) fighting the swirling mist as the morning sun burns it all off.\nDown at the valley bottom we entered Tongue Intake Plantation and picked our way up through the woods to find our main goal for the day: Colwith Force, a double spout waterfall. Evidence of the approach of autumn is all around us.\nSome people simply turn around and head back, but we\u0026rsquo;re fans of following the trail as it ascends up and above the waterfall. From above it, interesting compositions can be found of all the falls before the main double spout.\nThough a little dry this time, there\u0026rsquo;s a lovely series of falls above Colwith Force that deserve attention.\nBeyond the upper falls we followed the circular trail back out of the plantation and sought the Little Langdale road back towards Skelwith Bridge. Emerging from the woods, the fells were now clear of the morning mist, revealing their autumnal coats.\nJust goes to show the massive difference a change of light conditions can do to the mood and feel of a photograph. Loughrigg and the Grasmere fells beyond, now clearly visible.\nHerdwick yows (ewes) and their lambs peacefully graze in the now gorgeous autumnal morning sun. A timeless scene.\nNearing Skelwith Bridge, we could finally see the Langdale Pikes after being consumed by the fog all morning.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/colwith-force-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"The last of the summer holidays.\nAfter a lovely Friday evening in Dentdale, and a glorious Saturday in Kingsdale, we returned to the Lake District on Sunday for a hike to Colwith Force and back.\n","title":"Colwith Force, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fog/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fog","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mist/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mist","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-brathay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Brathay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/skelwith-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Skelwith Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/skelwith-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Skelwith Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/boulders/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Boulders","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cheese-press-stones/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cheese Press Stones","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kingsdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kingsdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Flexibility can lead to great things.\nWe started a promising Saturday morning with a plan to hike up the highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales: Whernside (736 m/2,415 ft).\nIt would definitely be the highest peak we\u0026rsquo;ve ever ascended but we were planning to \u0026ldquo;cheat\u0026rdquo; a little bit. Below Whernside\u0026rsquo;s western flank is a valley called Kingsdale. There\u0026rsquo;s a road that runs from the south, near Ingleton, through and over Kingsdale before dropping back down into Dentdale. This road enjoys a few large passing places, one of which is near the summit of the road at 468 m a.s.l. In theory, we could park at the passing place and hike the minor trail up Whernside\u0026rsquo;s western flank to reach the summit, with only 300 m of actual ascent needed.\nWe didn\u0026rsquo;t go for it in the end. Parking in passing places is generally a no-no, and the trail and landscape around Whernside\u0026rsquo;s western flank looked rather boggy.\nInstead, we drove back down to the valley bottom of Kingsdale and stopped at an actual parking place. Here we elected for a hike up Kingsdale\u0026rsquo;s magnificent limestone fellside to locate the magnificent Cheese Press Stones.\nIt turned out to be a great idea on a beautiful day.\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, finalised in Photoshop.\nStraight away from our little parking bay, the views across to Twistleton Scar and Ingleborough were magnificent. They were only going to get better.\nThe road north through Kingsdale, with the valley\u0026rsquo;s fantastic scar looming directly above. The main scar above the road is known as Keld Head Scar. The start of the hike heads up the fellside just as the road veers right.\nPart way up Keld Head Scar, and a single tree growing out of a limestone boulder provides a nice subject with Whernside in the distance.\nAs we clamber through the irregular clints and grikes of limestone, and navigate the occasional boulder, Ingleborough emerges from above Twistleton Scar. An old drystone sheep pen provides a nice foreground subject contrast against the fell in the distance. A large cluster of limestone boulders, no doubt dumped in position by the last Ice Age, provide a nice foreground focal point. They also, happily, seem to \u0026ldquo;point\u0026rdquo; towards Ingleborough.\nFinally, after a fairly challenging hike and scramble through Keld Head Scar, we emerged onto a limestone plateau where we easily spotted the Cheese Press Stones. These are a pair of giant limestone boulders, probably deposited here after the last Ice Age. Why are they called the \u0026ldquo;Cheese Press Stones\u0026rdquo;? No idea.\nThe boulder on the left is a good 9–10 ft tall. Some estimate its weight at around 15 tons. Here, an obvious composition is hard to ignore, using the two boulders to centre and frame Ingleborough.\nA few yards away, I spot another interesting limestone boulder, which appears to me almost like a cracked open egg.\nFurther up the plateau, a group of large limestone boulders attract my attention. I line a composition, attempting to fill the frame with them whilst keeping Whernside visible in the distance.\nI circle around the cluster of boulders to find a composition featured Ingleborough. It means shooting directly into the sun, but thankfully Sony RAW files are incredible flexible.\nI locate Lisabet near North End Scar, perched atop a small crag, happily editing her photos. In the distance, the Forest of Bowland is just about visible.\nThe way back involves navigating this ankle-breaking limestone pavement to relocate the minor trail, which takes you below North End Scar, past Tow Scar, and back down to the road.\nBeneath North End Scar\u0026rsquo;s western edge, the layering and striations of the limestone is fascinating.\nI am a sucker for a good drystone wall composition.\nThe criss-crossing and weaving of the valley and its various limestone scars and layers provide me a delightful photo with Whernside high in the distance.\nNearly back at the car, with the limestone scar of Kingsdale\u0026rsquo;s western edge in full display. A beautifully sculpted glacial valley.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kingsdale-yorkshire-dales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Flexibility can lead to great things.\nWe started a promising Saturday morning with a plan to hike up the highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales: Whernside (736 m/2,415 ft).\nIt would definitely be the highest peak we’ve ever ascended but we were planning to “cheat” a little bit. Below Whernside’s western flank is a valley called Kingsdale. There’s a road that runs from the south, near Ingleton, through and over Kingsdale before dropping back down into Dentdale. This road enjoys a few large passing places, one of which is near the summit of the road at 468 m a.s.l. In theory, we could park at the passing place and hike the minor trail up Whernside’s western flank to reach the summit, with only 300 m of actual ascent needed.\n","title":"Kingsdale, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aye-gill-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aye Gill Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dancing-flags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dancing Flags","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dent/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dent","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time to revisit an old friend.\nWith fairer conditions promised, we head out as soon as I finished work on Friday evening. We\u0026rsquo;d managed to book a table at the Meadowside Cafe in Dent, but beforehand we wanted to get reacquainted with this magical valley.\nDent is small, old village situated in a valley of its namesake: Dentdale. The valley is narrow and steep-sided, with Aye Gill Pike (556 m/1,824 ft) looming above Dent on the northern side and Great Coum (687 m/2,254 ft) rearing up behind.\nThe village itself is gorgeous, featuring buildings that are three to four centuries old, a cobbled village centre, gorgeous old church, and more.\nWe relished a light-hearted trek towards the south along the slopes of the fell, aiming to explore the Dancing Flags at Flinter Gill. The Dancing Flags are a vast spread of flat, naturally occurring stone slabs, which for centuries were employed by local weavers to \u0026lsquo;waulk\u0026rsquo; their freshly woven cloths, traditionally referred to as \u0026lsquo;webs\u0026rsquo;. \u0026lsquo;Waulking\u0026rsquo; involved the process of thoroughly soaking the cloth before stepping on it barefoot, leading to a minor shrinkage and \u0026lsquo;felting up\u0026rsquo; of the fabric. This resulted in a much denser and consequently warmer material. This technique was once universally adopted and was often referred to as \u0026lsquo;dancing the web\u0026rsquo; in various regions, thus giving the stones their name.\nAfter wandering around the village, it was time to pack the gear away and enjoy a fabulous meal at Meadowside Cafe.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs were developed in Lightroom for iPad using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nFrom the main village car park, there were already tremendous views over the old sandstone houses to Middleton Fell and the wall of Combe Scar.\nThis is where Flinter Gill tumbles down the Dancing Flags. At least, where it normally does. Despite all the rain we saw in July and August, Flinter Gill was exceptionally dry. From near the Dancing Flags, the views back down to Dent village were exceptional.\nIt will be nice to shoot the Dancing Flags when there\u0026rsquo;s loads of water pouring down. Of course, that will also make it harder to get close.\nHeading back down into the village, we enjoyed the almost timeless scenes that Dent presents around nearly every corner.\nSave for the car and satellite dish, this scene could be from 1923, rather than 2023.\nNot a bad backdrop for a football game, eh?\nSome of these houses in Dent date back to the 1600s. One such building was the birthplace and home of Adam Sedgwick, the \u0026ldquo;father\u0026rdquo; of British geology.\nA rusty barn provides a beautiful colour contrast to all the surrounding greenery. Above, a beam of light scans across the fellside of Aye Gill Pike.\nCrossing the 18th century Church Bridge with staggering views towards Aye Gill Pike.\nBack over towards the northwestern side of the village, the road serves as a leading line towards Helms Knott as the light starts to fade.\nThe signage may have changed over time, but this scene will have been relatively unchanged for a century or so.\nStone Close is a 17th century tea room, it\u0026rsquo;s walls thick and whitewashed. The cobbled road points deeper into the village.\nSt. Andrew\u0026rsquo;s Church, with Aye Gill Pike behind it. The church dates from the 12th century, with the tower added in the 18th century. It was restored in the late 1800s.\nThe George \u0026amp; Dragon hotel and pub, rebuilt in the 19th century. To the right, a home maintains its original Martins Bank Ltd. signage. This was bank company was formed around 400 years ago, and had a significant presence throughout the north of England. It was bought by Barclays in 1969.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dent-yorkshire-dales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time to revisit an old friend.\nWith fairer conditions promised, we head out as soon as I finished work on Friday evening. We’d managed to book a table at the Meadowside Cafe in Dent, but beforehand we wanted to get reacquainted with this magical valley.\n","title":"Dent, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dentdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dentdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 September 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/great-coum/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Great Coum","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dad/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dad","type":"tags"},{"content":"A Bank Holiday Monday meant a day out with me Dad.\nAfter heading down to Kendal to meet me we decided to let his new car \u0026ldquo;stretch its legs\u0026rdquo;, so head east into the Yorkshire Dales. A wander around Hawes and the beautiful Upper Wensleydale was in order.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been a while since I\u0026rsquo;ve wandered around Hawes, and I was stunned by how busy and seemingly thriving it was. Hawes has always been popular with bikers anyway, but beyond the regulars there were scores of people enjoying the sights of what Hawes has to offer.\nWe timed it well, too. Not long after leaving Hawes via Blea Moor Road and the Ribblehead Viaduct, the heavens opened and the rain fell.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAWs were developed in Lightroom for iPad using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles.\nHawes was so busy that we couldn\u0026rsquo;t find any parking within the town. We had to stop outside the eastern end of the town. Thankfully, that afforded us views down Wensleydale like this.\nA proper bucolic northern English scene, with the characteristic golden sandstone buildings of Hawes with the crags of High Clint in the distance.\nOne of Hawes\u0026rsquo; most well-known scenes. Gayle Beck flows north from Sleddale and through Hawes town centre, dropping here as a beautiful series of falls.\nOne of many independent shops in Hawes, some have been here longer than others.\nHawes has an almost timeless aspect to it, save for the bright blue bins of course. No matter where you look, you can always see the fells of Upper Wensleydale.\nThere were plenty of crochet sheep and yarn bombing all around Hawes, raising funds for Great Yorkshire Ambulance.\nLook at these fantastic woollen renditions of Wallace and Gromit! Wallace \u0026amp; Gromit is a stop-motion animation franchise, and Wallace became well-known for his love of Wensleydale Cheese. It can be argued that the renewed interest in this cheese, courtesy of Wallace \u0026amp; Gromit, was what saved the Wensleydale Creamery from bankruptcy.\nI couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist immortalising this timeless scene. I wonder how long they\u0026rsquo;ve been going for?\nWe wandered up the road towards Gayle to take in a loop of the town and get some higher vantage views of it. Here, the road points the way towards Wether Fell (614 m/2,014 ft).\nThe cap of Yorburgh with a pair of trees point towards it. The well-maintained path takes you around the back of Hawes and opens up the views from above it. Here, the path serves as a leading line past St. Margaret\u0026rsquo;s Church and over the buildings of Hawes, with the nub of Smuker Hill, part of Lovely Seat, visible.\nI love capturing timeless rural scenes like this. Hawes makes it very easy.\nTaking the little back yards of Hawes makes you feel like you\u0026rsquo;ve stepped back in time.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"29 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hawes-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"A Bank Holiday Monday meant a day out with me Dad.\nAfter heading down to Kendal to meet me we decided to let his new car “stretch its legs”, so head east into the Yorkshire Dales. A wander around Hawes and the beautiful Upper Wensleydale was in order.\n","title":"Hawes, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bog/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bog","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/clougha-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Clougha Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"The last few weeks have been… tough.\nNot long after our hike to and around Stockghyll Force, I managed to acquire some form of vertigo for a few days, which was decidedly unpleasant. The following week, my lovely Lisabet came down with a rather nasty summer cold, and I managed to fall down the stairs, spraining my wrist and severely bruising my butt. Then the week after, I caught Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s cold.\nYeesh.\nFinally though, we were both fit and healthy, ready to get back out in nature. Following wise counsel from our nature expert friend, Andrew, we embarked on a completely new hike for us: the Clougha Pike circular.\nClougha Pike is the westernmost summit in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many peaks in the Forest of Bowland are gristone fells surrounded by heather-covered peat moorland, blanket bog, and deep wooded valleys. Clougha Pike is no different, though its southern face drops away dramatically to the valley floor, and is clearly visible from most areas around Lancaster.\nI ended up being in rather a lot of pain for this 10km hike. For reasons unknown to me, I slowly developed a blistering headache as the hike went on. This was paired with a sore neck (from having to look down at my footing a lot), sore knees (an every day occurrence), and painful feet (soles in my boots are now too thin).\nOh also, around the lower areas of the walk, having to deal with all the sheep flies and deer flies.\nDespite all of this, the hike was gorgeous. The heather was in full bloom, covering the land and fells in carpets of mauve flowers. We were also experiencing the tail end of Storm Betty, so the higher we ascended the more the 50 mph winds punched our bodies.\nAll in all, it made for an epic day, and crackin\u0026rsquo; photos.\nPhotos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWS developed in Lightroom for iPad using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Fortia SP film emulation, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nJust a few yards from the car park and already we could see the extent of all the pinky purple heather blooming in the area.\nThis trail is the more direct route up to Clougha Pike. But for our hike, we chose a more circular clockwise route, skirting around the old quarries and heading towards Littledale.\nThe colour contrast between the heather and the grasses was proving too hard to resist. A small scene of a gristone boulder being enveloped by all the heather, fern, and other moorland vegetation.\nIncreasingly I delight in finding, composing, and shooting these more intimate scenes in nature.\nMiles upon miles of heather moorland give way to the lower folding valleys near Quernmore.\nThis point marked the beginning of our ascent of the fellside above Littledale, the site of a former quarry.\nAfter crossing the infant River Conder via a concealed viaduct now known as Ottergear Bridge, we continued ascending the fellside above Cragg Wood. In the distance, Caton Moor\u0026rsquo;s windfarm catches the emerging light.\nThe trail gently lowered back down the fellside, but not before I captured this delightfully bucolic English view.\nAnother ascent ahead of us, the time the proper one that takes us all the way up to the Clougha Fell moorland plateau. The cascades of Sweet Beck presented a lovely little composition.\nA swaledale yew enjoys the view from the fellside above Sweet Beck, with Caton Moor still drenched in light.\nAs we start ascending the back of Clougha Fell, the greens of the grass is gradually replaced the pinks of heather and the dark tones of peat, punctuated with boulders of gritstone.\nThe Caton Moor windfarm still getting soaked in afternoon light. In the distance, the dark clouds press down on the southwestern fells of the Yorkshire Dales.\nAfter tacking the tricky and occasionally boggy trail up the back of Clougha, we finally joined the gravel shooter\u0026rsquo;s track and the moorland plateau. Rather then heading straight for the summit, we looped around to check this Andy Goldsworthy sculpture.\nOf course, we had to take turns clambering into the \u0026ldquo;chambers\u0026rdquo; for some photos. The nice thing is, in the 50+ mph winds, these chambers were a nice respite from being constantly wrestled by the wind.\nMaking our way onto Clougha Fell, I had lots of fun making compositions from all the gritstone formations dotted about everywhere, such as with these boulders and the Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks in the distance. A gritstone platform with solitary boulders, wrapped in heather, provided a nice scene towards Caton Moor and the dark fells in the distance.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s not quite Joe Cornish levels of composition skill, but I\u0026rsquo;ll get there one day.\nA solitary gritstone boulder perched on the moorland plateau serves as a nice subject as it catches the light beneath the stormy skies.\nFrom the summit of Clougha Pike, a mere 413 m/1,355 ft above sea level. Nevertheless, the views are gorgeous. From the summit we can see all the way across the Lune valley, towards Morecambe Bay.\nFrom the summit, our way back down was immediately apparent. It was going to be rocky and steep.\n100 m or so below the summit of Clougha Pike, a patch of smoothed gritstone boulders interspersed with heather provide me with another tasty composition.\nFrom below Clougha Pike\u0026rsquo;s southern face, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to see how this is such a distinct and recognisable hill from many miles away.\nA blast of light from the racing stormy clouds pulls all the gorgeous textures and colours from this scene.\nOne last look back at Clougha Pike, with heather everywhere, but we continued the descent down into the woodland toward the car park, fighting flies all the way.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/clougha-pike-forest-of-bowland-lancashire-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"The last few weeks have been… tough.\nNot long after our hike to and around Stockghyll Force, I managed to acquire some form of vertigo for a few days, which was decidedly unpleasant. The following week, my lovely Lisabet came down with a rather nasty summer cold, and I managed to fall down the stairs, spraining my wrist and severely bruising my butt. Then the week after, I caught Lisabet’s cold.\n","title":"Clougha Pike, Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/forest-of-bowland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Forest of Bowland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fortia-sp/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fortia Sp","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/heather/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Heather","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/moors/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moors","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/peat-bog/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Peat Bog","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stock-ghyll/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stock Ghyll","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stockghyll/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stockghyll","type":"tags"},{"content":"Loads of rain means one thing: waterfalls.\nThough certainly not as numerous or epic as in the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District is still home to some lovely waterfalls.\nCertainly one of the more accessible, yet grand, waterfalls is Stockghyll Force in Ambleside. We last hiked around here in June 2020, just as the UK\u0026rsquo;s COVID-19 lockdown was starting to ease off. Ambleside, usually one of the busiest honeypots in all the Lake District, was eerily quiet on that visit.\nThings were very much back to normal this time. Lots of people about, sipping pints in pubs, chatting over coffee and cake with friends, and hiking in and around the town.\nAnd all the rain we\u0026rsquo;ve had in July has meant that Stockghyll Force should be in full flow. Boy did she look good.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAW files were corrected in Lightroom, developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, and finalised again in Lightroom.\nFrom the car park opposite the Log House, we elected for the back roads towards the waterfall, rather than trekking alongside the main road. It gave us lovely, almost timeless, scenes like this.\nSoon enough we exited the town centre, hiked up the road alongside the beck, and head into the woodland surrounding the waterfall. A lovely little weir, bathed in sunlight, made for a nice composition.\nFurther into the woods, a small beck flows underneath this delightful little bridge. At the main waterfall itself, I perched myself and the tripod gingerly on a crag above the main drop, seeking a composition looking all the way down the falls to the gorge below.\nThe upper part of Stockghyll Force, surrounded by jagged, mossy crags and lush verdant vegetation everywhere.\nAfter leaving one side of the trail, we took a lunch break at a new cafe that\u0026rsquo;s recently opened not 30 m away from the waterfall. Force Cafe. Delicious food and drink, and absolutely stunning views from their open terrace.\nHeading back down the other side of the trail, the classic view of Stockghyll Force emerges and I cannot resist. However, just a little further down the trail, I think the best view of Stockghyll Force can be obtained.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"29 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stockghyll-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Loads of rain means one thing: waterfalls.\nThough certainly not as numerous or epic as in the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District is still home to some lovely waterfalls.\nCertainly one of the more accessible, yet grand, waterfalls is Stockghyll Force in Ambleside. We last hiked around here in June 2020, just as the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown was starting to ease off. Ambleside, usually one of the busiest honeypots in all the Lake District, was eerily quiet on that visit.\n","title":"Stockghyll, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brothers-water/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brothers Water","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gray-cragg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gray Cragg","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hartsop/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hartsop","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hartsop-dodd/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hartsop Dodd","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hayeswater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hayeswater","type":"tags"},{"content":"Here\u0026rsquo;s one we\u0026rsquo;ve not been to in quite some time.\nAfter June\u0026rsquo;s dry conditions and soaring temperatures, July has been unseasonably cool, stormy, and wet.\nA succession of wet weekends exhausted our patience, so Lisabet and I braved the Sunday and head into the Lake District.\nThe initial plan was for a valley bottom walk around Grisedale, one of my favourite places in all the Lake District. However, as we approached Brothers Water, Lisabet suggested revisiting Hayeswater instead, and I heartily agreed.\nThe last, and only, time hiked up to Hayeswater was way back in June 2013. A lot has changed in a decade. For a start, despite being 10-years older, we\u0026rsquo;re both fitter. The hike up to the former reservoir was considerably easier than we remembered it.\nOur journey into Hartsop and up to Hayeswater was punctuated with frequent downpours and brief bursts of localised light. It made the going tough, but boy did it make for epic photos.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii with a Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs were developed and edited using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film emulations.\nFrom Cow Bridge car park, Hartsop Dodd (618 m/2,028 ft) towers over you as you head towards the sleepy little hamlet of Hartsop.\nLooking up Patterdale, another squall drenches Place Fell.\nAfter passing through Hartsop, we\u0026rsquo;re greeted with this view of Gray Crag (699 m/2,293 ft) whilst a small flock of Swaledales eagerly keep their distance from us.\nLooking up Pasture Bottom towards Threshthwaite Cove as a small gap in the cloud cover lets some light in.\nBeyond Hartsop, the trail quickly gains height, opening up the views back across Patterdale to the Fairfield and Helvellyn fells.\nAnother big squall soon drenches the Patterdale fells. It would be our turn soon.\nWith the steeper part of the trail behind us, a brief pause allows me to compose this image of Lisabet heading onwards with Sulphury Gill streaming down the fellside and The Knott (739 m/2,425 ft) rising sharply above.\nThe ascension ceases. At Hayeswater, I zoom in on the sheer face of High Street (828 m/2,717 ft) as clouds blow across.\nHayeswater is natural in origin, but was dammed in 1908 to supply water for Penrith. In 2005 it ceased to be used as a reservoir, and in the summer of 2014 United Utilities removed the dam, restoring the natural form of the tarn.\nWe watched as waves of clouds washed across the fell tops.\nAfter stopping for lunch in the pouring rain, we started making our way back down the trail. 250 yds from the tarn, a new bridge crosses the gill that allowed for some nice compositions.\nThe waves of rain eased off and soon the immense views across Patterdale to the Helvellyn fells revealed themselves to us. To the bottom-right of the image you can see the old Filter House, now a private residence.\nGlad to vaguely dry, I started to relax as we made our way down the trail. Beyond, the cloud cover lifted from the fells.\nA break in the cloud illuminated the fells, if only for a moment, and I was able to capture this epic scene.\nNearing the valley bottom, the shoulder of Hartsop Dodd is bathed in glorious golden light.\nA tighter, zoomed in composition involving a drystone wall, pasture field, and Raven Crag.\nBeneath the towering form of Hartsop Dodd, this delightful barn captures our attention and imagination. A beautiful scene of one of Hartsop\u0026rsquo;s houses with Hartsop Dodd looming above.\nPerhaps the finest shot I got from the whole day. A dilapidated barn covered in a carpet of moss with a tree growing out of it. Beyond, a break in the clouds allows an intense burst of light to illuminate Raven Crag.\nA true rural Lake District scene with the unmistakeable form of Hartsop Dodd keeping watch. The sky darkens as the clouds drop down and close in again.\nWe tried a different route back to the car park, passing by this gorgeous cottage as another wet squall starts to close the end of our walk.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hayeswater-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Here’s one we’ve not been to in quite some time.\nAfter June’s dry conditions and soaring temperatures, July has been unseasonably cool, stormy, and wet.\nA succession of wet weekends exhausted our patience, so Lisabet and I braved the Sunday and head into the Lake District.\n","title":"Hayeswater, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-street/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Street","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rain/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rain","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/storm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Storm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-knott/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Knott","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/threshthwaite/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Threshthwaite","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/heysham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Heysham","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/heysham-nuclear-power-station/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Heysham Nuclear Power Station","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kodak-portra-160/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kodak Portra 160","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lake-district-fells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lake District Fells","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lakeland-fells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lakeland Fells","type":"tags"},{"content":"After a thunderstorm, you need to get those vast and expansive views.\nOn the Saturday, the Met Office issued a Yellow Warning of thunderstorms and torrential downpours. This was very much needed as temperatures were starting to creep up to the mid 20\u0026rsquo;s again with 90%+ humidity.\nIf there\u0026rsquo;s one thing a thunderstorm is really good at it\u0026rsquo;s clearing the atmosphere. So, on the Sunday, we decided that solid hike along the [Morecambe Bay coast](/blog/tag/morecambe bay), from Morecambe to Heysham and back, was needed. The views across the bay to Cumbria and the Lake District fells are always welcome. Plus, we knew we would have limited time before the next load of thunderstorms arrived.\nI decided to equip relatively minimally; just my camera, Sony 28–70 and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm for those super tight and zoomed in compositions.\nThe views, and the weather, were glorious.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Portra 160 film emulation, then a little bit of finalisation in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nWant sweeping and expansive views for mountains in the distance? Morecambe Bay is where you need to be. Anywhere with access to the Bay will do, but for this walk we chose the town of Morecambe itself.\nThis is the 14 m tall Hook Beacon, signalling the location of West End Gardens at Morecambe Bay. It was conceived by Broadbent Studio in collaboration with local school pupils.\nA man and his dog, watching the world go by.\nWe started the walk 1-hour after low tide, so the sea was still miles out. Families and couples alike were enjoying the sensation of wet sand on their feet and sea air in their faces.\nI decided to equip my 70–210mm lens for some super-zoomed in compositions across the bay to Cumbria.\nA lovely mural that I can never resist taking a shot of.\nNice and clear, the Coniston Fells in the Lake District, 25 miles away.\nOne of numerous breakwaters along Morecambe. This is Grosevenor Breakwater, with Black Combe (600 m/1,970 ft) rising in the distance.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s always nice to see people soaking in the vibes of the day and taking in the immense views that Morecambe has to offer.\nSouth beyond the town of Morecambe, ancient Heysham comes into view, resting on a small hill above the Bay.\nSt. Peter\u0026rsquo;s church. Christian worship has been regularly practised at the site for over 1,000 years.\nThe graveyard behind the church enjoys spectacular views across the Bay.\nTrees in the graveyard remind us of the passing of time beyond our own horizons.\nThe ruins of St. Peter\u0026rsquo;s chapel, dating from around the 8th or 9th century. It gives me vibes of a portal to another world.\nA group of six stone-hewn tombs dating from around the 11th century. Each tomb has an associated \u0026ldquo;socket\u0026rdquo;, which was probably where a wooden cross would be inserted.\nAt Half Moon Bay, just before Heysham Nuclear Power Station, one can find the marvellous SHIP sculpture by Anna Gillespie.\nThe ship\u0026rsquo;s hull is mounted with two opposing figures at each end. One faces \u0026ldquo;new\u0026rdquo; Heysham, the Nuclear Power Station, and the other faces \u0026ldquo;old\u0026rdquo; Heysham, the ancient monument of St Patrick\u0026rsquo;s Chapel.\nThe sculpture \u0026ldquo;celebrates Morecambe Bay\u0026rsquo;s landscape and maritime heritage, and reflects the importance of seaborne trade in bringing news, innovation and shaping the character of the area.\u0026rdquo;\nHeading back to Morecambe, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist nabbing the colour contrast of pink and green courtesy of these flowers.\nThe way back to Morecambe, with plenty of other peeps enjoying the day out in the glorious sunshine.\nThis gentleman was raising people\u0026rsquo;s spirits with tunes from his pocket trumpet. He was also kind enough to pose for a photo or two and give us a rendition of \u0026ldquo;Bring Me Sunshine\u0026rdquo;, an appropriate tune for the town of Morecambe.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/morecambe-heysham-lancashire-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"After a thunderstorm, you need to get those vast and expansive views.\nOn the Saturday, the Met Office issued a Yellow Warning of thunderstorms and torrential downpours. This was very much needed as temperatures were starting to creep up to the mid 20’s again with 90%+ humidity.\n","title":"Morecambe \u0026amp; Heysham, Lancashire, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sculpture/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sculpture","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-peters-chapel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Peters Chapel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-peters-church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Peters Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buckstone-edge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buckstone Edge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/marsden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Marsden","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/marsden-moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Marsden Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for somewhere a little different.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re as guilty as anyone of succumbing to the familiar. Conscious of this, Lisabet and I booked a long weekend somewhere we\u0026rsquo;d never explored before: the moors of West Yorkshire.\nOur \u0026ldquo;base\u0026rdquo; for the weekend was the bonny village of Marsden. Much like the rest of West Yorkshire, Marsden was an important mill town known for the production of woollen cloth. The days of hard labour in mills, warehouses, and factories are over, but those grand old buildings remain. These days, Marsden is a vibrant and forward-looking place that enjoys a great food and drink scene, easy travel to Manchester or Leeds, and quick access to the beautiful moorland hills that surround it.\nThe weather wasn\u0026rsquo;t as kind to us on this particular break, with persistent and at times heavy rain following us for most of the weekend. We attempted a hike up a well-known local hill, Pule Hill, but quickly turned back as it became clear that the various trails up the hill would be too boggy for us.\nInstead, we explored the gorgeous scenery around the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, and possibly the windiest shoot I\u0026rsquo;ve ever done at Buckstones Edge.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom, Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom, and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs converted in Lightroom, developed in Photomatix, and edited and finalised in Photoshop.\nOn a small clearing above the canal, we captured an inkling of a view of Marsden and its old buildings and mills.\nThe Huddersfield Narrow Canal between Marsden and Slaithwaite features plenty of picturesque locks in lovely scenery. The canal itself, though only 20 miles long, has 74 locks.\nThe canal truly is narrow in name and nature. Near Standedge Tunnel, a splash of colour amongst the brickwork catches my eye.\nMany sections of Huddersfield Narrow Canal are beautifully lush and verdant.\nThis is where Huddersfield Narrow Canal enters Standedge Tunnel, carrying watercraft through and underneath the Pennines. At 5.2 km long, 194 m underground, and 196 m above sea level, Standedge Canal Tunnel is Britain\u0026rsquo;s longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel.\nOur ultimate destination was Pule Hill above the tunnel, at 434 m/1,434 ft above sea level. Though ultimately we retreated from climbing the summit, we nevertheless got fantastic views of Marsden and the valley it sits in.\nAn old farm cottage that\u0026rsquo;s seen better days, but nevertheless enjoys fantastic views.\nAfter clambering and squelching back down the valley into Marsden—and refuelling our bellies—we head up to Buckstone Edge. This rim of the valley above March Haigh Reservoir is lined with Millstone Grit crags and boulders that offer a photographer\u0026rsquo;s paradise of compositions.\nAt 1,400 ft above sea level, the wind was blowing a raging storm. Probably one of the windiest shoots I\u0026rsquo;ve ever done. I wanted to capture that sense of rushing and movement everywhere, contrasted against the still and stubborn boulders and crags. As a result of the high winds, the clouds above us were rushing across the sky. This allowed for the sun to intermittently paint golden streaks of light across the land. All I had to do was watch, wait, and shoot.\nI gingerly clambered down the steep valley side, seeking compositions of the Buckstones pointing towards Pule Hill in the distance.\nSome of these Millstone Grit boulders were as big as a car, stubbornly resisting the sheer force of the day\u0026rsquo;s wind. After satiating my need for ultra-wide compositions, I equipped my 70–210mm lens for some tighter images. Trying to get a steady shot at 210mm with the wind wrestling my camera was definitely a challenge. Some how, I managed a few sharp images!\nPule Hill, which defeated us earlier in the day. Here, at 210mm, it caught the sun\u0026rsquo;s fleeting paintbrush as I pressed the shutter.\nBeyond the village, I spy the distant hills of Marsden Moor receiving their share of the sun\u0026rsquo;s brief artistic spurt, and set up a composition at 210mm with the Buckstones.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/marsden-west-yorkshire-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for somewhere a little different.\nWe’re as guilty as anyone of succumbing to the familiar. Conscious of this, Lisabet and I booked a long weekend somewhere we’d never explored before: the moors of West Yorkshire.\n","title":"Marsden, West Yorkshire, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pule-hill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pule Hill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/saddleworth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Saddleworth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yorkshire-moors/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yorkshire Moors","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/arnside/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Arnside","type":"tags"},{"content":"I hope everyone had a lovely Summer Solstice.\nWhen it comes to nature and the Summer Solstice, Lisabet and I are fortunate to have a variety of options on our doorstep. With a clear and cloudless evening ahead we decided on the expansive views offered at Arnside.\nArnside is a proper bonny seaside village located on the banks of the Kent Estuary, which eventually spills out into Morecambe Bay. Arnside features a ½ km long viaduct that carries trains across the estuary, and Arnside Tower; a peel tower, built in the 14th/15th century. Another curiosity is the Arnside Bore, a very fast rising tidal bore that occurs most high tides. People often watch the bore from the shoreline, marvelling at the faster-than-walking speed of the tide as Morecambe Bay refills the Kent Estuary every high tide.\nFor our evening, we just took a gentle meandering stroll along the shoreline of Arnside, enjoying the light and scenes as the sun set on the longest day of the year.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs were developed in Lightroom, processed in Photomatix, and finalised in Photoshop.\nThe gentle curves of the Arnside shoreline catches the golden sunset light, serving as a leading line towards the Arnside Viaduct and the distant Lake District fells beyond.\nProbably my favourite shot of the evening. A small channel in the sand provides a nice leading line towards the sunset as onlookers from the pier enjoying the solstice.\nBeached buoys provide a nice foreground subject as the sun gently sinks behind the fells.\nA tighter composition focusing on this tidal channel as it reflects the fiery sunset light.\nBack on the road, I equip my ultra-wide for this composition in the dying light of the day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"23 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/arnside-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"I hope everyone had a lovely Summer Solstice.\nWhen it comes to nature and the Summer Solstice, Lisabet and I are fortunate to have a variety of options on our doorstep. With a clear and cloudless evening ahead we decided on the expansive views offered at Arnside.\n","title":"Arnside, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kent-estuary/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kent Estuary","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shore/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shore","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/summer-solstice/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Summer Solstice","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fie/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fie","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/longridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Longridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/longridge-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Longridge Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"Being in nature with your best bud is one of life\u0026rsquo;s greatest treasures.\nI recently had the privilege of heading Down South (and by Down South, I mean, Preston) to spend a weekend with my best mate, Fie. With the prospect of a gloriously sunny British summer\u0026rsquo;s day ahead, we decided on a wee little excursion up Longridge Fell, east of Preston.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve not been up Longridge in, perhaps, over a decade. The one and only time I hiked Longridge Fell was to capture the sunset from the summit with another good friend of mine, Bamber. This was very early on in my photography journey, so I was very unsteadily shooting HDR photos.\nIn fact, here\u0026rsquo;s the photo:\nThis was shot on the 7th August, 2012.\nSo yeah, it\u0026rsquo;s been nearly a decade.\nLongridge Fell is the most southerly hill in England that has the word \u0026ldquo;fell\u0026rdquo; in its name. As you may have read previously in this blog, \u0026ldquo;fell\u0026rdquo; in Northern English dialects refers to a hill or a mountain, and can be traced from the Old Norse word fjall, which means \u0026ldquo;mountain\u0026rdquo;.\nThe fell\u0026rsquo;s name is quite literal as it truly is a long ridge, rising from the town of Longridge to its summit in 4.5 miles. Researching Longridge Fell caused me to learn a new word, which I\u0026rsquo;m always happy with: cuesta. This is a Spanish word and geographically refers to a hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on t\u0026rsquo;other, which Longridge Fell definitely fits.\nOn this day, and for this walk, we started from Jeffrey Hill car park, which is already 200m-ish a.s.l. Only another 150m worth of ascension was needed to reach the summit.\nThe day was gloriously clear with nary a cloud in the sky. Like in Cumbria, Lancashire has seen barely a drop of rain in a good month or so. As a result, the fell—though normally boggy—was remarkably dry. This didn\u0026rsquo;t stop Fie from managing to sink one of her shoes into a surprise bog…\nAll photos shot on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f2.8–4.0 zoom lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nAcross the rushes, grass, and valley, the nose of Totridge Fell (496 m/1,627 ft) on the southern edge of the Forest of Bowland becomes apparent.\nAs we level out near the summit Fie does her best meerkat impression, scoping out the view of the Ribble Valley.\nLooking back west along the drystone wall. The clear atmosphere means we can easily pick out the city of Preston, and also Blackpool Tower 20-odd miles away.\nNow equipped with my 70–210mm lens, I spot a composition of three solitary trees over the wall, seemingly standing guard over the Ribble Valley.\nThe moorland that makes up most of Longridge Fell allows for more minimalist landscape compositions, even in the peak of the summer day.\nLooking down the sheer drop from near the summit, I spy a couple resting in the heather and bracken, enjoying the view across the valley towards the Forest of Bowland.\nFrom the summit of Longridge Fell, I line up a composition looking east along the drystone wall and the forest edge.\nRather than simply heading back the way we came, we cut through the woodland on top of Longridge Fell. This allowed for some beautiful deep woodland compositions as the summer sun penetrated the trees in atmospheric ways.\nOne last look back at the summit, across all the ferns and picking out the solitary tree I shot earlier.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"14 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/longridge-fell-lancashire-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Being in nature with your best bud is one of life’s greatest treasures.\nI recently had the privilege of heading Down South (and by Down South, I mean, Preston) to spend a weekend with my best mate, Fie. With the prospect of a gloriously sunny British summer’s day ahead, we decided on a wee little excursion up Longridge Fell, east of Preston.\n","title":"Longridge Fell, Lancashire, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ribble-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ribble Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coniston/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coniston","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tarn-hows/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tarn Hows","type":"tags"},{"content":"Summer is upon us.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been a month without any rain, and the temperatures are now consistently in the late teens/early 20s. Rivers and lakes are starting to dry up.\nBefore things got too crispy and baked, we took a free evening out to Tarn Hows via Tom Gill. Always a good walk, and provides an alternative route to the popular destination that is Tarn Hows. It involves hiking up alongside Tom Gill, occasionally veering off the path to take in a couple of waterfalls. However, they were both almost completely dry.\nTarn Hows was looking incredibly lush and resplendent in its summer finery. One of those evenings that makes you glad to be alive.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nFrom the upper path around Tarn Hows\u0026rsquo; eastern side, my eye catches this fence as a leading line down to the tarn and the Langdale Pikes beyond.\nGorgeous evening light bathes the land and Coniston fells in golden light. In the shade, Herdwick sheep continue their blissful nibbling of the growing grass.\nThe upper path soon joins the lower one, where we would return back around Tarn Hows. The Grasmere and Fairfield fells peak above the woodland around the tarn.\nA panorama, made from 5 vertical images stitched together left to right. I wanted to get all of the dead trees in the frame with the path leading into the distance.\nWe exited Tarn Hows west via a minor road, and then too came off this road onto a public bridleway, giving us glorious valley views of the Coniston fells.\nThe road that takes us back home.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"8 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/tarn-hows-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Summer is upon us.\nIt’s been a month without any rain, and the temperatures are now consistently in the late teens/early 20s. Rivers and lakes are starting to dry up.\n","title":"Tarn Hows, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 June 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tom-gill-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tom Gill Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"It was time to capture the last of this year\u0026rsquo;s bluebells.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re fortunate in Cumbria to have quite a few options when it comes to photographing glorious bluebell displays. On this occasion we decided to revisit a local favourite that also—coincidentally—tends to be quiet: Barkbooth Lot.\nUpon arrival it turns out that we were maybe slightly past Peak Bluebell, at least in Barkbooth Lot. Nevertheless, the light was lovely and the woodland is always a joy to gently wander around and find compositions to play with.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nSoft woodland light highlights the limestone remnants, moss, and of course the bluebells in this delicious scene. On the edge of the woods, this dead tree being consumed by vines provides an excellent subject.\nThe way through the woodlands, across the beck. Like a scene from a timeless fantasy novel.\nA patch of bluebells enjoy the shade will unfurling ferns reach up to the morning light.\nA trio (tree-oh?) or trees provide a simplified composition, with bluebells surrounding them.\nA fallen tree shelters the carpet of bluebells.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"29 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/barkbooth-lot-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It was time to capture the last of this year’s bluebells.\nWe’re fortunate in Cumbria to have quite a few options when it comes to photographing glorious bluebell displays. On this occasion we decided to revisit a local favourite that also—coincidentally—tends to be quiet: Barkbooth Lot.\n","title":"Barkbooth Lot, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"29 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cumbria-wildlife-trust/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cumbria Wildlife Trust","type":"tags"},{"content":"After returning from North Wales, but before returning to work, Lisabet and I decided on a wee spring jaunt up to Crina Bottom.\nCrina Bottom is a 400-year old farmstead situated above Ingleton and below the peak of Ingleborough. The route to summit Ingleborough from Ingleton via Crina Bottom is one of the most popular trails to top this famous peak. As such, it\u0026rsquo;s nicely paved all the way, allowing for easy hiking as the views become increasingly gorgeous.\nOnce at Crina Bottom, one can enjoy a ridiculous view straight to the flat-topped mountain that is Ingleborough. Just beyond the farmstead, limestone clints and grikes are a photographer\u0026rsquo;s paradise for compositions.\nPlus, we had gorgeous light too.\nAll photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Sony FE 28–70mm f3.5–5.6 OSS zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nHiking up Fell Lane to Crina Bottom, a glorious day made shooting this landscape impossible to ignore.\nCrina Bottom farmstead with mighty Ingleborough rising above in the distance. Not a bad spot to call home, eh?\nLife… finds a way.\nAbove the farmstead, one can a lovely patch of limestone clints and grikes to play around with and try out some compositions. Lisabet, perched on a limestone clint, enjoying the view to Ingleborough.\nEvening sun bursts from behind a cloud, pulling out all the delicious textures and forms of the limestone rocks, and brushing a paint stroke across the face of Ingleborough.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"23 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/22crina-bottom-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"After returning from North Wales, but before returning to work, Lisabet and I decided on a wee spring jaunt up to Crina Bottom.\nCrina Bottom is a 400-year old farmstead situated above Ingleton and below the peak of Ingleborough. The route to summit Ingleborough from Ingleton via Crina Bottom is one of the most popular trails to top this famous peak. As such, it’s nicely paved all the way, allowing for easy hiking as the views become increasingly gorgeous.\n","title":"Crina Bottom, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/drystone-wall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Drystone Wall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/anglesey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Anglesey","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cliff/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cliff","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/holy-island/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Holy Island","type":"tags"},{"content":"After getting some delicious mountain action, it was time to head back to the coast.\nAnglesey is the largest island in Wales, and the 7th largest in Britain, separated from the North Wales by the narrow Menai Strait.\nIf you travel across the island all the way to its northwestern tip, you can cross the Cymyran Strait onto a much smaller island called Ynys Gybi, or \u0026ldquo;Holy Island\u0026rdquo; in English.\nYnys Gybi features a rocky coastline full of cliffs and rises to 220m/722ft at Holyhead Mountain. Much like Inception, there are an additional two islands off Ynys Gybi: North Stack and South Stack.\nOur hiking for the day involved checking out Rhoscolyn Headland, then onwards to revisit the epic South Stack and its lighthouse.\nThe day was full of low cloud and a dramatic mood.\nPhotos taken on my Sony a7ii using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nUnbeknown to us, Rhoscolyn Head is world-renowned for its fascinating geology. As an amateur \u0026ldquo;rock nerd\u0026rdquo; myself, I was delighted with what I found. Here, I found a cliff edge covered in wildflowers, looming over Porth Gwalch. Fascinating shards of rock like plates of armour line this cliff as a strand of light escapes the thick cloud cover. Rhoscolyn Head is known for its exposures of the South Stack formation of rocks. These are Cambro-Ordovician metasedimentary rocks, which demonstrate unusual foldings at certain places, such as here. The day was moody, thick with cloud and moisture, and this added to the dramatic scenes we explored at Rhoscolyn Head.\nA resident of Ynys Gybi we did not expect to see! Goats.\nRhoscolyn Head is also known for two sea arches that have been carved out of the cliffs over the course of millennia. After sighting this one from above, we scrambled down the cliff side for a closer look. This is Bwa Gwyn, \u0026ldquo;the white arch\u0026rdquo;.\nFurther along the headland we find the vast gaping maw of Bwa Du, \u0026ldquo;the black arch\u0026rdquo;. In the far distances, on the left, is Holyhead Mountain, the highest point on Ynys Gybi at a gentle (220 m/720 ft)\nThe other side of Bwa Du, with the sun desperately trying to break through the dark cloud cover.\nAt Gromlech, this lovely little cottage enjoys extensive views across the Irish Sea and onto these folded metasedimentary rocks below. Pure drama.\nAfter circumambulating around Rhoscolyn Headland, we drove further up the coastline of Ynys Gybi to revisit a favourite of ours: South Stack. This is a tiny rocky island just off the cliffs of Ynys Gybi, and is home to a picturesque lighthouse. Access is via steep and winding steps that navigate down the sheer cliff face. Every now and then, you get incredible views across the cliffs as you head down the steps.\nSouth Stack lighthouse, shot from higher up the steps. The lighthouse was constructed in 1809 and finally automated in 1983. To begin with, the sole means to traverse to the island was via a basket hung from a hemp rope. Subsequently, in 1828 an iron suspension bridge was constructed, which was then replaced in 1964 by a steel cable truss bridge. Nevertheless, in 1983 it became necessary to close the bridge to the public due to safety issues. Finally, after an aluminium bridge was built, the lighthouse was reopened for public access in 1997. At present, it has become a favoured tourist attraction, drawing many thousands of visitors annually.\nFurther south from the lighthouse, one can take the path from the RSPCB building down the cliff to Ellin\u0026rsquo;s Tower, then enjoy a wander along the cliff tops there. A sheer from near Ellin\u0026rsquo;s Tower gave me this dramatic composition looking back at South Stack and its lighthouse.\nElin\u0026rsquo;s Tower and, further, South Stack Lighthouse in the distance, with gorse (Ulex europaeus) flowering everywhere. Unusually, gorse in the spring has the strong scent of coconut. Elin\u0026rsquo;s Tower is a Victorian stone tower. This castellated architectural extravagance, initially employed as a summer residence, was constructed between 1820 and 1850 for the prominent Stanley family of Penrhos. It derives its name from Elin (anglicised as \u0026ldquo;Ellen\u0026rdquo;), the Welsh spouse of the 19th-century statesman William Owen Stanley.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/holy-island-ynys-gybi-anglesey-north-wales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"After getting some delicious mountain action, it was time to head back to the coast.\nAnglesey is the largest island in Wales, and the 7th largest in Britain, separated from the North Wales by the narrow Menai Strait.\n","title":"Holy Island/Ynys Gybi, Anglesey, North Wales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/north-wales/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"North Wales","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rhoscolyn-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rhoscolyn Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rhoscolyn-headland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rhoscolyn Headland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/south-stack/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"South Stack","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/south-stack-lighthouse/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"South Stack Lighthouse","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/vivitar-series-1-28-105/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Vivitar Series 1 28-105","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ynys-gybi/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ynys Gybi","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ynys-mon/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ynys Mon","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carneddau/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carneddau","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cwm-idwal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cwm Idwal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/devils-kitchen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Devil's Kitchen","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glyderau/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glyderau","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/idwal-slabs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Idwal Slabs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llyn-idwal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llyn Idwal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ogwen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ogwen","type":"tags"},{"content":"The morning of my 40th birthday.\nWe got up before the sun, devoured breakfast, and head straight into the heart of Yr Eryri for one of my favourite areas in the whole of North Wales: the Ogwen Valley.\nDyffryn Ogwen separates two mountain ranges: the Glyderau and the Carneddau. In the Glyderau you can find my favourite peak in all of Wales: Tryfan. She rises 3,010 ft and is often cited as one of the most recognisable mountains in Britain. My favourite compositions of Tryfan involve shooting it from the various falls and cascades of Afon Lloer across the valley.\nAs an additional bonus, we then enjoyed the Cwm Idwal circuit, taking in one of the most spectacular hanging valleys I know.\nThe light and weather could not have been kinder.\nWhat a way to see in my 40th year on this planet.\nAll photos taken on my Sony a7ii using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 and Rokinon 14mm f2.8. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nI finally got the composition of Tryfan I\u0026rsquo;ve been after for years . Tryfan at sunrise, with the cascades of Afon Lloer leading the way down the flanks of Pen yr Ole Wen. Heading back down to the valley floor, a dry stone wall gives me another lovely composition involving Tryfan. Beyond Tryfan, we climbed up the trail to take the Cwm Idwal circuit. I were very much hoping the light and conditions to be right enough so that the rising sun would illuminate the Idwal Slabs high above the tarn. Here, Castell y Geifr catches the rising sun above Cwm Idwal. As we pottered about the shore of Llyn Idwal seeking out more compositions, what I hoped for finally happened. The Idwal Slabs, those towering cliffs of crag, starting catching the light. So I lined up this composition.\nA tighter composition focusing on the Idwal Slabs. Arguably, Cwm Idwal\u0026rsquo;s most recognisable feature is the Devil\u0026rsquo;s Kitchen, or Twll Du (\u0026ldquo;black hole\u0026rdquo;) in Welsh. This is a large crack in the cliffs of Cwm Idwal, inside which flows a multi-drop waterfall. The light angle was just right.\nAs we circumambulated Llyn Idwal clockwise, I kept my gaze locked high on the crags above, watching the light change. As one of the many falls was lit up, I shot this moody photo.\nThe Cwm Idwal circuit is largely paved, making the going easy. As we neared the apex of the trail, another scene of delicious light demanded by attention. Walking along the western section of the trail away from the Idwal Slabs, the profile of Pen yr Ole Wen (978m/3,209ft) comes into view. Here, I spot two giant slabs of rock that provide a nice foreground interest as Pen yr Ole Wen gets some lovely morning light. A glacial erratic nearly blocks the trail. It also gives a lovely foreground interest against the emerging morning light drenching Pen yr Ole Wen. Nearly at the start of the Llyn Idwal circuit, the tarn is calm and flat enough to give a lovely reflection of Wales\u0026rsquo; 7th highest mountain.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ogwen-valley-snowdonia-north-wales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"The morning of my 40th birthday.\nWe got up before the sun, devoured breakfast, and head straight into the heart of Yr Eryri for one of my favourite areas in the whole of North Wales: the Ogwen Valley.\n","title":"Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia, North Wales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pen-yr-ole-wen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pen Yr Ole Wen","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/snowdonia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Snowdonia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sunrise/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sunrise","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tryfan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tryfan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yr-eryri/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yr Eryri","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lighthouse/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lighthouse","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newborough/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newborough","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newborough-beach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newborough Beach","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newborough-forest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newborough Forest","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newbrwch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newbrwch","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sunset/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sunset","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ynys-llanddwyn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ynys Llanddwyn","type":"tags"},{"content":"Newborough beach and Ynys Llanddwyn is a magical place.\nLocated at the southern corner of Anglesey island (Ynys Môn), Newborough comprises of 2,000 acres of Corsican pine woodland, planted between 1947 and 1965 to stabilise the shifting sand dunes of Newborough Warren. Emerging from the forest, you enter the expansive sands of Newborough beach with crystal clear views across the Menai Strait to the Snowdonia/Yr Eryri mountains.\nAt low tide you can access a small rocky island off the beach, known as Ynys Llanddwyn. The island has historical attachments to St. Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers. Ynys Llanddwyn translates to \u0026ldquo;The island of the church of St. Dwynwen\u0026rdquo;. It contains the ruins of St Dwynwen\u0026rsquo;s church, a giant cross on the island\u0026rsquo;s summit, and the iconic Tŵr Mawr lighthouse.\nWe couldn\u0026rsquo;t have picked a more beautiful evening to revisit this ethereal place.\nAll photos taken on my Sony a7ii using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom for iPad, edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nWith the tide out, the already expansive beach at Newborough seemed even bigger. Long channels of pools provided nice compositions involving the mountains of Yr Eryri.\nLooking back east along the beach, the sun beautifully lights up the dunes of Newborough Warren, whilst dramatic clouds break up above the mountains of Yr Eryri.\nWe enjoyed a gentle meander along the beach, slowly but surely heading our way towards Ynys Llanddwyn. Up on the crags, you can see where the tide would separate the island from the beach.\nYnys Llanddwyn is chock-full of rare flora, so it\u0026rsquo;s generally advised to keep to the dedicated paths, which I made a composition of. In the distance you can just make out the island\u0026rsquo;s cross and Tŵr Mawr lighthouse.\nThere are two crosses on Ynys Llanddwyn, this is the Celtic one. Strong side light elevates the scene and highlights some of the Yr Eryri mountains that are crowned with clouds.\nA magical moment. Evening golden side light drenches the island and its lighthouse, Tŵr Mawr. In the distance, the Yr Eryri mountains are capped with their own little clouds. A moment I\u0026rsquo;ll never forget.\nNear the smaller tower on the southeastern tip of Ynys Llanddwyn, some volcanic rock formations provide a lovely composition against the endless waters of Caernarfon Bay.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"30 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ynys-llanddwyn-anglesey-north-wales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Newborough beach and Ynys Llanddwyn is a magical place.\nLocated at the southern corner of Anglesey island (Ynys Môn), Newborough comprises of 2,000 acres of Corsican pine woodland, planted between 1947 and 1965 to stabilise the shifting sand dunes of Newborough Warren. Emerging from the forest, you enter the expansive sands of Newborough beach with crystal clear views across the Menai Strait to the Snowdonia/Yr Eryri mountains.\n","title":"Ynys Llanddwyn, Anglesey, North Wales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aber-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aber Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"Much like South Wales, North Wales and Snowdonia has its fair share of waterfalls.\nOne such waterfall we\u0026rsquo;ve never visited before, and was relatively close to where we\u0026rsquo;re staying for the week, is Aber Falls, just south of the village of Abergwyngregyn.\nFor most people, this involves a very simple walk from the Nature Reserve car park to the falls. But there is a second waterfall, less visited, that we decided to check out too.\nThe late afternoon/early evening gave us glorious light to work with, and the scale of the waterfalls were a sight to behold.\nPhotos taken on my Sony a7ii using a Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe falls are very popular. Accompanying us on the walk to Aber Falls were a large group of overseas students enjoying the delights of Wales. The falls can be seen from miles away.\nWe made it to Aber Falls in no time and began scrambling around the boulders, seeking compositions of this 120ft waterfall plunging into its pool.\nOf course, we weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones at the falls, so patience was required to shoot photos when people left the frame. Additionally, I shot many exposures to really push the limits of how slow I could get the shutter speed whilst handheld. The Sony a7ii served me well.\nFurther along the head of the valley one can find another, less-visited, waterfall. This is Rhaeadr-bach or Rhaeadr Fach, which essentially means \u0026ldquo;smaller waterfall\u0026rdquo;, with Aber Falls technically named Rhaeadr-fawr, or \u0026ldquo;bigger waterfall\u0026rdquo;. This smaller waterfall had hollowed out a perfect little raised pool before dropping further into the river.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"26 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/aber-falls-snowdonia-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Much like South Wales, North Wales and Snowdonia has its fair share of waterfalls.\nOne such waterfall we’ve never visited before, and was relatively close to where we’re staying for the week, is Aber Falls, just south of the village of Abergwyngregyn.\n","title":"Aber Falls, Snowdonia, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/abergwyngregyn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Abergwyngregyn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conwy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conwy","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conwy-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conwy Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"Conwy is a historical treasure trove.\nSituated above the river of the same name, Conwy is a walled town with most of those structures surviving to the present day. The town is perhaps best known for its castle, which was built along with the walls in the late 13th century.\nWe enjoyed getting lost around the myriad of small streets in the town, but eventually climbed up the town walls and followed the circular trail on top of the walls, which mostly surround the town. The walk offers unparalleled views of the town, the castle, and the estuary beyond.\nAdd a hazy day with localised and shifting spot lighting, you\u0026rsquo;ve got conditions set up for some gorgeous photos.\nAll photos taken on my Sony a7ii using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 lens. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nAt the junction with Upper Gate Street, I zoomed in on this composition of Upper Gate tower, standing imperiously above the street\u0026rsquo;s housing.\nThe section of the walls heading towards the Quayside allow for fantastic views across Conwy\u0026rsquo;s rooftops towards the imposing 13th century Conwy Castle.\nApproaching the Postern Gate, a view straight down Castle Street being lit by the brightening day proved irresistible. At Lower Gate this beautiful house provided the perfect foreground subject to complement the light show happening across the Deganwy hills.\nHeading down from the Watchtower, I find another composition that—to me—sums up Conwy nicely.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"24 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/conwy-north-wales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Conwy is a historical treasure trove.\nSituated above the river of the same name, Conwy is a walled town with most of those structures surviving to the present day. The town is perhaps best known for its castle, which was built along with the walls in the late 13th century.\n","title":"Conwy, North Wales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/town-walls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Town Walls","type":"tags"},{"content":"My first set of images made with my new Sony a7II.\nA wee bit of backstory is needed.\nMy 40th birthday is fast approaching (if you\u0026rsquo;re at all curious, it\u0026rsquo;s on the 25th April). That\u0026rsquo;s right, the Big Four Oh.\nMy Dad had got wind of the notion that, ultimately, if I could ever upgrade my camera it would be to one with a bigger sensor and in-built image stabilisation.\nCue a week or so ago and Dad arrives at my house with a Sony a7II. In mint condition. Cognisant that I had a Laowa 9mm ultra-wide lens that wouldn\u0026rsquo;t properly work on a full-frame body, Dad had also sorted me out with a new equivalent ultra-wide for the Sony: a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC. And a new adaptor so I could continue to use my 1980s Vivitar lenses.\nIn other words, he\u0026rsquo;s pretty awesome.\nA few days later, we had a day out together and decided on Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales and its gorgeous Waterfalls Trail. Time to properly test out the Sony and its image stabilisation capabilities.\nIt did not disappoint. My ultra-wide at ISO100 and f/8 was able to get down to 1/10sec exposure with no camera shake. Amazing.\nAll images taken on my Sony a7II using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom, Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 70–210mm f/2.8–4.0 zoom, and Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 ultra-wide prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe first composition on the trail that catches my eye, I quickly attach my Rokinon 14mm ultra-wide and start getting to grips with my new Sony and how it works. The first of the major falls on the trail, Pecca Twin Falls. With my 14mm ultra-wide at ISO100 and f8, I was able to get an exposure down to 1/10sec with no camera shake, allowing for water motion. Fantastic.\nThe trail continues alongside and above the falls. We were by no means alone; Ingleton Falls trail was very busy that day.\nThe top section of Pecca Falls is a tight squeeze, but I still walked away extremely happy with how this turned out.\nArguably the main \u0026ldquo;show piece\u0026rdquo; of the entire trail: Thornton Force. I realised it\u0026rsquo;d been a while since I\u0026rsquo;d done the Ingleton Falls trail because the landscape had changed. For a start, a second waterfall was cascading down the left. Additionally, it was quite easy to crawl along a ledge to get behind the curtain of water, but those rocks seemed to have washed away.\nThis year\u0026rsquo;s lambs, happily dosing and mucking about in the warm spring sun.\nIngleborough\u0026rsquo;s flat top catching the light, rising high above the valley floor and its inhabitants.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"21 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ingleton-falls-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"My first set of images made with my new Sony a7II.\nA wee bit of backstory is needed.\nMy 40th birthday is fast approaching (if you’re at all curious, it’s on the 25th April). That’s right, the Big Four Oh.\n","title":"Ingleton Falls, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ingleton-waterfalls-trail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ingleton Waterfalls Trail","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pecca-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pecca Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/thornton-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Thornton Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/daffodils/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Daffodils","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fujifilm-x-t2/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fujifilm X-T2","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/laowa-9mm-f2.8/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Laowa 9mm F2.8","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rydal-water/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rydal Water","type":"tags"},{"content":"The Lake District is known for many things.\nIts lakes, of course. The fells. All the valleys. But also William Wordsworth, who was born in Cockermouth and called the Lake District home for much of his life. It was in the Lake District, wandering along the shores of Ullswater, that Wordsworth took inspiration from the plethora of daffodils along the lake\u0026rsquo;s shoreline, which ultimately resulted in his most famous poem, \u0026ldquo;I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud\u0026rdquo;.\nConscious that the end of daffodil season was approaching, Lisabet and I embarked on a wee circuit around Rydal Water, which I knew to be home to plenty of daffodils. It did not disappoint. Spring is here.\nOn a separate note, this is also the last set of images taken on my trusty Fujifilm X-T2. With my 40th birthday fast approaching, my Dad did the unthinkable and got me a friggin\u0026rsquo; camera for my birthday! A Sony α7ii. Full-frame goodness, here we go.\nThese photos were taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, then edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nAround Rydal Water there are plenty of areas to choose from when it comes to picking out daffodils for compositions. After one failed attempt behind a bench where I went slip-sliding in the mud, I found this wee clump of yellow beauties and lined up a photo.\nLovely golden light slithers across the rolling fields and the Grasmere fells above.\nBelow Loughrigg Terrace, a dilapidated barn provides a nice subject looking back to the Ambleside fells.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/rydal-water-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"The Lake District is known for many things.\nIts lakes, of course. The fells. All the valleys. But also William Wordsworth, who was born in Cockermouth and called the Lake District home for much of his life. It was in the Lake District, wandering along the shores of Ullswater, that Wordsworth took inspiration from the plethora of daffodils along the lake’s shoreline, which ultimately resulted in his most famous poem, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”.\n","title":"Rydal Water, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barnard-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barnard Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"Apologies for the delay since my last post.\nThings have been on the change again, personally. Also, this last week I\u0026rsquo;ve endured a rather nasty stomach bug. The less said about that the better.\nA couple of weekends ago, Lisabet and I decided to move away from countryside-based adventures and check a wee little town you may have heard of (if you\u0026rsquo;re British and follow the news): Barnard Castle.\nThe charming historical town gained unfortunate notoriety in 2020 when Dominic Cummings, the chief advisor to the British Prime Minister, was found to have traveled there with his family during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given his close contact with the infected Prime Minister, Cummings was at a substantial risk of carrying the virus himself (he exhibited symptoms the following day). Media accusations of violating lockdown rules emerged, to which Cummings explained that he had driven to the town to test his eyesight in order to reassure his wife of his ability to drive them back to London the next day.\nRegardless of all of that, Barnard Castle sits in a beautiful area, which we explored to also take in the sights of the ruins of Eggleston Abbey.\nA moody day for photography.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, edited and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nThe circular round tower of the Barnard Castle itself, one of the main features of the ruins that still stands. Daffodils lined the path around the ruins on a moody day. Barnard Castle, the town, is chock-full of yards (alleys) like this, which always draw my eye for a photo.\nWe found the streets of Barnard Castle to be well kept, with plenty of independent shops and eateries, occasionally peppered with some more mainstream brands.\nBelow the castle ruins this handsome bridge caught a sliver of golden afternoon light.\nWe followed the country road from Barnard Castle to Egglestone Abbey. The moody and changeable day followed us. Here a table-tomb pointed towards some of the last standing walls of the abbey ruins.\nThe abbey was constructed in the late 12th century by Premonstratensian monks. Like all other abbeys in England, it was dissolve din 1540 by King Henry VIII\u0026rsquo;s Dissolution of the Monasteries.\nThese days the ruins are in the custody of English Heritage, and access is free. I highly recommend a visit if you\u0026rsquo;re ever in the area.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"8 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/barnard-castle-county-durham-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Apologies for the delay since my last post.\nThings have been on the change again, personally. Also, this last week I’ve endured a rather nasty stomach bug. The less said about that the better.\n","title":"Barnard Castle, County Durham, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/egglestone-abbey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Egglestone Abbey","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 April 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/town/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Town","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/classic-chrome/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Classic Chrome","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eskdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eskdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stanley-ghyll-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stanley Ghyll Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"After a sobering return from a beautiful week in the Highlands, it was time for a beautiful little jaunt in Eskdale.\nI was also due to hang out with me Dad again. After arriving at Dad\u0026rsquo;s, he suggested checking out Stanley Ghyll Force, one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s largest waterfalls. I were game for that!\nStanley Ghyll Force is located in Eskdale, a gorgeous valley in the southwestern corner of the Lake District. The last―and only―time I visited Stanley Ghyll Force was back in 2017. I know this because I shot the waterfall with a Sigma dp0.\nBack then, I was all on me own attempting to navigate a tricky gorge. However, on that occasion, I was able to get right to the bottom of the falls for some cracking.\nA lot has changed in the intervening 5-6 years. For a start, you can\u0026rsquo;t get to the bottom of the falls anymore. The path has eroded and collapsed to the point that it\u0026rsquo;s too dangerous. Instead, the Lake District National Park have created an alternative route that scales up the sides of the gorge so that you can get above the falls. In addition, they\u0026rsquo;ve also cut back hectares of invasive rhododendron and constructed a fantastic viewing station above the gorge.\nWe enjoyed some fantastic light, and I had a grand day out with me Dad.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28‒105mm f2.8‒3.8 zoom, Super Ozeck 80mm‒210mm f4.5 zoom, and Laowa 9mm f2.8 ultra-wide prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, edited in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe gorge that contains Stanley Ghyll Force is wonderfully mossy and vibrant. Here, a pocket of light illuminates a boulder field exposed in the woodland.\nWe passed a small tributary beck that was catching some wonderful light in the gorge. Eventually, the glory of Stanley Ghyll Force came into view. This was as close as we were allowed to get to it. Still some absolutely crackin\u0026rsquo; light flooding into the gorge though.\nAfter hiking up the new path made by the National Park, we found the new viewing station to check out the views it offered. And… wow. A sheer 150ft drop pulls your down the gorge and towards Stanley Ghyll Force. What a sight.\nWe followed the return track back down to the valley. As we did, me and Dad spotted some incredible light playing out on the distant Eskdale fells, and stopped to shoot photos like crazy.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"24 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stanley-ghyll-force-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"After a sobering return from a beautiful week in the Highlands, it was time for a beautiful little jaunt in Eskdale.\nI was also due to hang out with me Dad again. After arriving at Dad’s, he suggested checking out Stanley Ghyll Force, one of the Lake District’s largest waterfalls. I were game for that!\n","title":"Stanley Ghyll Force, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/super-ozeck-80-205/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Super Ozeck 80-205","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/abandoned-lodge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Abandoned Lodge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/beinn-na-caillich/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beinn Na Caillich","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kinlochleven/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kinlochleven","type":"tags"},{"content":"Where to go on the final day of our week long Scottish Highlands getaway?\nWe had a few options, but ultimately settled on an area we\u0026rsquo;d only visited once, the very first time we explored Glencoe in Autumn 2014: Kinlochleven.\nKinlochleven is a small village situated at the eastern end of Loch Leven and completely surrounded by massive mountains. The Loch Leven valley feels more like a Norwegian fjord; a small ribbon lake with mountains rising sheer from the water.\nLast time we visited, we barely scratched the service of what there was to offer, largely because of how unfit I was. That situation is a bit different these days, so we embarked on a more more strenuous and adventurous hike.\nIt were glorious. A great day to end the week.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nOne aspect of the Kinlochleven area we completely missed all those years ago was a large and very accessible waterfall. So this was the first thing to tick off the list. This is Grey Mare\u0026rsquo;s Tail, which plunges nearly 50m in a single drop. This scene, with a tiny Lisabet gazing upon the falls, put me in mind of some of the photographs I\u0026rsquo;ve seen of some of the Yosemite waterfalls.\nAfter gingerly picking our way around the falls, it was time to begin the steep ascent up the flanks of Leachd na h-Aire to seek views of the loch and the mountains above it. It didn\u0026rsquo;t take long before we could see the magnificent shape of the Pap of Glencoe above the loch like a wizard\u0026rsquo;s hat.\nZooming in for a tighter composition of the Pap, using some of these lovely Scottish pines to the frame the scene.\nAfter a slight wrong turn we used this deviation to our advantage by climbing up onto a small knoll that offered this spectacularly clear view of Loch Leven and her mountains. What a sight. The Pap of Glencoe to the left, and Beinn na Caillich on the right.\nA small cluster of Scots pines provide a nice compositional aid, pointing upwards to the magnificent Pap of Glencoe. As the day went on, the light got better and better.\nOur goal was to locate the now abandoned Mamore Lodge hotel, which has apparently been left to rot for a decade or so now. Along the way, I snapped one more composition of the Pap.\nWe finally arrived at the former hotel, and scanned around its perimeter. The lodge was originally built in 1903 for Capt. Frank Bibby, who made his fortune in the Liverpool shipping industry. The aluminium works company, whom essentially created the village Kinlochleven, apparently built the lodge in return for the grant of additional land to house workers back down in the village. Sad to see this.\nFrom the abandoned Mamore Lodge, we were able to locate the small road and follow it all the way back down to the loch, happily snapping compositions along the way. Beinn na Caillich catching some golden wintersun as we followed the winding road down to the loch shore.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kinlochleven-lochaber-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Where to go on the final day of our week long Scottish Highlands getaway?\nWe had a few options, but ultimately settled on an area we’d only visited once, the very first time we explored Glencoe in Autumn 2014: Kinlochleven.\n","title":"Kinlochleven, Lochaber, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-leven/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Leven","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lochaber/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lochaber","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mamore-mountains/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mamore Mountains","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pap-of-glencoe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pap of Glencoe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glenfinnan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glenfinnan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glenfinnan-viaduct/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glenfinnan Viaduct","type":"tags"},{"content":"We were exceptionally fortunate with the Scottish Highland weather.\nAlthough conditions were consistently near the freezing point, we enjoyed days of clear light and skies. The only day that wasn\u0026rsquo;t the case was when we hiked around Glenfinnan.\nGlenfinnan is a place of great natural beauty as well as historical significance. It was here in 1745 that the Jacobite rising began. Prince Charles Edward Stuart (popularly known as \u0026ldquo;Bonnie Prince Charlie\u0026rdquo;) raised his standard here on the shores of Loch Shiel in the valley, in the hopes of retaking the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart.\nGlenfinnan is also home to the 792 ft curve of Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous in recent times for its inclusion in the Harry Potter films where the Hogwarts Express is seen crossing the viaduct in several of the films.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, and finalised using Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nOur goal for the day was to hike the Viaduct Trail. As a circular route, you can start at practically any point. In our case, we began from the picturesque Glenfinnan railway station.\nThe route leaves the railway station via the woodland beneath it, and starts climbing back up the mountainside towards the viaduct. Here, Beinn an Tuim (810m/2,657ft) was catching a slither of morning winter light.\nThere are several points along the trail specifically constructed for hikers to enjoy some staggering views. When we arrived, Sgùrr Ghiubhsachain (849m/2,785ft) was being gently bathed in the morning\u0026rsquo;s rare light show.\nOur first glimpse of the magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct, as it curves its way beneath Mam a\u0026rsquo; Chreagain.\nWe followed the trail down the mountainside for a closer look at the Viaduct. It was constructed between 1897 and 1898 by Sir Robert McAlpine. Built entirely out of concrete, it comprises 21 arches with spans of 49ft and reaches 100ft above the valley.\nWe came off the main trail to seek alternative viewpoints of the valley and the viaduct. Our reward was this fantastic criss-crossing view all the way up the Glen Finnan valley, with light scanning across the land.\nThis was the view I was after. The beautiful curve of the viaduct and Loch Shiel\u0026rsquo;s magnificent mountain backdrop in the distance. This image is made of 5 or 6 vertical shots stitched together to create this panorama.\nDown at the shores of Loch Shiel stands the Glenfinnan Monument, erected 70 years after the failed Jacobite Rising of 1745. Atop the monument stands the Unknown Highlander.\nAbove the loch, the Church of St. Mary \u0026amp; Saint Finnan enjoys a fantastic vantage point of the loch and its mountains.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"5 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/glenfinnan-lochaber-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"We were exceptionally fortunate with the Scottish Highland weather.\nAlthough conditions were consistently near the freezing point, we enjoyed days of clear light and skies. The only day that wasn’t the case was when we hiked around Glenfinnan.\n","title":"Glenfinnan, Lochaber, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/jacobite-rising/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Jacobite Rising","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-shiel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Shiel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/oban/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Oban","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;ve only ever been to Oban once before.\nThis was way back in Autumn 2014, when we first went into the Highlands of Scotland. On a particularly murky, misty, and wet day we drove away from the mountains and instead went to check out the nearest major town: Oban.\nOn that occasion, we were unimpressed. The place seemed drab and down on its luck.\nOn this trip, we decided to revisit Oban now that we had great light and clear blue skies. Oh boy, did we completely misjudge Oban. It\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful little town that enjoys terrific sea views across to Kerrera Island and the Isle of Mull beyond. It also enjoys lovely independent shops, top cafés, and gorgeous restaurants.\nAmazing what better weather and 10 years can do.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8, Laowa 9mm f2.8, and Super Ozeck 80–205mm f4.5 lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nRound the corner from where we parked, Oban Distillery is a beautiful building. The distillery was established in 1794, before there was even a town around it.\nOur first order of the day was to hike up the hill behind Oban to check out the area\u0026rsquo;s most well-known landmark, McCaig\u0026rsquo;s Tower.\nThe way to McCaig\u0026rsquo;s Tower. It was built in 1897, commissioned by wealthy banker John Stuart McCaig as a monument to his family and to provide work for the local townsfolk. He was also the tower\u0026rsquo;s architect.\nOut of the tower\u0026rsquo;s western side, you can enjoy expansive views across the Inner Firth of Lorn towards Kerrera Island and the Isle of Mull. Regular ferry trips courtesy of CalMac are available to the various islands near Oban.\nOne of these days we\u0026rsquo;ll have to check out some of the small isles you can visit from Oban. McCaig\u0026rsquo;s Tower has 94 lancet arches, one of which I utilised as a literal compositional frame towards the mountains on the Isle of Mull.\nMr. McCaig commissioned the building of the tower at a cost in 1897 of £5,000 Sterling… that\u0026rsquo;s over £500,000 in today\u0026rsquo;s money.\nThe tower was built between 1897 and 1902, when Mr. McCaig died of a cardiac arrest. Construction of the tower promptly stopped, with only the outer walls completed.\nMr. McCaig planned for a museum and art gallery with a central tower to be incorporated. Inside the central tower he wanted to commission statues of himself, his siblings and their parents. None of this happened due to his death and the contesting of his Will. Nevertheless, I like that inside the tower a garden has been allowed to form.\nBack down at the shore we gently meandered around the town\u0026rsquo;s coastline, looking for shots before stopping for lunch.\nAfter a delicious lunch at Ee-Usk (which included the freshest oysters I\u0026rsquo;ve ever had), our next plan was to head up another hill above the town: Pulpit Hill.\nA short and sharp climb up onto Pulpit Hill gave us tremendous views of the town, like this. Even from here, McCaig\u0026rsquo;s Tower is easily visible, as is the Oban Distillery\u0026rsquo;s bright red chimney.\nFrom this vantage point I hastily equipped me Super Ozeck 80–205mm zoom lens for long compositions. The day was so crisp you could even make out Ben Cruachan (1,126m/3,694ft), 26-miles away.\nZooming in across the Inner Firth of Lorn. Bottom left is the northern tip of Kerrera Island, followed by the tiny islet of Maiden Island in the centre. In the distance is the uplands of the Isle of Mull.\nAlong the northern coastline of Oban one can find the ruins of Dunollie Castle, which enjoys a great lookout towards the uplands on the Isle of Mull. There\u0026rsquo;s been a fortification where the castle sits since the Early Middle Ages, but the current ruins date from the 12th or 13th century.\nA super-zoomed in shot of upper Oban, with McCaig\u0026rsquo;s Tower visible and the craggy uplands above.\nHutcheson\u0026rsquo;s Monument on Kerrera Island, acting as a beacon pointing the way towards the Isle of Mull.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/oban-argyll-amp-bute-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’ve only ever been to Oban once before.\nThis was way back in Autumn 2014, when we first went into the Highlands of Scotland. On a particularly murky, misty, and wet day we drove away from the mountains and instead went to check out the nearest major town: Oban.\n","title":"Oban, Argyll \u0026amp; Bute, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glen-etive/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glen Etive","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glencoe-lochan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glencoe Lochan","type":"tags"},{"content":"Somewhere new and somewhere old.\nThe draw of Glen Etive is always strong, especially with those world-famous views towards Buachaille Etive Mòr. But before we revisited what is quickly becoming known as the \u0026ldquo;Skyfall valley\u0026rdquo;, we wanted to check out somewhere new (to us).\nAt the foot of Glencoe, beneath the prominent peak known as the Pap of Glencoe, there\u0026rsquo;s a fair amount of woodland one can enjoy. Within that woodland one can find a small tarn known as Glencoe Lochan.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s super easy to get to and thankfully, on this occasion, it offered us almost perfectly clear reflections of the surrounding mountains.\nAfter exploring the lochan, we then drove downGlen Etive for compositions of the \u0026ldquo;the Buckle\u0026rdquo; and more.\nAn absolute corker of a day.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 lenses. RAWs converted and corrected in Capture One for iPad, developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nGlencoe Lochan # From the village of Glencoe, the Pap of Glencoe is ever-present. The word \u0026ldquo;pap\u0026rdquo; comes from Middle English, meaning \u0026ldquo;breast\u0026rdquo;.\nIn the distance, this magnificent stag was happily chewing cud and enjoying the winter sun light.\nThe beck below the woods looked absolutely gorgeous; the water was unbelievably clear. One to think about a swim in.\nThe woodland beneath the Pap was chock-full of delightful scenes like this. Soon enough we arrived at the lochan to find perfect reflections of the various mountains around.\nGlencoe Lochan was planted in the 1890s by a Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, using trees from the Pacific Northwest of Canada. He did this to alleviate his wife\u0026rsquo;s homesickness, who was missing Canada after moving to Scotland.\nIn the morning winter sun, reflections of Beinn na Caillich looked sublime.\nLooking west from one of the many jetties dotted around the lochan, the pyramidal peak of Sgorr Dhearg (1,024m/3,359ft) was looking crisp.\nI spotted an opportunity to focus-stack some evergreen foliage along Glencoe Lochan\u0026rsquo;s eastern shore, the reflections leading the way towards Sgorr Dhearg.\nI bet this place looks absolutely insane in autumn.\nGlen Etive # After stopping off at the Glencoe Ski Resort cafe for a bite and a coffee, we made our way towards Glen Etive. But first, I just had to nab this iconic building and composition. This is Blackrock Cottage, a private building that\u0026rsquo;s been featured in hundreds of photos with \u0026ldquo;the Buckle\u0026rdquo; behind it.\nAt the top of Glen Etive, the River Coupall crashes into the River Etive in a series of impressive cascades. It is perhaps the photographer hotspot for photos of the Buckle, and I\u0026rsquo;m no different. How can you say no to a scene like this?\nLisabet and I clambered up the River Coupall, seeking compositions of the Buckle. To date, this is perhaps the finest shot of the Buckle I\u0026rsquo;ve ever taken. I knew there had to be a reflection in the river somewhere…\nDown at the foot of Glen Etive, right on the shores of Loch Etive, I spot this little group of trees beautifully framing Stob Dubh.\nThose same trees act as a leading device in another composition involving Stob Dubh.\nDirectly opposite our shore, Ben Starav (1,078m/3,536ft) dominates the eastern shore of Loch Etive.\nThe final composition of the day. Beautiful Scots pines and Stob Dubh in the distance.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"2 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/glencoe-lochan-amp-glen-etive-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Somewhere new and somewhere old.\nThe draw of Glen Etive is always strong, especially with those world-famous views towards Buachaille Etive Mòr. But before we revisited what is quickly becoming known as the “Skyfall valley”, we wanted to check out somewhere new (to us).\n","title":"Glencoe Lochan \u0026amp; Glen Etive, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/reflections/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Reflections","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-buckle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Buckle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-nevis/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben Nevis","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glen-nevis/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glen Nevis","type":"tags"},{"content":"The grandest valley beneath the tallest mountain.\nThe last time we visited Glen Nevis was way back in Autumn 2014, which was our very first time in the Glencoe/Lochaber area. This was in the prime of my HDR days.\nAlmost 10-years on, we returned with greater fitness and better vision. We elected to take the valley bottom riverside walk from the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre all the way to Polldubh falls and back. A solid 12–13km hike.\nThe section from the visitor centre to Polldubh falls was definitely not fun in places; the trail often became indistinct, with areas of sludgy bog and slippery mud. Nevertheless, the views were simply astounding wherever you looked, and we were blessed once again with glorious weather.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 ultra-wide lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles, and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nA relatively new and modern bridge crosses the River Nevis from the visitor centre and leads you along the riverside trail. A lot of people take this route to begin their ascent up all 1,345 m (4,413 ft) of Ben Nevis.\nFollowing the riverside trail, the view down the glen opens up and reveals the massive shape of Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhàim (1,099 m/3,606 ft). Its name means \u0026ldquo;rocky peak of the rounded hill\u0026rdquo;.\nDespite the bright winter sun, it was still cold enough in the shade to freeze the water running down the valley sides.\nAfter navigating a meander in the river, the neighbour of Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhàim becomes visible: Stob Bàn (999 m/3,278 ft), which means \u0026ldquo;white peak\u0026rdquo;.\nNearing Polldubh falls, the path climbs up and away from the river. Doing so revealed this delightful composition towards Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhàim, which I had to nab. An abandoned, white-washed cottage. I don\u0026rsquo;t know if it\u0026rsquo;s used as a mountain bothy now or not.\nPolldubh falls, with upper Glen Nevis in the distance. Quite an arresting sight, and developing a powerful waterfall.\nSgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhàim is often mistaken to have snow around its peak. In fact, it\u0026rsquo;s usually white quartz you can see, which gives the mountain its lighter capped colour.\nHeading back up the glen from the falls, the craggy shoulders of Meall an t-Suidhe (711 m/2,333 ft) are drenched in late afternoon winter sun.\nI couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist this road shot featuring the two towering giants at the head of the glen. The road was quiet enough to allow us to walk alongside it all the way back to the visitor centre.\nOne last look back at Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhàim before returning the visitor centre.\nA challenging walk, in places, but a grand experience nevertheless.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/glen-nevis-lochaber-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The grandest valley beneath the tallest mountain.\nThe last time we visited Glen Nevis was way back in Autumn 2014, which was our very first time in the Glencoe/Lochaber area. This was in the prime of my HDR days.\n","title":"Glen Nevis, Lochaber, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/meall-an-t-suidhe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Meall an T-Suidhe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sgurr-a-mhaim/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sgurr A' Mhaim","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 March 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stob-ban/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stob Ban","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/beinn-fhada/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beinn Fhada","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bidean-nam-bian/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bidean Nam Bian","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coire-gabhail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coire Gabhail","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ektachrome/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ektachrome","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hidden-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hidden Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lost-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lost Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/secret-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Secret Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stob-coire-nan-lochan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stob Coire Nan Lochan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stob-coire-sgreamhach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stob Coire Sgreamhach","type":"tags"},{"content":"After nearly a decade, it\u0026rsquo;s time to tick this one off the bucket list.\nEarly on in my photography journey—almost immediately after I learned about the wonders of Glencoe—I discovered and read about a \u0026ldquo;secret\u0026rdquo; valley above the main Glencoe valley itself.\nIt captivated me immediately.\nThis place is known in English as the Lost Valley or the Hidden Valley. In Scottish Gaelic it\u0026rsquo;s called Coire Gabhail, meaning \u0026ldquo;corrie of bounty\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;the hollow of capture\u0026rdquo;. Legend has it that this hidden valley was used by members of Clan MacDonald to hide cattle and other livestock. Whether the livestock was their own or belonging to others, we\u0026rsquo;ll never know.\nThe day dawn completely clear and very cold, with temperatures not breaking above freezing point. It\u0026rsquo;s not a long hike from Glencoe up into the Lost Valley, but it was definitely made harder with all the ice everywhere.\nThe reward, however, was more than worth it.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 ultra-wide lenses. RAWs converted using Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films using an Ektachrome 100 film profile, and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nParking up at the main car park at Glencoe, two of the Three Sisters of Glencoe immediately hold my attention. On the left is Geàrr Aonach (689m/2,263ft), and to the right is Aonach Dubh (892m/2,296ft). The snowy peak catching the light in the middle is Stob Coire nan Lochan (1,115m/3,658ft).\nA vertical, and tighter, composition that allows the beacon of Stob Coire nan Lochan to really stand out. As we began hiking up the trail in between Beinn Fhada and Geàrr Aonach, the sheer ridge face of Aonach Eagach was being drenched in morning wintersun.\nThe trail in between the two sisters involves careful stepping and scrambling as you\u0026rsquo;re essentially climbing alongside, and above, a gorge. The falls in the gorge were looking icy cold.\nAfter much slipping, scrambling, and an inadvertent dunk in the river, we ascended above the rake to be greeted with this. Coire Gabhail, the Lost Valley. What a sight!\nMy longer lenses allow me to really zoom in tight on particular scenes within a grand vista. Here, I enjoyed the line created by the shadow of the valley side as it frames the golden crags and leads towards the snowy peaks of Stob Coire Sgreamhach (1,072m/3,517ft).\nDespite the icy conditions of winter, there were still a fair few people about. A small party of Spanish-speaking people were elated to have made it to the Lost Valley.\nDespite the incredible sight of the snowy peaks at the head of the Lost Valley, directly above you Beinn Fhada\u0026rsquo;s crags lean peerlessly over you, reminding you of just how small you are. I located a small waterfall trickling down Beinn Fhada\u0026rsquo;s flanks that was freezing up. It\u0026rsquo;s little pool below already comprised of shards of ice.\nA bit of ice-cold scrambling was in order to nab this composition with my ultra-wide 9mm lens, but I enjoy it.\nWith my 9mm lens still equipped, I went on the hunt for more subject matter that would be suitable for ultra-wide compositions. This boulder field with a single tree in the middle caught my eye and I lined up the shot.\nAnother dead tree covered in frozen moss and lichen made for a nice ultra-wide focus stacked composition.\nI clambered along the valley side a little more to get past the trees and find a unhindered view of the Lost Valley.\nOne last look back at those magnificent peaks of the Lost Valley before gingerly scrambling back down the gorge again.\nWhat an experience. Never to be forgotten.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"27 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-lost-valley-glencoe-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"After nearly a decade, it’s time to tick this one off the bucket list.\nEarly on in my photography journey—almost immediately after I learned about the wonders of Glencoe—I discovered and read about a “secret” valley above the main Glencoe valley itself.\n","title":"The Lost Valley, Glencoe, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/falls-of-clyde/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Falls of Clyde","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/model-village/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Model Village","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/new-lanark/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"New Lanark","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re back in the Highlands for a week!\nOn the way up from Cumbria, we stopped off roughly halfway through to check out a place we\u0026rsquo;ve been meaning to visit for ages: New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde.\nNew Lanark village—now a World Heritage Site—is a \u0026ldquo;planned settlement\u0026rdquo;, founded in the late 18th century Scottish industrialist David Dale alongside English entrepreneur Richard Arkwright. Cotton mills were built here to take advantage of the only waterfalls along the River Clyde, and housing was also built for all the mill workers.\nFurther up the Clyde, one can find several large waterfalls especially the pinnancle Corra Linn, which drops 84ft and is the 9th largest waterfall in the UK.\nAlthough there was disappointingly little water in the Clyde, after a relatively dry winter, the walk itself was beautiful, the scenery gorgeous, and the village fascinating.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad using Digistock\u0026rsquo;s Ektar 100 film profile, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThere is no public parking allowed in New Lanark, so you have to park in the designated car park above the village then follow the footpath down. Here I framed the bell tower above the New Buildings.\nOne of many things that makes New Lanark unusual is that there are no street names. Instead, the buildings are named, and often very directly so. The nearby block of four houses are called Wee Row, and the larger block of 8 are Double Row.\nWe exited the footpath into the village proper, following the signs towards the Falls of Clyde. The buildings on the left are named New Buildings, millworker housing, named so because they are the newest to be built.\nA closer look at Wee Row and Double Row in the distance. The longest block of housing on the right is called, you guessed it, Long Row. Nearby, to the left, is David Dale\u0026rsquo;s House, one of the founders of the village.\nWalking down the street alongside New Buildings, with the bell tower front and centre in the block. It used to ring every day to single the start of work, but now only rings once a year on New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day.\nWe followed the signage towards the Falls of Clyde, but looked back to capture this great summary view of the village.\nThe first falls you come across are a series of powerful cascades known as Dundaff Linn. They\u0026rsquo;ve created a series of cataracts in the river bed, tessellating together like Tetris.\nFurther up from Dundaff Linn, a weir has been constructed allowing for this slightly unusual composition that I enjoy.\nThe first glimpse of the main waterfall of the Falls of Clyde: Corra Linn, dropping 84ft. Looking a little dry unfortunately after a relatively dry winter. It\u0026rsquo;ll be good to revisit after rain.\nFurther up the gorge is the third of the Falls, known as Bonnington Linn. These falls also mark the point where you return back to New Lanark.\nWe returned back to New Lanark close to the river. Alongside the river are the main Mill buildings. Mill 3 still has its roof in tact, but Mill 2 now has a roof garden and cracking views.\nThe waters of Mill Lade trickle alongside Mill 2, leading towards Mill 1, which is now the New Lanark Mill Hotel.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"26 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/new-lanark-amp-the-falls-of-clyde-scotland-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’re back in the Highlands for a week!\nOn the way up from Cumbria, we stopped off roughly halfway through to check out a place we’ve been meaning to visit for ages: New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde.\n","title":"New Lanark \u0026amp; the Falls of Clyde, Scotland, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/planned-settlement/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Planned Settlement","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eden-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eden Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lammerside-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lammerside Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mallerstang/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mallerstang","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mallerstang-edge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mallerstang Edge","type":"tags"},{"content":"If the weather\u0026rsquo;s not going to improve, time to go somewhere that suits it.\nRegular readers of this site may know that Mallerstang, technically part of the Yorkshire Dales, is one of my favourite places in Cumbria. Typically my hikes in the valley explore the region south of Wild Boar Fell. However towards the northern part of the valley, as it starts to flatten out, one can find a historical gem: Pendragon Castle.\nUnbeknown to both myself and Lisabet, there is another castle ruin further north of Pendragon, known as Lammerside Castle. So, we picked out a hike we could do that would take in both Pendragon and Lammerside Castles, and perhaps also check out Wharton Hall.\nAlthough the forecast suggested skies would brighten up as the day went on, above Mallerstang the sky was resolutely cloudy and grey. No biggie. It just added to the mood of the scenes.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8, Super Ozeck 80–205mm f4.5, and Laowa 9mm f2.8 lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe ruins of Pendragon Castle, looking particularly moody with the bare branches eerily pointing towards it.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been about a decade since I last explored the ruins of Pendragon castle. This was in the prime of HDR days, where I didn\u0026rsquo;t go anywhere without a tripod and shot almost exclusively with an ultra-wide lens. With experience and developed eyes, I could spot compositions I\u0026rsquo;d never seen before.\nZooming in tighter, I pick out a delightful composition involving the crumbling ruins of Pendragon castle framing the shapely peak of Wild Boar Fell.\nCircumnavigating the ruins, I look for compositions involving the ruins and the fell on the other side of the valley, Mallerstang Edge.\nLegend says that the castle was built by Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur. More accurately, the castle was built in the 12th century by Ranulph de Meschines, a Norman magnate.\nA winding drystone wall leading to a fell? I couldn\u0026rsquo;t say no…\nEven better if it\u0026rsquo;s a winding drystone wall involving castle ruins.\nFollowing the Pennine Bridleway towards Lammerside Castle, I equip my 80–205mm lens for long tele shots of the distant Northern Pennines.\nEventually the ruins of Lammerside Castle come into view, seemingly not as grand as Pendragon Castle.\nIn the valley below us, sheep mill about aimlessly. One in particular spots me and gives me a good hard stare.\nBy the River Eden, swimmers warm up after a spot of outdoor swimming in what must be an icy cold river.\nScanning around and above the ruins, I can see incredible compositions revealing themselves to me.\nThe winner from the day. Some of the 2nd storey of the ruins survive, but nature is quickly reclaiming it. In the distance, Mallerstang Edge lines the top of the frame.\nTime to slap on the 9mm ultra-wide. The closest crumbling wall looks like a human head, don\u0026rsquo;t you think?\nThe largest surviving archway into the ruins. I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to risk heading inside though.\nThis was about as far as I dared venture into the ruins. Amazing that the stonework has survived this long.\nCompared to Pendragon Castle, not much is known about Lammerside Castle. It was probably built, similarly, in the 12th century but considerably fortified in the 14th century to protect against Scots raiders.\nI could easily bang my head against the top of this archway. Makes you realise how much smaller people used to be.\nAbove Wharton Hall as we turned to head back, Lisabet quickly made friends with the local horses.\nAt Bullghyll farm, a friendly chicken hops up onto the wall for a friendly greeting.\nA meandering beck snakes down from Birkett Knott above.\nFollowing the Pennine bridleway back to Pendragon Castle, the magnificent peak of Wild Boar Fell makes its presence known once again.\nGnarly trees beautifully frame Cocklake Barn as we near the return to Pendragon Castle, 16,000 steps later.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pendragon-amp-lammerside-castles-mallerstang-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"If the weather’s not going to improve, time to go somewhere that suits it.\nRegular readers of this site may know that Mallerstang, technically part of the Yorkshire Dales, is one of my favourite places in Cumbria. Typically my hikes in the valley explore the region south of Wild Boar Fell. However towards the northern part of the valley, as it starts to flatten out, one can find a historical gem: Pendragon Castle.\n","title":"Pendragon \u0026amp; Lammerside Castles, Mallerstang, Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pendragon-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pendragon Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wharton-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wharton Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 February 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wild-boar-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wild Boar Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blelham-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blelham Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for somewhere new (to us).\nIn all my time of living in Cumbria and visiting the Lake District, I\u0026rsquo;ve never set foot near one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s most popular attractions: Wray Castle.\nWray Castle is perched on the high ground above Windermere\u0026rsquo;s western shore. Built in 1840, it\u0026rsquo;s not actually a castle but a private home. It was built for a retired Liverpool surgeon who commissioned it. Apparently his wife, upon completion, refused to live in it.\nNearby, one can enjoy a plethora of walks, all with their own charm and views to offer. On this occasion we elected for the Blelham Tarn walk, a valley tarn that drains off into Windermere.\nThe weather, for a brief period, threatened to brighten up but soon the clouds came down and signalled the end of the day\u0026rsquo;s hiking.\nDefinitely one to revisit in the spring or summer.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 and my new Super Ozeck 80–205mm f4.5. RAWs converted in Capture One or iPad, developed using RNI Films, and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nBefore setting off for the Lake District, Lisabet and I found—then purchased—a Super Ozeck 80–205mm f4.5 lens. As it was made for the Pentax K mount, and I have a Pentax K–Fuji X mount converter, it works flawlessly with my Fujifilm X-T2. Now I could zoom all the way into 205mm!\nStricklandgate and Windermere Road, shot from all the way up in Kendal town centre. Pretty damn chuffed with this purchase!\nAfter arriving at Wray Castle, the views immediately opened up across Windermere.\nThis was about as good as the light got, but I\u0026rsquo;ll take it. Windermere with a slither of light scanning across the flanks of Wansfell Pike.\nThe splendour that is the Gothic Revival style of Wray Castle. Complete with inaccessible turrets and slit windows you could shoot fictitious arrows from.\nA watch tower of sorts guards the entrance to the grounds of Wray Castle.\nBefore we could spot Blelham Tarn, Latterbarrow (245m/803ft) made itself immediately known to us. This is definitely one we\u0026rsquo;ll tackle in the near future.\nMy new Super Ozeck lens apparently has Macro functionality, so I decided to test it on some otherworldly lichen on a dead tree trunk.\nOn the higher ground south of Blelham Tarn, more panoramic scenes emerged with Wansfell Pike look tall and proud.\nThe memories of autumn cling on to the sides of a small beck.\nDefinitely a composition I need to return to when conditions improve.\nThe watch tower signals our return back to Wray Castle, 3-miles or so later.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"28 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/blelham-tarn-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for somewhere new (to us).\nIn all my time of living in Cumbria and visiting the Lake District, I’ve never set foot near one of the Lake District’s most popular attractions: Wray Castle.\n","title":"Blelham Tarn, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wansfell-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wansfell Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/windermere/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Windermere","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wray-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wray Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kodak-portra-400/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kodak Portra 400","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lake-districti/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lake Districti","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/portra-400/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Portra 400","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/reston-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Reston Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"After the recent freeze, winter fog has descended over the land.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been soupy thick and still, gently drenching everything and chilling bodies down to the bone.\nOver the weekend, the outdoors called us—as always—and so we tried somewhere a little different. Above the village of Staveley, which also serves as the entrance to Kentmere, a small yet imposing fell dominates the skyline: Reston Scar. It may only be 834 feet (254 m) in height, but it\u0026rsquo;s relative isolation allows for cracking views…\nIf you could see them past the fog.\nStill, it made for wonderfully moody and wintery photos.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, processed in RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodak Portra 400 profile, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe southern aspect of Reston Scar drops steeply down to the village of Staveley, allowing for—potentially—extensive views.\nNear the summit lies Kemp Tarn. I don\u0026rsquo;t know if it\u0026rsquo;s any good for wild/outdoor swimming, but on this day it was completely frozen over. I\u0026rsquo;d have got closer to its shore but the surrounding land was boggy, even in these temperatures.\nThe edge of Reston Scar, looking over to Craggy Wood/Piked Howe, before it drops right down to Staveley village.\nI enjoyed the intersecting lines of the stone wall and the fell slopes.\nThe summit cairn of Reston Scar, with the merest hint of Ings village below.\nIn better light, I\u0026rsquo;d like come back to Reston Scar and explore more of these craggy formations I found. I\u0026rsquo;m sure there\u0026rsquo;s some rad compositions to be had.\nFor now, these will have to do.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/reston-scar-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"After the recent freeze, winter fog has descended over the land.\nIt’s been soupy thick and still, gently drenching everything and chilling bodies down to the bone.\nOver the weekend, the outdoors called us—as always—and so we tried somewhere a little different. Above the village of Staveley, which also serves as the entrance to Kentmere, a small yet imposing fell dominates the skyline: Reston Scar. It may only be 834 feet (254 m) in height, but it’s relative isolation allows for cracking views…\n","title":"Reston Scar, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/staveley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Staveley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/summit/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Summit","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/angland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Angland","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/engladn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Engladn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eterna/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eterna","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/orrest-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Orrest Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"Arctic conditions have returned.\nAfter what\u0026rsquo;s seemed like an endless amount of rain, a dry and cold front has arrived over the British Isles, covering the fells in frost and snow.\nBefore family obligations in the afternoon, Lisabet and I got up early (for a Sunday morning) for a quick hike up the classic Orrest Head. It\u0026rsquo;s a quick way to get a good vantage point and drink in the views of all the snowy fells.\nThankfully, the light was also lovely.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. Shot with the Eterna film simulation, RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nFrom the parking bay off the main A591, we can immediately see the Coniston fells in their wintery glory rising above Windermere.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve said it many times before, but snow makes the fells seem even taller.\nElleray Woods underneath Orrest Head shelter you from the biting winds whipping the fells. Plenty of rhododendron about with their evergreen leaves.\nMy favourite in Elleray Woods. It\u0026rsquo;s like the roots are slowly dripping down and covering the crags.\nLow winter morning light catches the gentle curves of Sour Howes, with the higher peak of Yoke glowing in its winter coat.\nThe snowy fells rise above Threshthwaite Mouth, part of the Kentmere fells.\nWith light as fleeting as it is in the winter, you have to keep your eyes open for quick moments and smaller scenes like this.\nAnd there, the famous view from the summit of Orrest Head, the view that Alfred Wainwright fell in love.\nThe summit of Orrest Head features these wonderful rock formations, and the low winter light really pulled out all the textures. Not a bad place for a bench and a view, eh?\nLight scans across the fields towards the frosty maw of Threshthwaite Mouth.\nZooming in on Threshthwaite Mouth as slivers of golden winter light sweep across the rolling fields below.\nOne or two people similarly made their way up onto Orrest Head and enjoyed the views and conditions on offer.\nOn our way back down from the summit, the day brightens up and the light evens out a little. A little hint of 2022\u0026rsquo;s autumn colours linger on.\nAlways nice to see the Gruffalo on the winding track back down to the car.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"16 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/orrest-head-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Arctic conditions have returned.\nAfter what’s seemed like an endless amount of rain, a dry and cold front has arrived over the British Isles, covering the fells in frost and snow.\n","title":"Orrest Head, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/devils-grinding-mill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Devil's Grinding Mill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kirkby-stephen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kirkby Stephen","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pro-negative-standard/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pro Negative Standard","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-eden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Eden","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stenkrith-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stenkrith Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"By the gods, there has been a lot of rain.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s made getting out for some winter hiking difficult, if not impossible. In decades past, the Lake District was more known for a lurking misty drizzle that saturated everything. With climate change ever more present, these days rain in Cumbria crashes down in sheets of massive downpours, overwhelming infrastructure and rivers alike.\nFinally, after careful cross-examination of various weather services, there appeared to be a gap in all the rain. We quickly made our way to an area not only familiar to us but that also had the best chance of some clear skies: Stenkrith Park in Kirkby Stephen.\nIt felt good to be out.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm ultra-wide prime lenses. Shot using the camera\u0026rsquo;s Pro Negative Standard film emulation. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe crown of Stenkrith Park, known as the Devil\u0026rsquo;s Grinding Mill. Here the River Eden takes a sharp bend and has carved a deep and narrow gorge, dropping in several stages below the Millennium Bridge. It\u0026rsquo;s a spectacular sight, but I\u0026rsquo;ve never seen this much water flowing through. It was roaring.\nWe followed the Northern Viaduct trail towards the village of Hartley, the trees now bare. Winter afternoon light showed the way forward.\nFrom atop Podgill Viaduct there are excellent views all the way to the Northern Pennines. Their summits never escaped the clouds.\nLooking the other way from Podgill Viaduct. The bare trees allow the shape of the meandering beck to be more visible, making a stronger leading line towards the hills.\nKirkby Stephen\u0026rsquo;s always a pleasure to visit. We stopped for lunch and a potter around some of the charity shops, before relocating the River Eden for the return stretch of the walk.\nQuintessential British quirkiness or a scene of horror? You decide!\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stenkrith-park-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"By the gods, there has been a lot of rain.\nIt’s made getting out for some winter hiking difficult, if not impossible. In decades past, the Lake District was more known for a lurking misty drizzle that saturated everything. With climate change ever more present, these days rain in Cumbria crashes down in sheets of massive downpours, overwhelming infrastructure and rivers alike.\n","title":"Stenkrith Park, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/travelm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Travelm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pixelmator/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pixelmator","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pro-negative-high/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pro Negative High","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-rawthey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Rawthey","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sedbergh-school/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sedbergh School","type":"tags"},{"content":"Happy New Year everyone!\nI hope you all had a merry time with those you love (which can also just be yourself). What are your goals for 2023? Let\u0026rsquo;s hope this year\u0026rsquo;s a little more… boring, shall we say?\nTo kick of 2023, Lisabet and I ventured east to Sedbergh. It\u0026rsquo;s been raining a lot in December, but we were hoping there\u0026rsquo;d be a teeny little break in the rain around lunchtime. And, incidentally, we had a table booked at the gorgeous Dalesman Country Inn for a New Year\u0026rsquo;s Sunday Roast.\nWe picked a trail that ran past the famous Sedbergh School, and down towards the River Rawthey. Here you join the Dales High Way and head east, past the Pepperpot and the ruins of Akay House, all the way to the New Bridge and back into Sedbergh, ready for a Sunday Roast.\nUltimately, we still got wet. But I did manage to get a few decent shots.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28‒105mm f2.8‒3.8 zoom lens. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, then tweaked and finished in Pixelmator Photo for iPad and Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nSedbergh\u0026rsquo;s full of these beautiful little yards and alleys that are always so photogenic.\nPlenty of Sedbergh\u0026rsquo;s yards are still cobbled, too. In the distance you can just make out the now-rusty hues of the southern Howgills.\nThe graveyard of St. Andrew\u0026rsquo;s Church as you head towards the grounds of Sedbergh School. The present church dates from around 1500AD, but material from earlier churches here have been incorporated into the current building.\nOver towards Baugh Fell (678 m/2,224 ft), the heavens opened and dumped their liquid shipment all over the fell.\nJust up the river bank along the Dales High Way is the Pepperpot. The story of its origin has been lost in the mists of time. One legend states that it was constructed as an isolation house for a local land owner\u0026rsquo;s daughter who had Tuberculosis. The ruins of this building were reconstructed in 2019 and the building has been given to the local community.\nAs the Pepperpot is perched on an isolated drumlin, it enjoys lovely views around Sedbergh. I enjoyed the way the trees and drystone walls created wandering lines across the frame all the way up to Holme Fell on the left.\nA vertical photo of the same compositional idea.\nAcross the valley towards the Howgills, Arant Haw catches a little bit of afternoon winter light.\nInto Akay Woods, a piece of mosaic flooring and a couple of these stone archways are all that remains of Akay House.\nBefore the heavens opened up again, I managed to sneak a clear view of the Howgills from the Rawthey footpath. The members of the Howgills seen here, from left to right, are Crook (461m/1,513ft), Sickers Fell (498m/1,633ft), and Knott (429m/1,407ft).\nAfter all the rain we\u0026rsquo;ve had, the River Rawthey was absolutely gushing with water. At the weir near New Bridge, the curves of the weir and the water caught my eye and I lined up a composition. Turned out quite nice!\nPaused at New Bridge to snap these mossy branches above a raging River Rawthey.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"1 January 2023","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sedbergh-new-years-day-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Happy New Year everyone!\nI hope you all had a merry time with those you love (which can also just be yourself). What are your goals for 2023? Let’s hope this year’s a little more… boring, shall we say?\n","title":"Sedbergh, New Year's Day, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/christmas/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Christmas","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/devils-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Devils Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"Merry Christmas everyone!\nI hope you all find peace and rest this holiday season.\nWe had our usual quiet affair for Christmas. Dad came over to stay with us, and we all enjoyed a fantastic Christmas dinner that my lovely Lisabet put together. But, to the eternal question: what to do on Boxing Day? Apart from stuff ourselves silly with Christmas Day Leftover Sandwiches, of course…\nWell, after early December\u0026rsquo;s sub-zero temperatures, the rain has returned in full force. Thankfully, Boxing Day was looking a little drier, so we head to beautiful Kirkby Lonsdale for a gentle wander around the town and the riverside.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. Images were developed in Capture One for iPad, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nIn the grounds of St. Mary\u0026rsquo;s church, the way to the rectory is lit in soft and golden winter light.\nWe exited the grounds of St. Mary\u0026rsquo;s church and gingerly made our way down the Radical Steps to get to the riverside of the Lune. Next door to a rather splendid new house—where the old gas works used to be—some old horse boxes provided a rather timeless rustic scene.\nNext to the new build is the Old Gas House, where gas workers lived. Nowadays it\u0026rsquo;s been properly pimped up in true Kirkby Lonsdale style.\nFrom the famous Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, we could see the full extent of how swollen and fast the River Lune was. Lots of rain, recently.\nEven on a cold Boxing Day, there were still plenty of people paying a visit to Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge Snacks.\nThe clouds were speeding above us, intermittently covering and revealing the light from the sun in glorious ways.\nFrom the newer Stanley Bridge, low winter light breaks through the racing clouds and drenches Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge.\nSome brave people clambered down to the riverside near Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge to get near the rapids of the River Lune.\nHuge storm clouds build up above the Barbondale fells of the Yorkshire Dales. Time for us to get back to the car.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"27 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kirkby-lonsdale-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Merry Christmas everyone!\nI hope you all find peace and rest this holiday season.\nWe had our usual quiet affair for Christmas. Dad came over to stay with us, and we all enjoyed a fantastic Christmas dinner that my lovely Lisabet put together. But, to the eternal question: what to do on Boxing Day? Apart from stuff ourselves silly with Christmas Day Leftover Sandwiches, of course…\n","title":"Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-marys-church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Mary's Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/great-langdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Great Langdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/herdwick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Herdwick","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lingmoor-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lingmoor Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;ve been wanting to get into the snowy mountains for a while.\nAs I\u0026rsquo;d accrued a fairly significant amount of flexi-time at work, I used it to take a mid-week day off and headed into Lake District.\nLingmoor Fell is a small hill I\u0026rsquo;ve had my eye on for quite some time. It\u0026rsquo;s only a modest fell, standing at 469 m (1,540 ft) a.s.l., but what it lacks in height it more than makes up with the sensational views it offers. Lingmoor Fell\u0026rsquo;s isolated position in the Central Lake District—separating Great Langdale from Little Langdale—means some of the finest panoramas in all the Lake District can be found on this small fell.\nThough I ultimately didn\u0026rsquo;t feel confident or skilled enough to properly summit Lingmoor in the current sub-zero temperatures, I nevertheless managed ascending the fell\u0026rsquo;s shoulders and obtained some absolutely crackin\u0026rsquo; photos.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. Shot using the camera\u0026rsquo;s Classic Chrome film simulation, edited in Capture One for iPad, and finished in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe start of the walk ascends the fellside from Elterwater village, through winding country roads that have become a winter wonderland, totally frozen.\nAfter navigating the country roads and Sawrey\u0026rsquo;s Wood, you soon emerge onto the open fellside with wonderful views across Great Langdale towards the Grasmere fells.\nThe tiny village of Chapel Stile in the Great Langdale valley, with the rusty, craggy fells looming high above in the morning winter light.\nLots of quarrying has happened around the slopes of Lingmoor Fell, and continues to this day (though on a much smaller scale). I sneaked into this disused quarry largely for the icicles.\nThe old miner\u0026rsquo;s track provided a clear way up the fell. The day was crisp and bitingly cold, with the moon clear above. My destination was the peak illuminated by the sun.\nIt didn\u0026rsquo;t take long before I came across the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s famous sheep, Herdwicks. The path continued up to the left.\nHerdwicks are such posers. They know they\u0026rsquo;re pretty.\nUp on the shoulder of Lingmoor Fell the views instantly open up in all directions. Here the rusty bracken and crags of Lingmoor Fell provide a nice contrast to the distant wintery views of Ambleside and the Kentmere fells.\nOver the wall, towards Grasmere, Fairfield can now clearly be seen with a dusting of frost on its flat summit.\nHerdwicks graze upon the scant vegetation of a crag. The ridge of Lingmoor Fell is totally lined with this drystone wall, making it easy to navigate along the fell.\nI turned away from summiting Lingmoor Fell as the path quickly become a long sheet of ice. Instead, I skirted around its shoulder towards some disused quarries. Here, Wetherlam and Swirl How revealed their wintery magnificence to me.\nI took a water break near this crag and started crawling around it with my ultra-wide angle lens, looking for compositions involving those beautiful wintery mountains.\nThis one\u0026rsquo;s probably the best of the bunch.\nA tighter, zoomed in composition of Wetherlam (763 m/2,502 ft) and Swirl How (802.42m/2,632.6 ft), showing off their sheer scale above Little Langdale.\nHeading back down the old miner\u0026rsquo;s track, I catch a glimpse of one the axe-like peaks of the Langdale Pikes, and line up a composition.\nNot a bad place for a cottage, eh?\nBack on the winding country roads towards Elterwater village.\nWhat a crackin\u0026rsquo; day.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lingmoor-fell-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"I’ve been wanting to get into the snowy mountains for a while.\nAs I’d accrued a fairly significant amount of flexi-time at work, I used it to take a mid-week day off and headed into Lake District.\n","title":"Lingmoor Fell, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/quarry/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Quarry","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/swirl-how/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Swirl How","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wetherlam/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wetherlam","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cunswick-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cunswick Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"The first snow of the season has arrived.\nFortunately—living where I do—there are plenty of quick routes one can take from the town centre to ascend some nearby hills and check out the expansive wintery views.\nThe Lake District fells? Howgills? Barbondale fells?\nThey did not disappoint.\nAtmosphere was clean and clear. You could almost reach out and touch the mountains.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. Shot using the Classic Chrome film simulation, edited in Capture One for iPad and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve had a week of sub-zero temperatures, resulting in snow. It\u0026rsquo;s also largely been dry and completely clear, so it was no wonder lots of other people (and their furry friends) were out and about enjoying the views.\nMy lovely Lisabet, enjoying the beautiful light and atmosphere of the Kentmere fells.\nFor others, the outdoors are best enjoyed whilst exercising.\nUp on the summit of Cunswick Scar, the Coniston Fells positively glow with snow.\nZooming out to capture the entire expanse of the Lake District fells. Not all of it covered in snow as of yet.\nHowever, looking towards the Howgills… wow. Clouds washing over them like a waterfall. Glorious light, highlighting the beautiful contours of the Howgills.\nNavigating the steep path around Helsfell Nab towards these barns was… tricky. A popular trail means compacted snow that became frozen over and over again.\nOnly about 1pm at this point, but already the sun was setting and drenching the land in warm winter light.\nBack down to the beautiful Auld Grey Town.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"11 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cunswick-scar-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The first snow of the season has arrived.\nFortunately—living where I do—there are plenty of quick routes one can take from the town centre to ascend some nearby hills and check out the expansive wintery views.\n","title":"Cunswick Scar, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lake-distric/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lake Distric","type":"tags"},{"content":"The seasons progress and the weather is changing.\nAfter a month of near-constant rain interspersed with heavy fog, a high-pressure system is moving in and bringing with it clearer skies and lower temperatures.\nWinter has arrived.\nOn Saturday we were greeted with clear skies and a biting wind. We ventured into the Yorkshire Dales—Clapham, to be precise—for a hike up towards and above Trow Gill. We would then scramble through the gill to get to the high moorland above for extensive panoramic views.\nIt were a crackin\u0026rsquo; day for it.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. Developed in Capture One with the \u0026ldquo;Classic Chrome\u0026rdquo; Fujfilm simulation, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad,\nIt\u0026rsquo;d been a long time since I visited Clapham. In fact, I can recall the last time because I was still shooting with a Nikon D7000 that was nearly permanently attached to a tripod. This means the last time I was at Clapham was around 2016. Wow.\nHere is something I do not remember from our last visit: a friggin\u0026rsquo; waterfall! Turns out there\u0026rsquo;s been a lot of conservation work in recent years, some of which involved clearing the riverside bank here of snowberries, which was obscuring views of this waterfall. The last of the year\u0026rsquo;s autumn colours in beautiful winter light.\nClapham Falls is a man-made waterfall, constructed as a three-tier drop underneath a bridge in the early 19th century by the Farrer family. They\u0026rsquo;ve long had established ties to the village and the 19th century saw a lot of landscaping and remodelling of the village.\nThis is something I wasn\u0026rsquo;t expecting to see in winter: flowering plants! I think this might be Mahonia japonica, which is apparently native to Taiwan. It flowers in winter through to spring.\nAfter working our way up and through Clapdale Wood and past the famous Ingleborough Show Cave we finally arrived at the entrance to Trow Gill.\nTrow Gill is an immense ravine with 200ft high cliff walls. It was once the site of a massive waterfall, much like Troller\u0026rsquo;s Gill near Appletreewick.\nWe scrambled up the gill to access the high moorland above. From here, looking back down, I start to imagine what the waterfall would\u0026rsquo;ve looked like and the forces involved in sculpting this ravine. Immense.\nThe beck which once flowed through here as a raging waterfall begins life on the eastern slopes of Ingleborough. At some point in the distant past the beck no longer reached this ravine, instead falling underground near Ingleborough down a giant cavern now known as Gaping Gill. It is technically England\u0026rsquo;s single biggest drop waterfall, even though it falls underground.\nScrambling up and out of the gill, the land begins to open up and we can start to glimpse the eastern aspect of Ingleborough.\nAbove us, to the north, a limestone scar is drenched in winter light whilst the sky is ominously dark and cold.\nThe more unfamiliar view of Ingleborough. To the left is Little Ingleborough, with the main fell to the right. Though the trail continues on towards the fells, we decided to loop back and reconnect with the Pennine Bridleway.\nZooming right in on Little Ingleborough. You can just make out the tiny figures following the trail up the fell.\nUp on the moorlands above Clapham, the views massively open up. Beyond Thwaite Scar we could make out the distant yet distinct shape of Pendle Hill, all the way in East Lancashire.\nEven more impressively, Pen-y-Ghent was clear as a bell and looking spectacular.\nThe rolling landscape of the Yorkshire Dales, interspersed with karst limestone formations such as limestone pavements, scars, ridges, and of course the distinctive isolated fells.\nBack on the Penine Bridleway south to Clapham, Thwaite Scar receives some late afternoon golden light.\nBefore dropping down to the village, I nab one final composition of Robin Proctor\u0026rsquo;s Scar—a sheer cliff face—being bathed in golden winter light.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"4 December 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/clapham-amp-trow-gill-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The seasons progress and the weather is changing.\nAfter a month of near-constant rain interspersed with heavy fog, a high-pressure system is moving in and bringing with it clearer skies and lower temperatures.\n","title":"Clapham \u0026amp; Trow Gill, Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brampton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brampton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carlisle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carlisle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fujifilm-recipe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fujifilm Recipe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/super-hg-astia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Super Hg Astia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/talkin-tarm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Talkin Tarm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/talkin-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Talkin Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/talkin-tarn-country-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Talkin Tarn Country Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"It was me Dad\u0026rsquo;s birthday at the weekend!\nTo celebrate, we all enjoyed a lovely wander around Talkin Tarn, east of Carlisle, before treating Dad to lunch.\nThe last time we were at Talkin Tarn was around November 2017. I only remember this because I had just bought a Sigma dp0 Quattro, and this walk was my first opportunity to put it through its paces. This was also back in my tripod days.\nMy tastes and shooting style have evolved significantly since then, but I still have a deep fondness for Sigma and their Foveon sensor cameras.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. Images were made 95% in-camera using FujiXWeekly\u0026rsquo;s Super HG Astia recipe, then finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nThe woods around Talkin Tarn were holding on valiantly to the last of this year\u0026rsquo;s autumn foliage.\nThough the rest of Cumbria was looking gloomy and wet, here in northeast Cumbria conditions were bright and dry.\nThrough the woods to get the last of this area\u0026rsquo;s autumn foliage.\nLooking back at the woods and enjoying the play of light, before carrying on around the more open section of the tarn walk.\nIt was nice to see plenty of water fowl enjoying the tarn, no doubt somewhat desensitised to the presence of humans. There were your regulars such as Mallard ducks (**Anas platyrhynchos)**and Mute swans (Cygnus olor), but also Coots (**Fulica atra)**and Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus).\nA beautiful Mute Swan, practically glowing in the morning light.\nThe tarn is glacial in origin, formed around 10,000 years ago after the last Ice Age. Some of the woods around the tarn are ancient.\nThere were plenty of other folk enjoying the light, conditions, and scenery around the tarn.\nWe detoured slightly from the main tarn path to explore some of the woodland above the tarn. Of course, Lisabet has a keen eye for woodland fungi.\nA thoroughly pleasant day was had by all.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/talkin-tarn-country-park-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"It was me Dad’s birthday at the weekend!\nTo celebrate, we all enjoyed a lovely wander around Talkin Tarn, east of Carlisle, before treating Dad to lunch.\nThe last time we were at Talkin Tarn was around November 2017. I only remember this because I had just bought a Sigma dp0 Quattro, and this walk was my first opportunity to put it through its paces. This was also back in my tripod days.\n","title":"Talkin Tarn Country Park, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"29 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/water-fowl/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Water Fowl","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/black-combe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Black Combe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/haverigg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Haverigg","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hodbarrow-nature-reserve/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hodbarrow Nature Reserve","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for somewhere a little different.\nFor a little while now we\u0026rsquo;ve had our peripheral vision on a little-known nature reserve in southwest Cumbria: Hodbarrow Nature Reserve.\nToday was the day to visit and explore it.\nThe nature reserve occupies the site of a former iron ore mine, which was in operation until the 1960s. The RSPB purchased the nature reserve in 1986, and are managing the area to sustain numbers of terns, wintering red-breasted mergansers, as well as wintering teals, coots, little grebes, redshanks and dunlins, and breeding great crested grebes. They are also looking to re-establish the nationally rare natterjack toad.\nWhile parts of eastern Cumbria and North Yorkshire were looking cloudy and rainy, the southwest Cumbrian coast at Millom was thankfully sunny and clear, with gorgeous painterly high-altitude clouds aiding our photos.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. Images are 90% made in-camera using Shark \u0026amp; Palm\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Kodak Ektar 100\u0026rdquo; film recipe. Finalised using Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nWhat became immediately obvious to me and Lisabet upon our arrival was how quiet the nature reserve was. Absolutely delightful.\nBeautiful \u0026ldquo;brush stroke\u0026rdquo; clouds decorated the skies above the flooded \u0026ldquo;lagoon\u0026rdquo; of the nature reserve.\nThe fell that commands your attention all around the nature reserve is Black Combe, an isolated Lake District fell of 600m high.\nHowever, further into the distance are the Coniston fells, looking sublime as the clouds cast painterly shadows across the slopes of the fells.\nAn old abandoned lighthouse, possibly abandoned in favour of the newer one further southeast of the nature reserve. The little stub of a building in the distance to the right is the ruins of a windmill. The old windmill was used by Hodbarrow Iron Ore Mine to store gunpowder, used for blasting, between 1855 and 1880, when a purpose-built facility was built.\nA clearer panorama of the Coniston fells.\nA crackin\u0026rsquo; composition I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist. The old lighthouse reflected in the lagoon with the hump of Black Combe in the distance.\nThe crags of Hodbarrow Point, subject to constant erosion by the tides of the Duddon Estuary, itself connected to Morecambe Bay.\nBeautiful strokes of painterly clouds adorn the skies above Black Combe. Attached to the nature reserve\u0026rsquo;s lagoon is the Hodbarrow Marina.\nAn old couple enjoy the views across the Duddon Estuary as feathery clouds streak across the sky.\nAs we approached the newer lighthouse, I noticed lots of large puddles nearby the enticed me to try my hand at a reflection composition. Not bad. The \u0026ldquo;lagoon\u0026rdquo; of the nature reserve is protected from the sea by this beautiful sea wall, built in 1905.\nFaded grandeur. Plus the streaky clouds enabled an ultra-wide composition as they \u0026ldquo;pointed\u0026rdquo; towards the lighthouse.\nFrom the top of the sea wall, the ever-stretching expanse of Haverigg beach comes into view.\nLooking along the sea wall all the way back to the Furness peninsula.\nA simple scene, but beautiful nonetheless.\nI enjoy the way the curve of the lagoon is mirrored in the curves of the clouds above.\nAfter lunch, we re-emerged into the nature reserve with considerably more cloud cover. The Lakeland fells, however, were still looking magnificent.\nThe clouds grew larger and tighter around the sun. That would be it for the day.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hodbarrow-nature-reserve-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for somewhere a little different.\nFor a little while now we’ve had our peripheral vision on a little-known nature reserve in southwest Cumbria: Hodbarrow Nature Reserve.\nToday was the day to visit and explore it.\n","title":"Hodbarrow Nature Reserve, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kodak-ektar-100/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kodak Ektar 100","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/millom/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Millom","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/nature-reserve/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nature Reserve","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rspb/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rspb","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cottage/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cottage","type":"tags"},{"content":"The weekend arrived and it finally stopped raining.\nTo celebrate, Lisabet and I explored somewhere often overlooked by us and perhaps many others. Heading west from Kendal towards Barrow-in-Furness lies the coastal town of Grange-over-Sands.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a proper bonny little place, with a reputation in Cumbria of being almost exclusively inhabited by pensioners, which is saying something as Cumbria itself has an older demographic than the national average. In fact, Cumbria\u0026rsquo;s 65+ population is 32% higher than the average in England, whilst the 15–64 demographic is 5% lower than the English average.\nAbove Grange-over-Sands is a small hill known as Hampsfell. Lisabet and I have never hiked up there before, and we were delighted with what we found! Expansive 360º views, limestone pavements, and a lovely woodland beneath the fell.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAW files were converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.\nNear the entrance to Eggerslack Wood, we found a cottage completely surrounded in superb autumn foliage. It\u0026rsquo;s not much of a composition, but I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist shooting it.\nEggerslack Wood reminds me a lot of Serpentine Wood in Kendal, and it\u0026rsquo;s not surprising. Both are woodland growing from a limestone landscape, with a similar biome. The last of the year\u0026rsquo;s autumn foliage in Eggerslack Wood, burning bright on an unseasonably warm November day.\nClimbing steeply up and out of Eggerslack Wood, we found ourselves on the slopes of Hampsfell. And a happy find for me: limestone pavements!\nA solitary tree rises high from the limestone landscape. Though nowhere near as extensive or as complete as somewhere like Ingleborough or Malham , the site of these sections of beautiful limestone pavement was truly welcome. A got incredibly low and close to the limestone pavement in order to record the lines and light towards the tree. The final photo was made up of four f8 shots at different focal lengths, focus stacked together for sharpness throughout the frame.\nHigher up the fell, more glacial erratics and tor-like features revealed themselves to me for more tantalising compositions.\nEven below the summit, the views across Morecambe Bay were extensive. You can even pick out the flat-topped summit of Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales, 30+ miles away.\nClimbing up and around the shoulder of Hampsfell, a crystal-clear view of the Coniston Fells in the Lake District made us both gasp.\nThis structure at the summit of Hampsfell is Hampsfell Hospice. It was constructed in 1846 by the Vicar of Cartmell to provide shelter and relief for weary travellers crossing the fell. It does enjoy extraordinary 360º views.\nLimestone glacial erratics, windswept trees and the Lake District fells on a ridiculously warm November day.\nThe trifecta of tree, boulder, and fells.\nNo series of photos in Cumbria is complete without featuring the local sheep.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"15 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/eggerslack-wood-amp-hampsfell-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"The weekend arrived and it finally stopped raining.\nTo celebrate, Lisabet and I explored somewhere often overlooked by us and perhaps many others. Heading west from Kendal towards Barrow-in-Furness lies the coastal town of Grange-over-Sands.\n","title":"Eggerslack Wood \u0026amp; Hampsfell, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grange/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grange","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grange-over-sands/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grange Over Sands","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hampsfell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hampsfell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hampsfell-hospice/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hampsfell Hospice","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fern/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fern","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/miltonrigg-woods/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Miltonrigg Woods","type":"tags"},{"content":"Ever since we returned from South Wales, it basically hasn\u0026rsquo;t stopped raining in North England.\nThis has severely limited opportunities to get and about in the local area for some quality hikes and enjoy the season\u0026rsquo;s autumn colours.\nThankfully, Sunday just gone, conditions were largely dry during a visit to my Dad\u0026rsquo;s. So, after a wee bit of Googling, we hopped into the car and drove east of Brampton for a lovely hike around Miltonrigg Woods.\nBeautiful colours, gorgeous woodland. A good way to see off the last of this year\u0026rsquo;s autumn colours.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Dad\u0026rsquo;s XF18–55mm f2.8–4 zoom and my own Laowa 9mm f2.8 lens. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nRight next to the start of the walk, a beautiful scene illuminated itself before my eyes. Already the autumn colours were looking glorious and the light was just right.\nA tigher composition of the illuminated ferns amongst the rusty hues of fallen leaves.\nLooking back at the start of the hike. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing quite like a woodland in autumn.\nThree gnarly trees entwine and reach to the skies, sheltering the fiery leaves beneath. As the sun came out from behind the clouds, I spotted an opportunity for an ultra-wide composition featuring some of the woodland\u0026rsquo;s gorgeous ferns.\nI enjoy the challenge of finding compositions and telling a simple story in an otherwise complicated landscape, such as in the woods.\nThe afternoon sun pierces through the seemingly endless layers of trees.\nTwo silver birches with a \u0026ldquo;skirt\u0026rdquo; of autumn foliage.\nThe light was such that you had to stay alert and keep your eyes open, as random parts of the woodland around you would suddenly illuminate and reveal a gorgeous scene to photo.\nAnother twisting ancient tree in a sea of ferns provides contrast against a backdrop of illuminated silver birch.\nHeading back to the car park and a tunnel of light reveals a row of trees amongst a carpet of rusty leaves.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"7 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/miltonrigg-woods-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Ever since we returned from South Wales, it basically hasn’t stopped raining in North England.\nThis has severely limited opportunities to get and about in the local area for some quality hikes and enjoy the season’s autumn colours.\n","title":"Miltonrigg Woods, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 November 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/xf1855/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Xf1855","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/astia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Astia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brecon-beacons/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brecon Beacons","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brecon-beacons-national-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brecon Beacons National Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/elidir-trail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Elidir Trail","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pontneddfechan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pontneddfechan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/powys/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Powys","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scwd-ddwli/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scwd Ddwli","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sgwd-gwladys/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sgwd Gwladys","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/south-wales/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"South Wales","type":"tags"},{"content":"Our last full day in South Wales.\nWe\u0026rsquo;d previously enjoyed some waterfall action at Cwm Rhaeadr near Llandovery. But that was just one waterfall, even though it was a mighty one.\nDeep in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park one can find Waterfall Country, home to a myriad of waterfalls. Easily the most popular trail around here is the Four Falls Walk, which we\u0026rsquo;ve done before way back in 2018. However, word is that this particular trail has become even busier.\nInstead, for our last full day, we elected to walk the Elidir Trail. Somewhat less busy but the waterfalls are no less impressive.\nWe were not disappointed, and beautiful light for woodland and gorge walking aided us for our final day.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, then developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nThe Elidir Trail gorge heads upstream where it forks into two distinct sections. The shorter branch is a simple diversion to the viewing point for the main waterfall of the area, called Sgwd Gwladys. After a day or two of rain, the gorge was wet and the atmosphere was moist. Thankfully, that resulted in beautiful soft reflected light in this autumnal scene.\nAn ultra-wide composition of Sgwd Gwladys, and possible one of the greatest waterfall photos I\u0026rsquo;ve ever managed to shoot. A dead tree provided nutrition for a whole collection of fungi, serving as my foreground interest with Sgwd Gwladys gracefully rushing over a shelf in the distance.\nWe gingerly navigated the slippery and mossy boulders to get as close to the falls as possible whilst the light shining down into the gorge was still complementary. Rusty autumn leaves provide colour contrast in the foreground. Further up the main gorge created by the River Neath (or Afon Nedd ), a group of early-20s lads examined a potential swimming and diving spot.\nAutumn in a micro scene, as the afternoon sun pierced the clouds above for a particularly strong burst of light.\nHere the gorge and river widens up, allowing more autumnal light to pour into the scene on these two cataracts.\nTowards the top of the Elidir Trail an almost impossibly perfect autumnal waterfall scene emerges as we clamber down the gorge to gawp at Scŵd Ddwli.\nThe name of these falls, Scŵd Ddwli, translates roughly to \u0026ldquo;gushing falls\u0026rdquo;, which we found to be wholly accurate. Around the edge of the plunge pool, rusty autumnal leaves had gathered making for a lovely composition.\nThough we neared the end of the Elidir Trail, and the clouds had gradually covered the gorge, we got a final explosion of light from the late afternoon sun, shooting beams across the falls.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"17 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-elidir-trail-falls-powys-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Our last full day in South Wales.\nWe’d previously enjoyed some waterfall action at Cwm Rhaeadr near Llandovery. But that was just one waterfall, even though it was a mighty one.\n","title":"The Elidir Trail Falls, Powys, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"16 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llansteffan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llansteffan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"16 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llansteffan-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llansteffan Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"Did you know that Wales is home to the most castles per square mile of any country in Europe?\nCertainly during our stay in South Wales we visited our fair share of them, mostly in ruins, such as Dinefwr and Castell Carreg Cennen, and Llandovery castle.\nHeading south towards Carmarthen Bay, where the Avon Twyi pours out into the Bristol Channel, one can find the sleepy little village of Llansteffan with yet another magnificent fort perched on a cliff top overlooking the bay. The village\u0026rsquo;s name means \u0026ldquo;Llan of St. Stephen\u0026rdquo;. You\u0026rsquo;ll find a lot of place names in Wales start with the prefix Llan; it refers to sanctified land occupied by Christian monks or communities, almost always named in honour of a Saint.\nAfter checking out the ruins of Llansteffan Castle, we ambled along the beach below the castle, where I gawped and photographed the local geology.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, then developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nA rather shapely tree that caught my eye on the way up to Llansteffan Castle.\nFrom outside the castle ruins the views overlooking Carmarthen Bay were rather splendid.\nThe ruins of Llansteffan Castle. It sits on the site of a much older Iron Age fort, showing that Llansteffan has been inhabited for millennia.\nThe Normans built a castle here in the 12th century. Like a lot of castles here in South Wales it passed hands often between the Welsh and the English. By the 14th century it was described as being in a poor state.\nOne thing that struck in particular about these ruins were all the wasps. They were everywhere, tucked into various nooks and crannies of the stonework.\nWe braved the disconcerting hum of wasps all around us to explore this building for a composition whilst the light was particularly sympathetic.\nDown on the beach below the castle, things were thankfully a lot more peaceful.\nHistorical glaciation and millennia of coastal erosion from the sea have exposed millions of years of geology history. Here Llansteffan would\u0026rsquo;ve been at various times a desert, at the bottom of a sea, and everything in between, with different rocks forming and deposited at various stages. Fascinating.\nTo quote Natural Resources Wales: \u0026ldquo;The bedrock geology of this area […] is dominated by Devonian Old Red Sandstone characterised by mudstones, siltstones, sandstones and conglomerates which were deposited in fluvial environments, such as meandering channels and floodplains. The rocks around Llansteffan include important exposures of calcrete (which is a fossil soil indicative of an arid or semi-arid environment). Overlying the Old red Sandstone is a classic sequence of Carboniferous rocks including shallow-marine carbonates (Carboniferous Limestone), shallow-marine and fluvio-deltaic deposits (Millstone Grit), and lacustrine, delta plain sediments and coal (Coal Measures).\u0026rdquo;\nThe exposure of Old Red Sandstone is clearer towards Scott\u0026rsquo;s Bay, where plenty of people were chilling with their pets, nestled into the crags.\nI was beguiled by the shapes, forms and colours of the cliff rocks. Imagining the millions of years of this land, and how different the local landscape would\u0026rsquo;ve looked, makes my head spin!\nA tighter composition reveals the joins and seems of various types of rocks as beautiful late afternoon light highlights the textures.\nLlansteffan Castle and its dominating position above the village and the surrounding farmland.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"16 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/llansteffan-carmarthenshire-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Did you know that Wales is home to the most castles per square mile of any country in Europe?\nCertainly during our stay in South Wales we visited our fair share of them, mostly in ruins, such as Dinefwr and Castell Carreg Cennen, and Llandovery castle.\n","title":"Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gower/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gower","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gower-aonb/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gower Aonb","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gower-peninsula/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gower Peninsula","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/port-eynon/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Port Eynon","type":"tags"},{"content":"Just outside of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, one can find other excellent stretches of South Wales coastline.\nEast of Pembrokeshire, Swansea is home to the Gower Peninsula and the Gower AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). We had already explored a small section of this area at the start of our holiday at Mumbles. But further along the coastline from Mumbles one can find a stretch of fantastical coastline between Port Eynon and Rhossili.\nWhereas the cliffs at Lydstep Head were more vertiginous, at the Gower Peninsula the cliffs are formed from a faulted and folded sequence of Carboniferous rocks. More recent sculpting occurred in the last Ice Age as the Gower lay on the southern margin of the last ice sheet. As a result, the cliffs here feature fantastic shapes of curves and folds smashing into each other at peculiar angles.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nPort Eynon Bay, with its long sandy beach and tall dunes. Port Eynon is thought to be named after Prince Einion of Deheubarth or an 11th-century Welsh Prince named Eynon. \u0026ldquo;Eynon\u0026rdquo; is apparently a fairly common surname in Wales. West of the beach one can hike up the cliffs to summit Port Eynon Point. My lovely Lisabet pictured here heading straight for the knife-edge tip of Port Eynon Point.\nLooking back along the limestone cliff edge from Port Eynon Point towards the summit trig point, the open Overton Mere, and the Gower cliffs beyond.\nFrom Overton Mere, looking back at Port Eynon Point, it\u0026rsquo;s easier to see the folding of limestone that\u0026rsquo;s occurred around this stretch of the Gower Coast. Seemingly impossible shapes and lines that are entirely natural.\nBelow Overton cliff more fantastic shapes are revealed, millions of years of folding, faulting, erosion, and glacial scouring.\nOn top of Long Hole cliff we navigated a join in the folds of limestone to use as a leading line towards the Common Cliffs, as beautiful late afternoon light highlights their shapes.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"15 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/port-eynon-gower-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Just outside of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, one can find other excellent stretches of South Wales coastline.\nEast of Pembrokeshire, Swansea is home to the Gower Peninsula and the Gower AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). We had already explored a small section of this area at the start of our holiday at Mumbles. But further along the coastline from Mumbles one can find a stretch of fantastical coastline between Port Eynon and Rhossili.\n","title":"Port Eynon, Gower, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bannau-sir-gar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bannau Sir Gar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/black-mountain/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Black Mountain","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carmarthen-fans/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carmarthen Fans","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fan-bryncheiniog/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fan Bryncheiniog","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fan-foel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fan Foel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llyn-y-fan-fach/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llyn Y Fan Fach","type":"tags"},{"content":"If I had one main personal goal for this fortnight in South Wales we\u0026rsquo;re enjoying, it\u0026rsquo;s to get up one of the mountain ranges in the Brecon Beacons National Park.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a few mountain/hill ranges in the Brecon Beacons National Park, the main two I was interested was either:\nThe Brecon Beacons, at the heart of the national park, which includes South Wales\u0026rsquo; highest peak Pen y Fan (886 metres/2,907 feet) The Black Mountain, sometimes known as the Carmarthenshire Fans. On this occasion, we elected to hike up the Black Mountain range above the mountain tarn known as Llyn y Fan Fach.\nThe day promised to be glorious, with puffy white clouds and strong sun in the crisp autumn air. Though we were disappointed at the sight of Llyn y Fan Fach halfway up the climb (it seems to be in the process of being emptied), the views on the way up to the peaks were absolutely astounding.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nAfter exiting a busy car park we started the ascent up the Beacons Way path direct towards the tarn. Looking to the east I nabbed this quick shot of the criss-crossing hills towards Bryn Blaen-Wysg.\nAbout halfway up the path is a small hut where the dam is. Above it are these fish hatcheries which were originally used as filter beds. The rounded hills at the bottom of the path are in stark contrast to the shapes of the Black Mountain, as you\u0026rsquo;ll see.\nAs we climb the views get ever more extensive. The last time we visited Llyn y Fan Fach, back in October 2018, there were few people around. This time the car park was full and cars had been dumped on the grass verges along the road leading to the car park. Apparently this area became vastly more popular after being featured in a 2020 TV series \u0026ldquo;Secrets of Britain\u0026rdquo;.\nFrom the left, Fan Brycheiniog and Picws Du come into view, with their heavily glaciated and steep northern craggy faces. Morning sun was attempting to break through the clouds above.\nWow, am I right? After seeing the state of Llyn y Fan Fach, we quickly continued our ascent up the Black Mountain. The views looking back to the peaks were too incredible to ignore. The tallest peak, Fan Brycheiniog, is on the left, or strictly speaking its \u0026ldquo;nose\u0026rdquo;, Fan Foel. This is followed by Picws Du, Cefn Twrch, and Waun Lefrith.\nThe hike up the western slopes of the Black Mountain is steep, and the drop down to the tarn is sheer… but I mean, look at those views. The light got more intense, too, as the clouds started to dissipate and reveal the sun.\nThese peaks are primarily composed of Old Red Sandstone, laid down around 400 million years ago, with bands of Carboniferous Limestone. I wanted to find some of the exposed red sandstone as a contrast to all the grass.\nMore cracks of ruby red sandstone which I wanted to emphasise with a vertical composition towards the Black Mountain peaks.\nMy lovely Lisabet, being immensely more brave than I as she stands atop an exposed crag with a 500ft sheer drop beneath her.\nThis was about as close as I dared go to those crags, with the beautifully curved glaciated wall of Waun Lefrith in the distance.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/llyn-y-fan-fach-brecon-beacons-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"If I had one main personal goal for this fortnight in South Wales we’re enjoying, it’s to get up one of the mountain ranges in the Brecon Beacons National Park.\n","title":"Llyn y Fan Fach, Brecon Beacons, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/picws-du/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Picws Du","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/velvia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Velvia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cwm-rhaeadr/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cwm Rhaeadr","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cwm-rhaeadr-forest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cwm Rhaeadr Forest","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cwm-rhaeadr-waterfall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cwm Rhaeadr Waterfall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llandovery/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llandovery","type":"tags"},{"content":"If there\u0026rsquo;s a feature that—to my mind—typifies South Wales that isn\u0026rsquo;t it\u0026rsquo;s glorious coastline, it\u0026rsquo;s the waterfalls.\nIn fact, in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park lies an area called Waterfall Country.\nOutside of Waterfall Country though there are still plenty of places to find waterfalls. One of the bigger ones can be found in Cwm Rhaeadr Forest, north of the historical town of Llandovery.\nAfter a morning spent wandering around this beautiful little town, we head to Cwm Rhaeadr forest to enjoy some forest bathing, autumnal colours, and one of the largest and most epic waterfalls we\u0026rsquo;ve ever come across.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAW files converted in Capture One for iPad, developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nLlandovery # On the southern side of Llandovery is a small knoll that overlooks the town, atop of which is perched Llandovery Castle. Next to the castle ruins is a stainless statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, a wealthy Carmarthenshire landowner who was executed in Llandovery by Henry IV of England in punishment for his support of Owain Glyndŵr\u0026rsquo;s Welsh rebellion.\nThe Normans built a castle here around 1166 AD, and it was rebuilt in stone in the 13th century. It was burnt down in the 16th century and never rebuilt. From the ruins you can enjoy vast views of the nearby hills of South Wales plus Llandovery\u0026rsquo;s car park. Lovely.\nTowns in South Wales seem fond of their colourful buildings, and the Bear Inn in Llandovery is definitely one of the more vivid ones I\u0026rsquo;ve seen.\nThis is the 4th incarnation of Llandovery Town Hall, built in 1858 in the Italianate style. The first town hall on the site was built in 1485.\nCwm Rhaeadr Forest # In Cwm Rhaeadr Forest, glorious autumnal colours carpet the forest floor.\nOur first glimpse of the massive waterfall as it roars down from Mynydd Mallaen 1,500ft above. Time to get as close and personal with the waterfall as we can.\nShe\u0026rsquo;s a powerful beauty! It was damned hard trying to get close to the waterfall, but many slips and slides we made it. I quickly equipped my 9mm ultra-wide lens to snap as many compositions of this waterfall\u0026rsquo;s sections as I could.\nCwm Rhaeadr waterfall drops about 100m+ from Mynydd Mallaen in between two crags, falling in several stages as various falls and cascades. That means it\u0026rsquo;s possible to scale down alongside the waterfall and shoot completely different compositions from each particular drop.\nI shot many different compositions of this waterfall as we scaled down alongside it. Some were definitely shit, as getting a solid enough footing proved difficult. The ones you see above were the best I could manage.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/llandovery-cwm-rhaeadr-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"If there’s a feature that—to my mind—typifies South Wales that isn’t it’s glorious coastline, it’s the waterfalls.\nIn fact, in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park lies an area called Waterfall Country.\n","title":"Llandovery \u0026amp; Cwm Rhaeadr, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llandovery-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llandovery Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/statue/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Statue","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fort/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fort","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/island/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Island","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lydstep/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lydstep","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lydstep-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lydstep Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/national-trust/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"National Trust","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tenby/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tenby","type":"tags"},{"content":"After a morning spent carefully watching the weather apps, it was time to venture out.\nSouthwest of Wales one can find the historical port town of Tenby, or Dinbych-y-pysgod (\u0026ldquo;Fortlet of the fish\u0026rdquo;) to give its proper Welsh name. While we drove through the lashing rain, we arrived at Tenby in relatively dry conditions, wandering around the town and its beaches as the clouds gradually lifted and broke apart.\nWith the light getting better and better, we drove a further ten minutes southwest to Lydstep Head, a new location for us, to check out the area\u0026rsquo;s fabled cliffs.\nBoy it did not disappoint.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad then developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nTenby # St. Catherine\u0026rsquo;s Island is a tidal island, just off Tenby\u0026rsquo;s south beach. It\u0026rsquo;s home to St. Catherine\u0026rsquo;s Fort, a Palmerston Fort constructed in the 19th century, in response to concerns about an imminent invasion from Emperor Napoleon III of France. Since the 1960s the Fort has stood empty, owned by no-one, though there are community initiatives to accommodate visits and tours.\nThis is the old Lifeboat Station, built in 1905 and superseded by the newer one just round the corner of Castle Hill in 2008. The old Lifeboat Station is now a private residence. Can you imagine?\nAs we continued to round the shoulder of Castle Hill the clouds above broke up and lifted. This allowed glorious autumnal sunlight to start emerging onto the scene, highlighting the beautiful coloured buildings of Tenby.\nTenby Harbour, enjoying a lot more sun as the clouds were lifting and breaking. Such a wonderful Welsh coastal scene.\nGosker Rock, which stands conspicuously all on its own on Tenby\u0026rsquo;s north beach.\nBack on Tenby\u0026rsquo;s south beach, conditions were really starting to get epic. Time to head back to the car and find the cliffs of Lydstep Head.\nLydstep Head # On Lydstep Head, passing squalls quickly dowsed us in rain before carrying on across the sea. Their cloud formations made for epic compositions. I stacked 5 frames on top of each to shoot this photo of the cliffs at Lydstep Point with the rain clouds being lit up in the distance.\nEast from Lydstep Head another squall dropped a load of rain on top of Caldey Island. I zoomed in for a tighter composition of this fantastic phenomenon.\nI mean, wow. The vertical cliff pictured here is Whitesheet Rock, with its dramatic vertical folds. Lots of Pembrokeshire\u0026rsquo;s coastline is comprised of limestone, which can often produce incredulous rock and karst formations.\nA tighter composition of Whitesheet Rock. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem possible that cliff formations can look like this. The other side of Whitesheet Rock above the aquamarine waters of Lydstep Haven.\nGetting some of these compositions around Lydstep Head\u0026rsquo;s cliffs were some of the most challenging tasks I\u0026rsquo;ve ever done. The winds coming across the sea were funnelled through and around the geography of the area, creating blusters of 50+ mph. For a lot of these photos, I pretty much had to \u0026ldquo;spray and pray\u0026rdquo; to ensure I got something.\nPowerful winds force the sea to crash against and around the cliffs of Lydstep Head, as they have surely done for millennia. Who knows what these magnificent cliffs will look like in another thousand years?\nMuch of Lydstep Head is owned and maintained by the National Trust. Period regenerative grazing occurs here, but closer to the cliffs the land is largely left to do what it will in the elements. A slow-moving squall sits above Caldey Island in the distance whilst the sun drench the Lydstep cliffs with warm late-afternoon light as powerful winds blast the sea at the seemingly impossible cliffs.\nBeyond Lydstep Head to the west, the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path continues over and above the cliffs. That will have to wait for another day.\nFor this day, circumnavigating Lydstep Head in glorious light and epic conditions was more than enough for the day.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"9 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/tenby-lydstep-head-pembrokeshire-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"After a morning spent carefully watching the weather apps, it was time to venture out.\nSouthwest of Wales one can find the historical port town of Tenby, or Dinbych-y-pysgod (“Fortlet of the fish”) to give its proper Welsh name. While we drove through the lashing rain, we arrived at Tenby in relatively dry conditions, wandering around the town and its beaches as the clouds gradually lifted and broke apart.\n","title":"Tenby \u0026amp; Lydstep Head, Pembrokeshire, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mumbles/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mumbles","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mumbles-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mumbles Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mumbles-lighthouse/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mumbles Lighthouse","type":"tags"},{"content":"A last burst of summer in autumn.\nFor our second full day in South Wales we decided to check somewhere we\u0026rsquo;d never been to before on our previous South Wales explorations: Mumbles.\nMumbles (or Mwmbwls in Welsh) is a headland on the western edge of the Swansea Bay, right on the southern coast of Wales. It has an unusual name, don\u0026rsquo;t you think? There are different thoughts of where the name comes from:\nExploring French sailors may have named the two rounded islands off the headland les mamelles, meaning \u0026ldquo;the breasts\u0026rdquo;, which became corrupted over time; It could come from the Latin Mamucium, taken from an older Brythonic name, with the mamm- aspect meaning, yes, \u0026ldquo;breasts\u0026rdquo;. We started our hike at Bracelet Bay and the day greeted us with clear skies and a very warm sun. After wandering around the bay and hiking up the limestone crag above the bay—nabbing photos along the way—we carried on the Wales Coast Path west towards Langland Bay.\nThe views along the way were fantastic. It did not feel like October.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, edited and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nBracelet Bay, with Mumbles Head to the left, Middle Head dead centre, and Mumbles Lighthouse to the right. You can see why breasts are historically mentioned often in the etymology of Mumbles.\nA 9mm ultra-wide composition made from two focus stacked frames of some gorgeous rock samphire with Middle Head and Mumbles Lighthouse in the distance.\nWave-sculpted crags and boulders provided a lovely frame of the Mumbles islands.\nI shot a multitude of ultra-wide frames for this composition here, seeking to find the \u0026ldquo;optimum\u0026rdquo; way the sea crashed around this sea stack.\nWe climbed up Mumbles Head for more expansive views of Middle Head, Mumbles Lighthouse, and beyond. Two other guys already there were deep in solemn conversation.\nMy lovely Lisabet high above the crags of Mumbles Head. Middle Head and Mumbles Lighthouse were starting to catch the sun as it appeared behind the clouds. An alternative composition as we climbed further up Mumbles Head, with Middle Head attracting the full attention of the sun from behind the clouds.\nWith the sun dipping behind the clouds again, softer light caressed the shoulders of Mumbles Head and Middle Head. Although breasts are often evoked when viewing these islands, to my mind they\u0026rsquo;re more like whales of some nature.\nBeyond Bracelet Bay we followed the Wales Coast Path west towards Langland Bay. It was turning out to be a corker of a day, the sea glowing a deep aquamarine. At Rams Tor, looking into the distance at Snaple Point, Whiteshell Point, Pwlldu Head, and Oxwich Point.\nGlorious Langland Bay, lined with beach huts and seafront villas. Clearly a popular holiday spot.\nThe crags of Rothers Torr below the cliffs of Langland Bay.\n","date":"5 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/mumbles-gower-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"A last burst of summer in autumn.\nFor our second full day in South Wales we decided to check somewhere we’d never been to before on our previous South Wales explorations: Mumbles.\n","title":"Mumbles, Gower, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/swansea/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Swansea","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castell-carreg-cennen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castell Carreg Cennen","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dinefwr-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dinefwr Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/english-longhorn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"English Longhorn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/llandeilo/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Llandeilo","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newton-house/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newton House","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re in South Wales for a fortnight!\nIt feels great to relax and have a proper break from the severely challenging year we\u0026rsquo;ve had.\nArriving at our holiday property Friday evening—after a gruelling 5-hour drive in the lashing rain—we woke up Saturday deciding to explore the area nearby where we\u0026rsquo;re staying around Llandeilo.\nLlandeilo is a small town on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It\u0026rsquo;s proper bonny. Evidence of Roman occupation from around 74AD has been discovered here; later on, the settlement was named after a famous Celtic monk—Saint Teilo—with the Welsh word llan meaning a church or monastery, hence the name Llandeilo (pronounced Shan-DAY-loh).\nOwing to the long and rich Christian and royal history in the area, there are lots of castles nearby. We explored just two of them: Dinefwr and Castell Carreg Cennen, both impressive in their own right.\nAfter Friday\u0026rsquo;s insane amount of rain, conditions on the Saturday were thankfully dry and epic.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted using Capture One for iPad, developed and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nDinefwr Castle # Below the Dinefwr estate woods, beautiful autumn light and foliage wraps this gorgeous house.\nInside the keep of Dinefwr Castle (pronounced din-EH-vor). The advantage of a 9mm ultra-wide lens is that you\u0026rsquo;re able to capture a massive field of view in tight compositional situations like this.\nDespite being largely built in the 13th century, a lot of the castle is still standing tall and strong.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s easy to see why a castle was built here. It\u0026rsquo;s position on a hill allows for extensive views over the Twyi valley.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s possible to climb up the battlements for even more extensive and panoramic views. Autumn colours are just starting to appear in South Wales at the moment.\nUp on the highest point of the ruins, looking over the battlements and keep across the Twyi valley on a cloudy and windy day. Truly moody.\nThe winding stairway leading up is narrow and challenging, especially as the steps themselves are smooth and insubstantial. Amazing how much smaller people were back then.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s been a castle at this site since the mid-12th century, but most of present ruins can be attributed to the work of Rhys Gryg in the early 13th century. The castle came into English hands by the end of the 13th century courtesy of King Edward I of England.\nBy the end of the 15th century the castle came into the hands of Sir Rhys ap Thomas, who began the process of rebuilding and improving the castle. Sir Rhys was a favourite of King Henry VII, largely due to Rhys\u0026rsquo; crucial involvement in the Wars of the Roses.\nIn the distance to the right you can see the turrets of Newton House, built in the 17th century with massive renovations in the 19th century. Around the time of Newton House\u0026rsquo;s construction, Dinefwr Castle was modified to serve as a summer house.\nThe castle and its environment were relatively quiet, with most people opting to check out Newton House instead, further to the north. As such, Lisabet and I had ample opportunity to properly explore and photograph the site.\nWithin the Dinefwr Estate woodland, I spied some gnarly trees covered in moss and quickly sought to make a composition of this gorgeous scene.\nThe sun appeared from the clouds once again, bathing this house in the woods in autumnal light.\nNewton House and its turrets, a wonderful autumnal and historic scene.\nCastell Carreg Cennen # For our second trip for the day, we drove south east of Llandeilo into the Brecon Beacons National Park. Here one can find the impressive ruins of Castle Carreg Cennen, perched atop a high and might limestone crag above the River Cennen.\nRather then head straight into the ruins, Lisabet and I opted to scout around the shoulders of the crag. That\u0026rsquo;s how we found this ridiculous scene, with the castle perched on the limestone crag and a sheer 300ft drop down.\nDuring our afternoon visit here the weather was much more inconsistent, alternating between brilliant bursts of light and sudden downpours. Whilst I was negotiating my way through the ruins, the sun once again burst through the racing clouds, illuminating this scene.\nCastell Carreg Cennen was built in the 12th century, much like Dinefwr Castle, and similarly was claimed by the English through the conquest of King Edward I of England. These days the castle and its land is privately owned by the farm underneath it.\nFrankly, one of the most stupendous and visually arresting castles I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen.\nBack at the farm beneath the castle ruins, a small herd of English Longhorn cows came to graze. Incredible creatures.\nA beautiful shaggy coat with those imposing curling horns.\nDid you enjoy these photos? # ","date":"3 October 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-castles-of-llandeilo-south-wales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’re in South Wales for a fortnight!\nIt feels great to relax and have a proper break from the severely challenging year we’ve had.\nArriving at our holiday property Friday evening—after a gruelling 5-hour drive in the lashing rain—we woke up Saturday deciding to explore the area nearby where we’re staying around Llandeilo.\n","title":"The Castles of Lllandeilo, South Wales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/apertura/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Apertura","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/art-installation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Art Installation","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/walltown-country-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Walltown Country Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/walltown-crags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Walltown Crags","type":"tags"},{"content":"There\u0026rsquo;s so much in history in the UK that it can sometimes be hard to separate the work of man from nature.\nWith a beautiful autumnal weekend on the horizon, Lisabet and I set out to meet up with my Dad for a hike somewhere new: Walltown Country Park in Northumberland.\nTwo things piqued our interest in this place. Firstly, there\u0026rsquo;s a great section of Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall to explore here. And secondly, an art sculpture—known as APERTURA—was set up near the wall as part of celebrating 1,900 years since Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall was built. Isn\u0026rsquo;t that astounding?\nWe couldn\u0026rsquo;t have asked for better conditions. The day was bright, but not harsh; crisp, but not cold; colourful, but not garish. The staff and volunteers at Walltown Country Park couldn\u0026rsquo;t have been more helpful and friendly, and exploring this section of Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall and its turrets was absolutely fascinating.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 ultra-wide prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nThe approach to APERTURA. A striking sight. It\u0026rsquo;s shape was designed to mimic the geography of the local area, an insight I was keen to demonstrate in this photo. With my 9mm ultra-wide equipped I was able to capture the entire installation and use the distortion effects of an ultra-wide angle lens to emphasise the shape. I enjoyed juxtaposing the tip of APERTURA with the afternoon sun, emphasised by setting my lens at f22 to turn the sun into a star. APERTURA features 1,900 copper chimes of different sizes (to reflect the 1,900 years of Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall), which all clang together in the wind, creating a fascinating sonic experience akin to church bells ringing. Another composition presented itself to me, where I was able to frame Walltown Crags underneath the art installation and its imposing stature. Whilst prowling around the art installation, enjoying its tones and construction, I noticed the moon was bright in the sky. I re-equipped my Vivitar and zoomed in tight to make the installation \u0026ldquo;point\u0026rdquo; towards the moon. From this angle APERTURA almost looks like a spaceship, or perhaps even a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber plane. We rounded back on ourselves, this time taking the longer path towards Walltown Crags, pictured here high above the pond. Walltown Country Park was formerly a quarry until 1976, and has since been allowed to be reclaimed by nature. APERTURA, in context of the landscape. It is situated on a small ridge where part of Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall is now missing. On the path heading up to the top of the crags, Lisabet and I spotted this lovely simple composition of two trees framing a smaller one in the distance. Nothing fancy, but pleasing nonetheless. Near the top of Walltown Crags the scale of APERTURA and the landscape becomes more apparent. Made it to Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall, now 1,900-years old. That mean the wall\u0026rsquo;s construction began in 122 AD. Crazy. Emperor Hadrian commanded a wall to be built across Roman Britain, ostensibly to keep \u0026ldquo;northern barbarians\u0026rdquo; out. However, it also served as a way of keeping people in Roman Britain, and controlling trade across the border. The wall ran from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the Northeast of England to Bowness-on-Solway in Northwestern Cumbria, a distance of 80 Roman miles, or 73 modern miles. Large sections of the wall survive, particularly in hillier areas such as here at Walltown Crags and more famously at Housesteads Fort. The Romans made use of the local geography when constructing the wall. Large sections of it in Northumberland are built on top of various protruding crags made from hard volcanic dolerite rock. This would\u0026rsquo;ve gave the Romans a panoramic advantage when trying to spot invasions in the distance. Of course, the local sheep are oblivious to the historical human significance of the area. The Walltown Crags are volcanic in origin, made from hard dolerite and known as the Whin Sill. It\u0026rsquo;s exactly the same rock and protrusion you see at High Cup Nick , High Force, Low Force, and Cauldron Spout , and even as far as the Farne Islands in the North Sea. Geology North has a good map of where in North England the Whin Sill has surfaced above ground to create incredible landscapes. Looking back at our progress across the top of Walltown Crags, tracking the route where sections of Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall would\u0026rsquo;ve been. Unfortunately, even in these hillier parts of the wall, sections are missing where they\u0026rsquo;ve probably been dismantled for building material over the centuries by farmers and/or landowners. Our destination: two protruding crags where—according to the OS map—one could find the remnants of Turret 44B and Turret 44A. A pleasing Northern English scene, featuring trees growing from a solitary crag with cows grazing peacefully below. Looking back at our progress from Turret 44B. It\u0026rsquo;s theorised that towering turrets were built along the wall every third of a mile, given the wall structure. My Dad below, taking in the history of the area, as I clamber up the crag to soak in the extensive views. Honestly, we could\u0026rsquo;ve happily carried on the trail to see even more of the wall. Alas, parking is expensive and we were due back. Definitely more to check out next time!\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"18 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/walltown-crags-northumberland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"There’s so much in history in the UK that it can sometimes be hard to separate the work of man from nature.\nWith a beautiful autumnal weekend on the horizon, Lisabet and I set out to meet up with my Dad for a hike somewhere new: Walltown Country Park in Northumberland.\n","title":"Walltown Crags, Northumberland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coniston-water/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coniston Water","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/farm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Farm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/farming/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Farming","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gardening/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gardening","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lawson-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lawson Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"We had opportunity this weekend to visit somewhere a little different.\nAs we move from Summer to Autumn—with the increase in stormy downpours apparent—the quality of light improves drastically. But before the legendary Lake District autumnal colours arrive, we\u0026rsquo;re in peak fruit and berry harvesting season. What better way to observe and learn about growing fruit and vegetables than a tour of Lawson Park above Coniston Water?\nA small dwelling has been sited on Lawson Park since the 14th century, when the Cistercian order of monks at Furness Abbey emparked the land here and leased out their building to charcoal burners for use in iron smelting.\nThe ownership of the building and land has changed hands multiple times over the centuries. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, a succession of tenant farmers lived in the farmhouse, kept livestock and worked the hard uneven land around Lawson Park. The last tenant farmer here vacated the property in the 1950s. England\u0026rsquo;s Forestry Commission bought the property and house in 1947. Liverpool Community College leased the house from the 1970s for use as outdoor and agricultural educational visits.\nBy 2000, Grizedale Arts director Adam Sutherland leased the farmhouse with his partner Karen Guthrie. At that time the place was little more than a spartan stone house filled with bunk beds including no central heating. They began the process of renovating the farmhouse and creating the gardens that now lushly surround the area, including the help of Japanese rice farmers in 2007.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a fascinating story and I felt very honoured to have the opportunity to photograph it.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lens. RAWs converted with Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nLawson Park has no large-scale parking so we had to park at Brantwood ½ mile away and walk along the narrow East of Lake Road before taking the track up towards Lawson Park. That meant we got to enjoy lovely views of Coniston Water and the Coniston Fells in gorgeous light. Upon locating the forestry track we climbed higher and higher towards Lawson Park. The views over Coniston Water towards the Coniston Fells, and the Old Man of Coniston (802 m / 2,632 ft) in particular, get better and better. The light and especially the atmospheric clarity were astonishing. I almost felt I could reach across the lake and touch the fells. Active coppicing around Lawson Park is still very much evident. The ferns are beginning to turn colour into their autumnal rust. Inside Lawson Park house. They\u0026rsquo;ve done a magnificent job bringing up the building to spec. Not a bad place to spend a dark evening in. Above the living room is a study room with books galore. Visitors were free to peruse through what they liked. Of course, the house enjoys magnificent views towards the Coniston fells. The flowers around the farmhouse were teeming with pollinators.\nKaren Guthrie, Residential Warden of Lawson Park. It\u0026rsquo;s her learnings and vision that have shaped the gardens and land around Lawson Park into the thriving, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly place it is now.\nHer guided tour around the land of Lawson Park and her work managing it was fascinating. This included these boardwalks laid to navigate through some of the bogs, made with local larch. Karen and the other Grizedale Arts folk were keen to onboard and involve young and precocious artistic talent for various projects around Lawson Park, such as this hut built by art students. A conifer, Picea alcoquiana , native to Japan and very reminiscent of Japanese bonsai trees. These hydrangea were humming with insect pollinator activity. Even Karen was surprised. Lawson Park\u0026rsquo;s vantage point is sensational, here picturing Yew Pike above Coniston village. To the right, an arts sculpture known as The Err , reminiscent of the Bowderstone above Borrowdale. A simple larch archway in the farmhouse gardens, which will eventually be covered in creeping vines. Two young lads make drawings of the view before them. The Kitchen Gardens complete with polytunnels. Fruit and veg grown here feeds the residents and visitors of Lawson Park and supplies ingredients to nearby Farmer\u0026rsquo;s Arms in Lowick. The public footpath back through the woods towards Brantwood, the former home of John Ruskin. The Yewdale fells catch some of the reappearing late afternoon light as we head back to Brantwood.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lawson-park-coniston-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"We had opportunity this weekend to visit somewhere a little different.\nAs we move from Summer to Autumn—with the increase in stormy downpours apparent—the quality of light improves drastically. But before the legendary Lake District autumnal colours arrive, we’re in peak fruit and berry harvesting season. What better way to observe and learn about growing fruit and vegetables than a tour of Lawson Park above Coniston Water?\n","title":"Lawson Park, Coniston, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 September 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/old-man-of-coniston/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Old Man of Coniston","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cumberland-wrestling/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cumberland Wrestling","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dog-show/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dog Show","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dogs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dogs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/events/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Events","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/events/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Events","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grasmere-sports/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grasmere Sports","type":"tags"},{"content":"Back for the first time in 2 years.\nTime for something rather different from me.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re a long-time follower of my blog or work (hello, and thank you!) you\u0026rsquo;ll know I\u0026rsquo;m mostly about the landscapes, nature, architecture, and travel.\nThis weekend, however, we were given the opportunity to attend the Grasmere Sports \u0026amp; Show event. Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s work place sponsored the event and had free tickets going, which we gladly took. We also met up with me Dad there and made a day of it.\nThe Annual Grasmere Lakeland Sports event has been a regular annual affair since 1868, unbroken save for the two World Wars and, more recently, the COVID-19 global pandemic.\nIt hosts traditional Cumberland Wrestling, for a variety of age brackets, fell running, hound trailing, and loads more. A true celebration of traditional Lake District sports.\nIn addition, there are dog shows—for pros and amateurs alike—bands, a beer tent, and loads of stalls hosting street food, artisans, and charitable organisations.\nIt was a beautiful summer\u0026rsquo;s day, and everyone seemed happy to be back at one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s most eagerly anticipated calendar events.\nAll photos were shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom lens. RAW files converted in Capture One for iPad then developed in RNI Films.\nA grand summer\u0026rsquo;s day was afoot for the event. Fat Cat Brass kicked off the show with a variety of tunes, old and new. The show\u0026rsquo;s setting in Grasmere is spectacular, especially on a glorious summer\u0026rsquo;s day.\nFalconry \u0026amp; Cumberland Wrestling # The Ridgeside Falconry display was excellent. Kids were challenged to come onto the field and make a tunnel with their arms. A hawk or eagle, can\u0026rsquo;t remember which, would then fly through the tunnel to nab some food. A Turkey Vulture ( Cathartes aura ), incredible creature. Next up was the Under 10s Cumberland Wrestling. The lass in the proper wrestling costume was so good. She\u0026rsquo;d go on to win Silver. The starting backhold position involves the wrestlers standing chest to chest, grasping each other around the body with their chins on their opponent\u0026rsquo;s right shoulder. The right arm of each contestant is positioned under his opponent\u0026rsquo;s left arm. Once the grip is taken the umpire gives the signal to start the contest by calling \u0026ldquo;en guard\u0026rdquo;, then \u0026ldquo;wrestle\u0026rdquo;. The wrestlers attempt to unbalance their opponent, or make them lose their hold. If any part of a wrestler\u0026rsquo;s body touches the ground aside from their feet then they lose. Manoeuvres include lifting throws known as \u0026ldquo;hipes\u0026rdquo;, twisting throws such as \u0026ldquo;buttocks\u0026rdquo; and trips like the inside click, cross click, back heel or outside stroke. If both wrestlers fall down at once the last to hit the ground is deemed the winner. If it\u0026rsquo;s unclear who hit the ground first the fall is disqualified and must be started again. This is known as a \u0026ldquo;dog fall\u0026rdquo;. A win can also be achieved if either wrestler loses their grip on the other while the opponent still retains their hold. Another lass in the wrestling costume. She had a true fighter\u0026rsquo;s spirit, so determined. Smaller than most she faced, but more than made up for it with technique and determination. Limbs flying akimbo. Mohawk lad put up a good fight, but he was facing the ultimate winner of the tournament. Quite proud of nabbing this shot. These kids will only get better and better. From the same wrestling club, now facing each other in the ring.\nA semi-final bout.\nThere were a few hard falls taken by various wrestlers. All handled it well.\nThe bout for 3rd and 4th place. Little lass takes a fall on her bonce. Nevertheless, she gets back up… …and wins Bronze with this fall. The bout for gold and silver. Two at the top of their game. Ultimately, the young lad takes Gold after a hard-fought bout. The winner. The podium for the Under 10s. We stayed for a few more bouts in the Up To 12s category.\nQuite a few hang gliders were enjoying the sights above Grasmere.\nThe Dog Show # The Dog Show! Starting with the pups. Warning: adorable dogs ahead.\nOne of my favourite shots of the day. Plenty to entertain the kids and the young-at-heart alike. We rested up on a bank for a spot of lunch, taking in the atmosphere of the event. Classic cars on show. Me Dad will be able to tell you what these are.\nIt was good to do something different.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grasmere-sports-show-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Back for the first time in 2 years.\nTime for something rather different from me.\nIf you’re a long-time follower of my blog or work (hello, and thank you!) you’ll know I’m mostly about the landscapes, nature, architecture, and travel.\n","title":"Grasmere Sports \u0026amp; Show, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grasmere-sports-show/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grasmere Sports Show","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/shows/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Shows","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shows/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shows","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/traditional/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Traditional","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wrestling/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wrestling","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hdr/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hdr","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/long-exposure/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Long Exposure","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/retro-reworking/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Retro Reworking","type":"tags"},{"content":"I think we\u0026rsquo;re due a break after the year we\u0026rsquo;ve had.\nHappily Lisabet and I was able to book our usual two-week September/October break. Where to go this year?\nWe felt that Scotland, as much as we dearly love the country, would prove too costly with 2022 petrol prices. What about Wales? It\u0026rsquo;s been a good while since we\u0026rsquo;ve visited, moreso since we\u0026rsquo;ve been to South Wales in particular.\nSouth Wales it is, then!\nUntil that glorious day, I decided to see if I could:\nFind my old South Wales photos from 2018, and; Convert and/or reprocess them. Point 1 was a success, and I was able to retrieve them from one of my old external hard drives. The issue? This was the period when I was shooting with the beautiful Sigma dp0 Quattro, which produces RAW files (X3F and X3I) that barely any software can read. On the machine I use these days, a 4th-gen 12.9\u0026quot; iPad Pro, I quickly suspected there\u0026rsquo;d be no way I could read these files.\nThankfully, I wasn\u0026rsquo;t quite right.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s true I can\u0026rsquo;t read X3I files on an iPad. These RAW files are made using Sigma\u0026rsquo;s SFD (Super Fine Detail) mode, where the camera automatically exposes seven frames and merges them into a single super high quality RAW file. Only Sigma Photo Pro can read these files, on Mac and Windows.\nHowever, the frankly fantastic Affinity Photo for iPad can read Sigma\u0026rsquo;s normal X3F files. During my 2018 exploration around South Wales I, unfortunately, shot mostly in SFD mode (X3I files), as I was still very much at the tail end of my HDR phase.\nI do still have some singular X3F files, though, and these I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to convert in Affinity Photo for iPad and go through my current workflow.\nSo… until I\u0026rsquo;m in glorious South Wales again, enjoy these reworked photos from my 2018 trip! They were all shot using my camera at the time, a Sigma dp0 Quattro with a fixed 14mm f/4.0 lens. Converted in Affinity Photo for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finished off again in Affinity.\nSee my 2018 HDR-esque Pembrokeshire work on Unsplash.\nPembrokeshire National Park # Brecon Beacons National Park # Did you like these photos? # ","date":"18 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/retro-reworking-pembrokeshire-brecon-beacons-south-wales-autumn-2018/","section":"Posts","summary":"I think we’re due a break after the year we’ve had.\nHappily Lisabet and I was able to book our usual two-week September/October break. Where to go this year?\nWe felt that Scotland, as much as we dearly love the country, would prove too costly with 2022 petrol prices. What about Wales? It’s been a good while since we’ve visited, moreso since we’ve been to South Wales in particular.\n","title":"Retro Reworking: Pembrokeshire \u0026amp; Brecon Beacons, South Wales, Autumn, 2018","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sigma-dp0-quattro/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sigma Dp0 Quattro","type":"tags"},{"content":"There\u0026rsquo;s something awe-inspiring yet slightly unnerving about a giant hole in the ground.\nThe Yorkshire Dales is known for many things: beautiful waterfalls everywhere, isolated peaks, perfectly sculpted valleys… and also, caves. It\u0026rsquo;s home to some of the most extensive cave systems in the UK.\nThis is largely because of the underlying geology. Most of the Yorkshire Dales features Carboniferous limestone, which is soluble in weakly acidic water, such as rain. As a result, millennia of glacial action and weather erosion has given rise to a karst landscape dotted with deep potholes that lead down into a myriad of cave systems. It\u0026rsquo;s in the Yorkshire Dales that the UK\u0026rsquo;s longest cave system—and the world\u0026rsquo;s 13th longest—can be found: the Three Counties system, which is 53 miles long.\nDown the western flank of Pen-y-Ghent, one of the Three Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales, one can find a 60ft deep chasm in the earth called Hull Pot. It is the remnant of a cave with a collapsed roof.\nIt is extremely impressive.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 zoom lens and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 prime ultra-wide. RAW files were converted with Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nThe route to Hull Pot is simple enough and starts at the small village of Horton in Ribblesdale. Heading up the Pennine Bridleway, views quickly open up looking back to Ingleborough. The characteristic barns of the Yorkshire Dales, some in a better condition than others. The first glimpse of Pen-y-Ghent\u0026rsquo;s unmistakeable shape comes into view. The clouds above us were ridiculously pretty, ranging from low-level fluffy clouds, high-level streaky ones and even some lenticular in between. A dilapidated barn connecting to the drystone wall provides a perfect Yorkshire Dales subject for this gorgeous composition. Though not busy, there were still plenty of people on the trail. Mostly heading to, and from, Pen-y-Ghent. It\u0026rsquo;s always important to check the view behind you occasionally. Beyond the winding drystone walls, Smearsett Scar rises above the karst landscape. As the morning progresses the clouds burn off, revealing the flat-topped Ingleborough on the left with Simon Fell on the right. Painterly clouds like a mad genius\u0026rsquo; brush strokes decorate the skies as we advance along the bridleway. Around Horton Scar the path averages out in height at around the 400m asl mark. The light picked out the folds and ruffles in the landscape. Fellow hikers make their way back down to the valley bottom after climbing Pen-y-Ghent. The western aspect of Pen-y-Ghent with its famous brow and \u0026ldquo;nose\u0026rdquo;. I enjoyed making this Z in the landscape using the drystone wall as it climbs up Horton Scar. A female Northern Wheatear ( Oenanthe oenanthe ), seemingly unfazed by our presence and appreciation. Another extinct waterfall, located at the head of Horton Scar. There are many of these in the Yorkshire Dales. The rivers that feed these waterfalls usually break down the limestone riverbeds and valleys they create before heading underground, leaving the waterfall to dry up. We arrive at Hull Pot. With my 9mm ultra-wide lens equipped, I shot this expansive view of the 60ft chasm from near its eastern edge. From the edge you can actually hear the rushing of a waterfall. This is Hull Pot Beck. In times gone this river would flow over the lip of Hull Pot, crashing down as a large waterfall . These days it\u0026rsquo;s mostly dry except during times of heavy rainfall, as the water now sinks underground further up the river. Lisabet and I played around the edge of the \u0026ldquo;waterfall\u0026rdquo; and Hull Pot, finding compositions. In the distance is Pen-y-Ghent, always watching. Weird to think that this composition would, in ancient times, mean standing at the precipice of a large roaring waterfall. As we move into late summer, beautiful pink and magenta heather starts to bloom. My favourite composition in the area: the chasm of Hull Pot with Pen-y-Ghent rising high above. The 50ft+ sheer walls of Hull Pot. In the darkness there is actually a waterfall that rushes out of the caves at the bottom of this chasm. After a spot of lunch perched on the lip of Hull Pot\u0026rsquo;s eastern end, I snap one last photo of the chasm before heading back. The Pennine Bridleway continues up towards Pen-y-Ghent, the common route to summit the fell. The atmosphere was wonderfully clear. From above Horton Scar we could see all the way to Pendle Hill in Lancashire, here towards the left of the photo. The characteristic \u0026ldquo;rakes\u0026rdquo; that line the shoulders of Pen-y-Ghent were revealed after a frightful storm in the 19th century washed away a lot of top soil from the fell. Nearly back at Horton in Ribblesdale. What a beautiful day.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"8 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hull-pot-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"There’s something awe-inspiring yet slightly unnerving about a giant hole in the ground.\nThe Yorkshire Dales is known for many things: beautiful waterfalls everywhere, isolated peaks, perfectly sculpted valleys… and also, caves. It’s home to some of the most extensive cave systems in the UK.\n","title":"Hull Pot, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bagot-goats/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bagot Goats","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/deer/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Deer","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/force-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Force Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"A gorgeous evening on the horizon. What to do? Where to go?\nLisabet often has brilliant ideas and this no exception: park up alongside Force Falls and follow the path all the way into and around Levens Hall Deer Park and back.\nCrackin\u0026rsquo; idea.\nThe last time we wandered around the park was back in January this year, or month or so after Storm Arwen wreaked havoc across the UK. Now, in summer, the trees are regenerating and the land is beginning to recover.\nAlso, it was nice to see all the black fallow deer (Dama dama) and Bagot goats enjoying the warm summer evening light.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 lens. RAW files converted with Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, and finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nThe northern section of Force Falls, a series of impressive and powerful cascades along the River Kent. After following the path underneath the A591, you soon start crossing open fields towards the Deer Park. I enjoyed finding and making this simple composition. Flowers, tree, and sun. By the time the River Kent reaches the Deer Park, it widens out and lazily meanders its way towards the sea at Morecambe Bay. Siblings have fun playing in the river as the low summer sunset catches the glowing grass. The way towards the Oak Avenue. A bucolic English scene adorned in beautiful golden light. One of many of the black fallow deer that call the Deer Park their home. We spotted some young fawns as well. Very skittish creatures. Oak Avenue in gorgeous evening light.\nMy lovely Lisabet, soaking in nature\u0026rsquo;s restorative powers. Pastel pink lenticular clouds begin forming above Kendal as we head back to Force Falls. A lovely evening.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/force-falls-levens-hall-deer-park-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"A gorgeous evening on the horizon. What to do? Where to go?\nLisabet often has brilliant ideas and this no exception: park up alongside Force Falls and follow the path all the way into and around Levens Hall Deer Park and back.\n","title":"Force Falls \u0026 Levens Hall Deer Park, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/levens-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Levens Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/levens-hall-deer-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Levens Hall Deer Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-kent/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Kent","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cairn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cairn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cunswick-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cunswick Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"After a wet week, it was nice to get up on the fells above Kendal.\nOn the Sunday, Lisabet had a series of obligations to attend to, so I took the opportunity for a solo hike. As Kendal sits in a valley (Kent + Dale, that is, \u0026ldquo;the valley of the river Kent\u0026rdquo;), it is flanked east and west by small fells. On the western side of the valley the ground gently rises up before terminating in a series of limestone cliffs plunging down to the Lyth Valley. The main fell here is Scout Scar, a local favourite, but a smaller sibling can be found further north: Cunswick Scar.\nOn this occasion my route to the summit was a fairly standard one: head up through the winding paths and roads through Kendal to the Helsfell Nab path. Follow the path all the way up and around Helsfell Nab, cross the bridge over the A591, and continue on the gently rising trail all the way to the summit cairn of Cunswick Scar.\nA beautiful summer\u0026rsquo;s day.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 lens. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, finished in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nA glorious day in Kendal, full of promise. Up on Queen\u0026rsquo;s Road. The views over Kendal here are already beautiful. On the Helsfell Nab path you round an allotment above Windermere Road. Gardening here must be lovely with views like this. I can never resist these two compositions when walking the Helsfell Nab path. It all just lines up in such a pleasing way. Even the local sheep like to pause from grazing to enjoy the views every now and then. At these disused barns the path rounds Helsfell Nab and climbs sharply up. You\u0026rsquo;re then above the A591, where you cross the bridge over the road to continue on towards Cunswick Scar. The route is clear all the way up to the summit. Sheep peacefully graze and wander the fell. The summit cairn and the crackin\u0026rsquo; views all the way towards the Kentmere fells. A zoomed in composition shows off the Kentmere fells with light and shadow dancing across their features. Directly west from the summit, the rolling Lyth Valley is capped by the distance Lake District fells. Time to navigate off Cunswick Scar\u0026rsquo;s shoulder. Like Scout Scar, the fell is primarily composed of limestone, so different flora flourishes on the fell compared to the Kendal valley. The views heading back east ain\u0026rsquo;t too bad either. Nearest, to the right, is Benson Knott, and in the distance are the beautiful Howgills. Oh! A winding drystone wall? Time for a photo then. For the returning route, I chose the path over Kendal Fell Golf Course. Across the field is the back of Helsfell Nab. A herd of cows rest in the afternoon sun. Not a bad place for a golf course, eh? Back down Beast Banks into town.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"2 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cunswick-scar-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"After a wet week, it was nice to get up on the fells above Kendal.\nOn the Sunday, Lisabet had a series of obligations to attend to, so I took the opportunity for a solo hike. As Kendal sits in a valley (Kent + Dale, that is, “the valley of the river Kent”), it is flanked east and west by small fells. On the western side of the valley the ground gently rises up before terminating in a series of limestone cliffs plunging down to the Lyth Valley. The main fell here is Scout Scar, a local favourite, but a smaller sibling can be found further north: Cunswick Scar.\n","title":"Cunswick Scar, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/golf-course/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Golf Course","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helsfell-nab/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helsfell Nab","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kentmere/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kentmere","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/garsdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Garsdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"British weather has returned to its unpredictable norm since the heatwave.\nThis has made getting out for good long hikes—either during the weekends or in the evenings—difficult. We\u0026rsquo;ve had periods of torrential downpours, almost monsoon-like.\nBritain gets more tropical by the year.\nFinally, yesterday evening, an opportunity arose to vacate Kendal for a nice hike around Sedbergh and its gorgeous meadow fields underneath the Howgills.\nThe good light didn\u0026rsquo;t last long… but it was long enough.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 zoom lens. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nThe walk begins up Castlehaw Lane, which takes you up and around the shoulder of Castlehaw Tower. Sedbergh is full of ancient buildings, some better preserved than others. Soft light on this tree trunk provides an irresistible scene for me to capture. Further up Castlehaw Lane lots of wild vegetation lined the track, including something more unfamiliar and almost \u0026ldquo;alien\u0026rdquo; to us. Turns out this is Elephant Garlic, or Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum . Closer relative of leek than garlic, apparently. Never seen one before. Beyond Castlehaw Lane and Howgill Barns, the track becomes little more than a vague depression across the fields. The views also open up tremendously, here showing a clear view towards Garsdale in the Yorkshire Dales. What turned out to be the last of the evening\u0026rsquo;s light finally appeared, illuminating the fields, trees and fellside. It was very localised though, and the Dentdale fells were still dark with rain clouds. A variety of cross-breed upland lambs glow in the evening light. They stared at us curiously, incessantly baaing and warning each other. The light quickly started to fade but the views were still spectacular. At Ghyll Farm we cut the usual long hike short as the light was fading. A vague path bisected through the fields towards Underbank, which we took. Along the way, beautiful strong horses were peacefully grazing the meadows. A brave Texel yow approaches us for a closer look. The famous Herdwick. Just look at that Teddy Bear-like face. From Underbank we located an ancient lonnin (country lane), which heads all the way back to town. You can almost picture a shepherd guiding their flock along the lane. An almost timeless scene.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"30 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sedbergh-meadows-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"British weather has returned to its unpredictable norm since the heatwave.\nThis has made getting out for good long hikes—either during the weekends or in the evenings—difficult. We’ve had periods of torrential downpours, almost monsoon-like.\n","title":"Sedbergh Meadows, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"30 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/texel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Texel","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/catbells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Catbells","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/causey-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Causey Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/derwentwater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Derwentwater","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grisedale-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grisedale Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/walla-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Walla Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"A 4am start.\nThe UK is on the cusp of a record-breaking heatwave, kicking in Sunday evening/Monday morning. Even before the real heatwave arrived, Sunday\u0026rsquo;s temperatures up here in Cumbria were looking to peak at around 26°C. Not only that, summer in the Lake District is easily its busiest time. So what to do?\nWake up before the sun rises and get to our destination before everyone else.\nWe decided on revisiting the small Walla Crag above Derwentwater, a new favourite after our first venture in autumn last year. Upon leaving the house we were greeted with something we didn\u0026rsquo;t expect before a heatwave, but probably should\u0026rsquo;ve anyway.\nRain.\nWe pulled up at the parking spot, and thankfully it only took 15 minutes or so for the rain to cease. By about 6:40am we started the walk up to Walla Crag.\nAlthough the rain had cleared, it was still completely overcast even as temperatures quickly rose. The sun was not able to break through. So although light conditions were not the best, the views were still utterly magnificent.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 zoom lens. Shot using the Classic Chrome film simulation, developed in Capture One for iPad, cleaned up in Affinity Photo for iPad.\nAcross the fields from the Walla Crag path, Low Rigg looks diminutive against the imposing crag face of Clough Head, part of the Helvellyn range. As we began the steep ascent up to Walla Crag, the views looking back opened up quickly. Here, Blencathra\u0026rsquo;s beautiful shape is unmistakeable. The way up to Walla Crag, a short and sharp ascent. Once up on the more level part of the fell, a small gate through the drystone wall allows you to take the more exploratory route to Walla Crag\u0026rsquo;s summit. Near the crag\u0026rsquo;s cliff edge, clear panoramas can be enjoyed across Derwentwater to the Grisedale fells. Back along the cliff edge towards Blencathra, already there is some heather starting to appear. Give it another month or so for it to be in full resplendent bloom. The smooth multi-peaked profile of Skiddaw, England\u0026rsquo;s 6th highest peak. Walla Crag\u0026rsquo;s cliff face is lush, chock-full of fern, trees, heather, and loads of other flora. Lisabet discovered a small bilberry bush, and helped herself to a couple of the tart berries. The summit of Walla Crag! Looking back north towards Skiddaw, a dominant presence on the Keswick skyline. Derwentwater looks dry, with a couple of new islands becoming exposed as the water level drops. One final composition from the summit, this time featuring Blencathra\u0026rsquo;s curved forms. Walking towards the Jaws of Borrowdale. Probably my favourite composition of the day. The drystone wall keeps livestock out of the Walla Crag area, allowing flora to flourish. In the distance is Derwentwater\u0026rsquo;s southern tip with the Borrowdale fells high above. The other side of the same wall, featuring more of the Catbells ridge. On the way back down the fell, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist revisiting this composition. Pretty happy with how this shot of a family of fell ponies came out.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"17 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/walla-crag-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"A 4am start.\nThe UK is on the cusp of a record-breaking heatwave, kicking in Sunday evening/Monday morning. Even before the real heatwave arrived, Sunday’s temperatures up here in Cumbria were looking to peak at around 26°C. Not only that, summer in the Lake District is easily its busiest time. So what to do?\n","title":"Walla Crag, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/histroy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Histroy","type":"tags"},{"content":"The British summer heatwave has arrived.\nI took the opportunity for a long overdue stay over at my Dad\u0026rsquo;s, so that we could enjoy a lovely wander in the glorious British sunshine during the weekend.\nAfter considering the potential busyness of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, we agreed to two outings: the first in the beautiful Mallerstang valley, and the second in Smardale.\nTechnically Mallerstang falls in the Yorkshire Dales these days, but it is often ignored in favour of some of Dales\u0026rsquo; more popular southern hotspots. Smardale, especially Smardale Gill, is a remote and deep valley just outside Kirkby Lonsdale. It features a gorgeous viaduct crossing the valley, the Smardale Gill Viaduct.\nIn between each excursion, we visited Kirkby Stephen for delicious food.\nA crackin\u0026rsquo; weekend.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f2.8–f3.8 zoom and my Laowa 9mm f/2.8 prime. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, finished in Affinity Photo.\nMallerstang # Parking up near Aisgill in Mallerstang, I can never ignore this road\u0026rsquo;s view towards Wild Boar Fell. Not a bad view if you\u0026rsquo;re on the Settle–Carlisle line, eh? Our goal on this hike around Mallerstang was to get onto the Pennine Bridleway and eventually towards the Water Cut sculpture. Along the way, we diverted to get a view of Hell Gill Force, which with the lack of rain looked rather pitiful. Happy cows staring quizzically at us from across the beck. A dry Hell Gill Beck reveals the riverbed formations its been carving. Further up the beck as you go up the fellside, the river has cut an impressive gorge that I\u0026rsquo;d like to explore one day. Various parts of the Mallerstang valley have been fenced off from livestock, allowing meadows to flourish full of flowers. Up on the Pennine Bridleway! This is a section of the bridleway known as A Pennine Journey, once walked and described by famed walker Alfred Wainwright. An oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus) , unusually high up and inland compared to its preferred breeding grounds near the coast. As well as oystercatchers, and plenty of sheep, circling above us were Northern Lapwings ( Vanellus vanellus ), noisily warding us away from their chicks/nest. Our destination comes into view, and the panorama starts to open up. This sculpture, found on the Pennine Bridleway, is called \u0026ldquo;Watercut\u0026rdquo; by Mary Bourne . The watery gap that divides the sculpture utilises the changing sky to echo the ever-changing flow of water. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to resist playing with the cut for photographic compositions. Across the valley, Wild Boar Fell rises steeply into the sky at 2,323 ft (708 m) high. The Pennine Bridleway continues down the valley, with Mallerstang Edge above. We elected to trace our footsteps back to the car. Swarth Fell and the many gills that cut into its fellside.\nSmardale Gill # After refuelling with drink and food at Kirkby Stephen, we parked up at Smardale to walk through the nature reserve towards the epic Smardale Gill Viaduct. Flies followed and pestered us all the way. Nevertheless, Dad managed to spot and nab a superb photo of a toad, and we finally reached the viaduct, granting us views such as this. Smardale Gill Viaduct was built in 1861, crossing the Pennines to carry coke to the iron and steel furnaces in the Barrow area and West Cumberland. It carried the railway 90 feet (27m) high above the valley and was constructed of locally quarried sandstone. The viaduct has 14 arches of 30 feet span, and a total length of 553 feet (c170m). High above us, passing clouds created gorgeous gradients of light and shadow across the fellsides. In the distance is Green Bell, one of the Howgills near Ravenstonedale. The line was closed in 1962, after British steelmaking finished. For over twenty years the viaduct stood disused, deteriorating from lack of maintenance and exposure to the weather. British Rail wanted to demolish it but instead Eden District Council listed it. In 1989 the Northern Viaduct Trust was setup and in the Autumn of 1992 it was formally handed over to the Trust as a permissible footpath. It has required repair work numerous times since, and still does.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"11 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/mallerstang-smardale-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"The British summer heatwave has arrived.\nI took the opportunity for a long overdue stay over at my Dad’s, so that we could enjoy a lovely wander in the glorious British sunshine during the weekend.\n","title":"Mallerstang \u0026amp; Smardale, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"11 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pennine-bridleway/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pennine Bridleway","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/smardale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smardale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/smardale-gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smardale Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 July 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/watercut/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Watercut","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bowderdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bowderdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Today required… flexibility.\nMy initial plan for the day was to get up early and head to Kentmere for a lovely walk around the valley and its fells. It\u0026rsquo;s usually a trial to access Kentmere; the road to it from Staveley is long and narrow with few passing places. Then, once you\u0026rsquo;re at Kentmere, the only place to park is outside the church, fit for maybe 4–5 cars.\nWelp, after an interesting challenge driving the narrow road all the way to Kentmere—dodging and manoeuvring past cars and tractors—I arrived at the church to find it completely full of cars.\nAt 9 o\u0026rsquo;clock in the morning on a work day.\nSo that scuppered those plans. What to do instead? I contemplated trying for Longsleddale instead, but that\u0026rsquo;s an even longer valley with a narrow one-in-one-out road.\nI realised that we\u0026rsquo;ve reached the time of year where the Lake District is always going to be busy, no matter where you go or when. So instead I navigated back to Kendal and took the A685 towards the Howgills. As I was approaching them, thinking of where to explore, I remembered the Bowderdale valley in the northern Howgills. It\u0026rsquo;s been a long time since I walked in that valley; time to revisit! In fact, it has been exactly four years to the day since I last explored Bowderdale.\nBowderdale is a long north-to-south valley in the northern part of the Howgills. It\u0026rsquo;s very quiet compared to the Howgills near Sedbergh. It\u0026rsquo;s also the source of the River Lune, which winds its way north out of the valley, turns sharply west, then gouges its way south where it has carved out the impressive Lune Gorge that now houses the M6 motorway.\nI initially fancied a simple hike down the valley bottom. However, the closer to the valley I got, the more I was attacked by a variety of biting flies and insects. I quickly abandoned this idea and retraced my steps back to where the trail connects with the Dales High Way. This would take me up and over West Fell and I would see what I could see of Bowderdale from above.\nTurned out to be a good idea! The weather was glorious.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 29–105mm f2.8–f3.8 zoom lens. Images made 90% in-camera using the Velvia film simulation, finished off in Affinity Photo.\nFrom my car outside Bowderdale village, the scenery was already looking bucolic. The country lane to Bowderdale village and ultimately Bowderdale itself. The fell in the distance is West Fell (542 m/1,778 ft), which flanks the western side of the valley. As I was passing through Bowderdale village I could hear some scuffling on the road behind me. I was being followed by a small flock of sheep! I wonder if they were mistaking me for a local farmer or shepherd? It felt like I was playing a game of Grandma\u0026rsquo;s Footsteps/Red Light, Green Light/Statues with the sheep. I would turn to look at them, and they\u0026rsquo;d stop and suddenly find the grass very interesting. Leaving Bowderdale village, the path climbs up and I catch my first glimpse of Yarlside (639 m/2,096 ft), all the way down Bowderdale. This was as far as I got on the trail towards the valley bottom, before I was mobbed by biting insects. Time to retrace and look for a different route. I instead elected for the Dales High Way, which take me up and over West Fell above Bowderdale. Here\u0026rsquo;s the scene looking back at my progress. As I near the summit of West Fell, the views west towards Bush Howe above the Langdale valley open up. On the West Fell ridge, Yarlside comes into view again and the temptation to get a better look proves strong. Above Yarlside a solitary puffy cloud catches my eye. Another cloud makes its presence known above Randygill Top. I neared the eastern edge of West Fell to get a sense of the drop down to Bowderdale. On the western side of West Fell, East Grain and West Grain join underneath Cobles (534 m/1,751 ft) to become Langdale Beck, which has carved out this beautiful valley. Looking back north along the shoulder of West Fell to admire the view and track my progress. It must be noted that this route is probably best tackled in the summer. The trail from the village to West Fell isn\u0026rsquo;t properly paved, and the fell top shows signs of bogs. This will be a wet and muddy experience in any other season. Another look west towards Langdale before I crest the summit of West Fell and examine the scene. The trail drops off West Fell and carries on towards Hazelgill Knott (578 m/1,896 ft) and beyond to the rest of the Howgills. That would be for another day. It was getting awfully hot. Yarlside in full, which marks the head of Bowderdale. The path at the bottom of Bowderdale skirts around the western flank of Yarlside before dropping down Cautley Spout, one of England\u0026rsquo;s tallest waterfalls. I returned to Bowderdale village, and ultimately my car, via the same route, snapping this beautiful bucolic scene.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"23 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bowderdale-howgills-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Today required… flexibility.\nMy initial plan for the day was to get up early and head to Kentmere for a lovely walk around the valley and its fells. It’s usually a trial to access Kentmere; the road to it from Staveley is long and narrow with few passing places. Then, once you’re at Kentmere, the only place to park is outside the church, fit for maybe 4–5 cars.\n","title":"Bowderdale, Howgills, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/langdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Langdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wath/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wath","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/west-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"West Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yarlside/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yarlside","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/crinkle-crags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Crinkle Crags","type":"tags"},{"content":"It has been too long since I\u0026rsquo;ve been to Great Langdale.\nIn fact, from what I can make out, the last time I visited Great Langdale was November 2020. That\u0026rsquo;s bad.\nAnd a shame. Great Langdale is one of my favourite places in the whole of the Lake District.\nThankfully I have some time off whilst I transition between jobs, and the UK summer is in full swing. It was time to reacquaint myself with some of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s most recognisable peaks.\nGreat Langdale did not disappoint. My goodness.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm ƒ/2.8–3.8 zoom lens. Images made 90% in-camera using the Velvia film simulation, finished off in Affinity Photo.\nI managed to get some parking at the LDNPA\u0026rsquo;s official car park, right in the heart of the Great Langdale valley. Merely stepping out of the car park offers you scenes like this. A true Lake District scene: towering craggy fells, stone walls and cottages, green grass, Herdwick sheep. There were plenty of ewes and their lambs freely milling around the roads and lanes in the valley. The first leg of the hike I wanted to explore was to head east towards Oak Howe. This part of Great Langdale is heavy with summer meadows and at this time of the year they\u0026rsquo;re brimming with flowers. Plus, you get panoramas like this. I threw my lens wide open and got down low to snap the Langdale Pikes high above the fields and fields of buttercups. Oak Howe cottage, with Oakhowe Crag towering above, itself a subsidiary top of Lingmoor Fell. One of my favourite spots in Great Langdale, shot near Oak Cowe cottage next to Great Langdale Beck. The Langdale Pikes looking as epic as ever. For the second leg of the hike, I traced my steps back west, capturing compositions of the Langdale Pikes along the way. The fist-like crags of the Langdale Pikes to the right, Bowfell to the left. Whitegill Crag stands protectively over the valley floor and its inhabitants. Rossett Farm with Thorn Crag and Loft Crag above, like axe heads thrust into the sky. The western aspect of Great Langdale features its highest fells, accessible via the fell in the middle of this photo known as \u0026ldquo;The Band\u0026rdquo;. To the left is Crinkle Crags (859 m/2,818 ft) and to the right is Bowfell (902 m/2,959 ft). Some kind of rose, I think? I couldn\u0026rsquo;t tell you which one but it were pretty, just sitting there in the hedgerow. As I head closer to Stool End Farm, Pike o\u0026rsquo; Blisco (705 m/2,313 ft)—south of Crinkle Crags—makes its presence known. A pied wagtail ( Motacilla alba yarrellii ) sits atop a drystone wall long enough for me to focus and nab this shot. A side valley that branches off the main Great Langdale valley, Mickleden, features this great wall of rock known as Rossett Crag, peaking at Rossett Pike (651 m/2,136 ft). The road to Stool End Farm, which marks the beginning of many popular ascents up to the likes of Bowfell, Crinkle Crags, and beyond. The western aspect of the Langdale Pikes peaks at Pike o\u0026rsquo; Stickle (709 m/2,326 ft), before dropping sharply down to the valley floor. Heading back east towards the car, this part of the Langdale Pikes is very popular with rock climbers who fancy tackling some tricky climbs. I love this place.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/great-langdale-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It has been too long since I’ve been to Great Langdale.\nIn fact, from what I can make out, the last time I visited Great Langdale was November 2020. That’s bad.\n","title":"Great Langdale, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mickleden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mickleden","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/oak-howe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Oak Howe","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pike-o-blisco/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pike O Blisco","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pike-o-stickle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pike O Stickle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rosset-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rosset Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-band/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Band","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lyth-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lyth Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scout-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scout Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"My poor Lisabet is still fighting COVID-19.\nSo, after being a dutiful boyfriend and sorting out brews/shopping/whatnot, I took the opportunity for a solid hike up to Scout Scar.\nThe weather is really starting to pick up in the UK now. Whilst we haven\u0026rsquo;t seen temperatures that the likes of France are currently experiencing (pushing 42°C), parts of the southeast England and London have been hitting 30°C.\nUp here in Cumbria, temperatures have been hanging around the low 20s, but with a pleasant breeze. This made the hike up to and around Scout Scar all the more glorious.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm ƒ/2.8–3.8 zoom lens and Laowa 9mm ƒ/2.8 prime lens. Images made 90% in-camera using the Velvia film simulation, finished off in Affinity Photo.\nUp Beast Banks we go. I can never resist looking back down the road and admiring the views. Everywhere is looking so lush and impossibly pretty. The path below Brigsteer Road winds it way to Underbarrow estate. Crossing over the A591. Past Bradleyfield Farm and heading up the back of Scout Scar, I spot some Swaledales chilling in the adjacent fields. As I climb up the views looking back open up and you can start to make out the Howgills and their rolling forms. And onto Scout Scar edge! Crackin\u0026rsquo; light all around and still loads of wildflowers along the scar. In the distance you can see all the way across the Kent Estuary towards Arnside Knott. All the way across the Lyth Valley to the Kentmere and Kirkstone fells. One of the Lyth Valley\u0026rsquo;s little villages gets illuminated by the sun as it breaks through the clouds. The Lake District fells rise above. A lone white cottage in the Lyth Valley, with the unmistakeable shape of the Langdale Pikes above. Approaching Hunter\u0026rsquo;s Leap and the sheer drop down to the valley floor. Time to equip the 9mm ultra-wide lens for some near-far compositions. Getting as close as I dared to the edge so I can nab some striking shots along the limestone edge near Hunter\u0026rsquo;s Leap. Wonderful shelves of limestone near Hunter\u0026rsquo;s Leap. Just don\u0026rsquo;t look down. At Hunter\u0026rsquo;s Leap flowers galore decorate the limestone karst landscape. Looking all the way back along the edge of Scout Scar towards the Kent Estuary. This is the nick on Scout Scar known as Hunter\u0026rsquo;s Leap. Daisies populate Scout Scar edge near the Mushroom. In the distance are the Kentmere fells. This part of Scout Scar marks the point where I move away from the edge and back over the hump of the fell towards Kendal. The Coniston fells catch the scanning rays of the sun like the Lyth Valley below. Another precipitous drop that I edged closer to for this composition. One last look along Scout Scar edge all the way to the Eastern Lake District fells before I venture down the back of the fell again. Sheep happily chilling in the fields near Bradleyfield Farm.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"20 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/scout-scar-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"My poor Lisabet is still fighting COVID-19.\nSo, after being a dutiful boyfriend and sorting out brews/shopping/whatnot, I took the opportunity for a solid hike up to Scout Scar.\nThe weather is really starting to pick up in the UK now. Whilst we haven’t seen temperatures that the likes of France are currently experiencing (pushing 42°C), parts of the southeast England and London have been hitting 30°C.\n","title":"Scout Scar, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hawes-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hawes Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"COVID-19 is in da house.\n2 years and 3 months after the initial UK-wide Lockdown announcement, my poor Lisabet has contracted the virus.\nShe\u0026rsquo;s being quarantined in the bedroom, door shut, windows open, and donning a mask whenever I need to go in to deliver brews or food.\nShe\u0026rsquo;s coping well but the coughing does not sound nice.\nAs I\u0026rsquo;m transitioning between jobs at the moment, I actually have a bit of free time before I start at my new position. Thankfully this means I\u0026rsquo;m able to be useful in the house and help look after her.\nToday, Lisabet insisted I make use of this week\u0026rsquo;s mini-heatwave and head out for a nice waltz in nature. So I did. A good 7-mile circular jaunt from Kendal town centre to a local favourite and back, Hawes Bridge.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm ƒ/2.8–ƒ/3.8 and a Laowa 9mm ƒ/2.8 prime. Images made 90% in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen\u0026rsquo;s OWH Daylight Fujifilm recipe, gently finished off in Affinity Photo.\nA grey heron ( Ardea cinerea ) standing in the middle of the River Kent, waiting for lunch. I love when they adopt this more \u0026ldquo;hunched\u0026rdquo; stance; sort of makes them look like a grumpy old man in the rain. Looking back at the heavily overgrown path I was following all the way to Scroggs Wood. Beyond Scroggs Wood the trail heads through the open fields alongside the River Kent. It\u0026rsquo;s at this point that pollen from all the grass really starts to wreak havoc with my sinuses. Like a beautiful bonsai tree, but bigger. The clear way to the falls at Hawes Bridge. Above Hawes Bridge falls lots of teeny falls trickle into the river from the fields above. The gorge around Hawes Bridge is proper lush with flowers and vegetation. And insects. And pollen. Hawes Bridge falls, looking a lot tamer and smaller with the lack of rain in recent months. Thousands of years of erosion because of this waterfall have carved overhangs above the river. Be careful near the edge. Bumble bees happily lapping up the pollen on all the flowers in the gorge. My sinuses and eyeballs were not has happy with all the pollen. The gorge is lush and verdant, framed nicely underneath Hawes Bridge. On goes the ultra-wide lens to really feature some of the shapes in the limestone carved by the waterfall.\nThrough the bridge I zoomed in deeper into the gorge, looking almost jungle-esque. I hopped on top of Hawes Bridge for some compositions looking down into the deep dark gorge. The other side of the gorge towards the falls. You can see how the waterfall has carved shelves and ledges. Spider webs? No. These are probably from ermine moth caterpillars, created as a form of protection. Creepy-looking, eh? Back out of the gorge, I elected to follow the footpath along the A591 all the way back into Kendal. I knew this route would be windier and keep the bugs away. And help cool me down. This beautiful cottage at Prizet sits just alongside the A591. As I near Kendal, this scene reminds me that—in Cumbria—you\u0026rsquo;re never far away from the countryside. The ruins of Kendal Castle sitting above Lound Road.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"17 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hawes-bridge-kendal-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"COVID-19 is in da house.\n2 years and 3 months after the initial UK-wide Lockdown announcement, my poor Lisabet has contracted the virus.\nShe’s being quarantined in the bedroom, door shut, windows open, and donning a mask whenever I need to go in to deliver brews or food.\n","title":"Hawes Bridge, Kendal, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/%C3%B8yvind-nordhagen-daylight/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Øyvind Nordhagen Daylight","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rural-life/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rural Life","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/paddys-lane/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Paddy’s Lane","type":"tags"},{"content":"2022 has got more twists and turns than a goat\u0026rsquo;s intestines.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t the place to rant. Suffice it to say, it\u0026rsquo;s been a super frustrating year. Thankfully, I have had a small nugget of personal positive news, which I\u0026rsquo;ll clutch tightly to my chest and use as a shield for whatever 2022 has next for me.\nAs it\u0026rsquo;s summer in Cumbria that means it\u0026rsquo;s sunny as well as rainy. Over the weekend I had some time to enjoy a local hike from Kendal up to Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane via Old Sedbergh Road. The clouds and conditions were pretty epic on the way up; unfortunately I got caught out on the way down and got pretty soaked.\nManaged to keep the new lens dry, though. And thankfully, the Fujifilm X-T2 is weather sealed.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 lens. Developed in Lightroom, finished off in Affinity Photo.\nNow that the Queen\u0026rsquo;s Platinum Jubilee celebrations are over, Kendal Town Hall has re-erected the Ukrainian flag above the town. These houses along Thorny Hill always put me in mind of Harrogate. Underneath the railway line and onwards to Old Sedbergh Road. With all the intermittent periods of rain + sun + rain + sun, I imagine this fella\u0026rsquo;s got his work cut out on his allotment. Heading up Old Sedbergh Road, I spy three alpacas happily grazing in the fields. Looking back at the route I took, the light still good. This wouldn\u0026rsquo;t last long. Look at those clouds above Kendal Fell… As I climb the Lake District fells reveal themselves. It\u0026rsquo;s all looking a bit brooding and foreboding. A final blast of sun before the storm clouds really close in. The distant fells start to get hazy as the approaching rain saturates them. Hoo boy, that\u0026rsquo;s the direction I\u0026rsquo;m heading in, too. Looks like I\u0026rsquo;m gunna get drenched… Other people had timed it well and were already on their back down into the town. I took the opportunity to nab some proper stormy images before the rain blew across the Kendal valley towards my position. The dog walkers ahead quickly donned their hoodies as the gentle pitter-patter of rain started to fall. As the rain got heavier I took shelter underneath a thick pair of trees and decided to wait things out. Whilst I did, I snagged this composition of the road onwards. Eventually I made it back to town and the rain let up for long enough that I could snap a pic of this magnificent and ancient building.\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"14 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/paddys-lane-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"2022 has got more twists and turns than a goat’s intestines.\nThis isn’t the place to rant. Suffice it to say, it’s been a super frustrating year. Thankfully, I have had a small nugget of personal positive news, which I’ll clutch tightly to my chest and use as a shield for whatever 2022 has next for me.\n","title":"Paddy’s Lane, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dolywaggon-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dolywaggon Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"It was time to show Dad the glory of Grisedale.\nWith the Queen\u0026rsquo;s Platinum Jubilee giving us two days holiday, Dad and I were able to spend some time together. We embarked on a hike up Grisedale, an offshoot of the main Patterdale valley near Ullswater. To my mind, Grisedale features one of the greatest valley sceneries in all of the Lake District.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve attempted to show Dad Grisedale before, but the good ol\u0026rsquo; Lake District rain has impeded us.\nThis time, we could not have asked for better conditions.\nPlease enjoy these glorious scenes. And, if you do like them, consider supporting me.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my new Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 lens. Developed in Lightroom, finished in Affinity Photo. Grisedale, Lake District, Summer © 2022 by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.\nParking up at Patterdale\u0026rsquo;s King George V playing fields and pavilion, you are immediately greeted with the sheer face of Place Fell. The lane leading to Grisedale is lined with rhododendron. I think this one may be Rhododendron fauriei . The first inkling of what lies ahead. Black Crag, a sub-peak of St. Sunday Crag, soaring above us into the clear blue sky. The road from Patterdale to Grisedale is quite the pull, but once you arrive at the valley… wow. One of the best valley backdrops in all of Lakeland. There were a few hikers about, which is to be expected on a Bank Holiday. However, most of them were heading up the main trail to Helvellyn via Striding Edge. Not for us, thanks. Testing out the capabilities of my Vivitar lens. This was shot at the full 105 mm zoom. A local farmer muck spreading across the valley bottom. At Elmhow Farm, a composition catches my eye. A small barn fell into shadow, and I notice the similarity of its silhouette with the peak of Dollywaggon Pike above. A connecting shadow cast by the passing clouds completed this composition. Beyond Elmhow, the valley starts to narrow as we approach the head. All along the way, Dollywaggon Pike watches over us. I love watching clouds cast shapes and shadows on a fellside. The cloud cover starts to thicken, casting deep shadows across the mountainous landscape. Glorious light conditions. The trail narrows and winds as we approach the head of Grisedale. High above us are Falcon Crag and Tarn Crag, which drop down to Grisedale Tarn. The path leads around the bottom of Post, on the left, a small crag that rise out of the valley floor. Above, Dollywaggon Pike is illuminated in between the racing clouds. The small crag of Post, on the near left, enjoys a slither of summer light scanning along its surface. In the distant left are Falcon Crag and Tarn Crag, dead centre is Dollywaggon Pike, and to the right is Eagle Crag, a sub-peak of Nethermost Pike. Immediately above us, on the southern side of the valley, is the sheer wall of St. Sunday Crag. Dollywaggon Pike, punching the sky, cast in light and shadow. The joy of exploring the scenery at 105mm. Another 105mm composition, zooming in on the crags of Eagle Crag as the light plays across them. Looking back at our progress, down the length of Grisedale back towards Place Fell. Crossing the boggy valley floor at Grisedale Beck, Dollywaggon Pike still demanding attention as its sunlit peak acts as a beacon. The sheer wall of St. Sunday Crag, immediately above the Crossing Plantation. Zooming on St. Sunday Crag and the shoulder of Post, criss-crossing each other in an interesting light-filled composition. Place Fell\u0026rsquo;s bulk rises above the rolling valley bottom of Grisedale. Our route back involved navigating the trail on the northern side of Grisedale. Here, erect ferns line the path, ready to bloom any day. A person-sized glacial erratic, cleft in twain. Another look back at Grisedale\u0026rsquo;s magnificent backdrop, with fellow hikers not far behind us. A beautiful Herdwick ewe navigates the northern fellside amongst the fern. The last of the year\u0026rsquo;s bluebells catching the light inside Broomhill Plantation. My Dad after nabbing a shot of the frankly stunning scenery. A Texel (?) yew enjoys a rest in the ferns. Her lamb, following suit. One last look back at Grisedale, now with more cloud cover making the sun beam shafts of light on the landscape. St. Sunday Crag to the left, Dollwaggon Pike and Nethermost Pike on the right. Back on the valley floor, a Herdwick lamb stares at us quizzically. Another lamb enjoys a mid-afternoon snooze in the summer sun.\nDo you like these photos? # ","date":"4 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grisedale-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It was time to show Dad the glory of Grisedale.\nWith the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee giving us two days holiday, Dad and I were able to spend some time together. We embarked on a hike up Grisedale, an offshoot of the main Patterdale valley near Ullswater. To my mind, Grisedale features one of the greatest valley sceneries in all of the Lake District.\n","title":"Grisedale, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/provia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Provia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/lens-review/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Lens Review","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"3 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lens-review/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lens Review","type":"tags"},{"content":"To start, I need to make a few disclaimers.\nFirstly, this isn\u0026rsquo;t a technical review, involving test cards, colour charts, and other rigorous methods of optical testing. I don\u0026rsquo;t know how to do any of that, and I\u0026rsquo;m sure plenty on the internet have already done so.\nSecondly, these images are unapologetically edited/stylised.\nRather, this post describes more of my experience using the lens, what it enables me to do, what I have to adjust to use it, and what I\u0026rsquo;ve had to learn.\nDoes that make sense? Good.\nFinding the Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 # Heading up one of the steepest roads in Kendal, Beast Banks, a beautiful and almost timeless scene emerges that I can rarely ignore.\nRegular readers of my blog may have noticed in my previous post that I alluded to having acquired a new lens after a good hike up and down Scout Scar. I spotted the lens in the shop window of Oxfam. A Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 Macro, for Pentax K mount.\nThis immediately piqued my curiosity. A \u0026ldquo;walk about\u0026rdquo; travel lens with a handy zoom capability had been at the back of mind for a while. Until recently, my lens set up involved three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23 mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9 mm f/2.8 ultra-wide, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55 mm f/2.0.\nThe 23 mm has served me well. It\u0026rsquo;s a good standard lens, but in my opinion and experience a little too wide for my tastes. I\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling that somewhere between a 28 or a 35 would be a good standard wide for me. The nice thing about the 23 mm though is that it\u0026rsquo;s weather sealed, giving me more confidence when out and about in the somewhat unpredictable weather of Britain.\nSmaller scenes that had previously eluded me, such as this simple composition at Greenside, are now possible thanks to the maximum focal length of 105 mm.\nThe Laowa 9 mm ultra-wide is definitely more niche. It\u0026rsquo;s not a lens I\u0026rsquo;ll use all the time, especially in open vistas, because at 9 mm (13.5 mm equivalent on full-frame) you capture so much of a scene that it starts to become meaningless. Where the 9 mm has proved useful is in near-far compositions and scenes where everything is very close to you. The 9 mm has an ability to push everything away from you that is nearly incomparable.\nThe Pentax 55 mm is definitely useful, especially for situations where the subject or scene that I want to shoot is a good distance ahead of me. At a full-frame equivalent of 82–83 mm, that\u0026rsquo;s a good bit of zoom and scene compression. This lens is a Pentax K mount, but happily there are many adaptors available on the market that will allow you to attach retro/vintage lenses onto modern mirrorless cameras, such as my Fujifilm X-T2.\nThis brings me onto the Vivitar discovery.\nAt close to 105 mm, I\u0026rsquo;m able to compress elements of a composition, bringing the distance closer. Until now compositions like this, shot from the limestone kiln towards the top of Greenside, were not possible for me.\nA 28–105 mm focal length would be very handy, a full-frame equivalent of 42–157.5 mm. It\u0026rsquo;s fairly fast too, opening up to f/2.8 at 28 mm to f/3.8 at 105 mm. It also features a macro focal feature, allowing a tighter minimal focal distance than many other lenses.\nI entered the Oxfam shop and asked to inspect the lens. Its condition was practically flawless. No visible markings, clean elements, beautifully damped zoom and focal grip, and a nice clicky aperture ring.\nAdditionally, the lens came complete with its original packaging, sturdy leather carrying case, and a manual. Seemingly missed by the staff at Oxfam, attached to the lens was also a Hoya Skylight filter.\nAs we had just come down from Scout Scar, I already had my camera gear with me, which included the Pentax 55 mm f/2.0 with its Fujifilm adaptor. I asked to try out the lens on my camera body. A satisfying clunk and click later, the Vivitar seated beautifully onto my Fujifilm adaptor and mounted onto my camera perfectly.\nAnd all for £30.\nI had to have it.\nTesting and getting used to the Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 # Macro photography has never really been my thing, but the advertised capabilities of this Vivitar lens made me curious. As I headed up Kendal Fell through the golf course I tried my hand at snapping some Cow parsley ( Anthriscus sylvestris ). Not bad at all.\nWith the advent of the Queen\u0026rsquo;s Platinum Jubilee, and the additional two days public holiday, an opportunity arose for me to get out and about on a beautiful summer\u0026rsquo;s day and really see what I could achieve with this lens.\nI almost immediately found myself using the full 105 mm focal length a lot. Compositions that had previously alluded me were now totally possible at this focal length.\nA focal length of somewhere around 28–35 mm. Looking at these images in detail, I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed that the lens provides sharp images, excellent contrast and tonal rendition, and nice colour.\nI had to learn how to use the zoom and focus ring too. This Vivitar lens utilises a \u0026ldquo;one-touch\u0026rdquo; zoom and focus mechanism. My previous experience of zoom lenses were nearly all autofocusing, so I only had to think zooming by turning the zoom ring.\nBut this lens is built differently. It\u0026rsquo;s a manual focus, or at least it is mounted to by Fujifilm. So the mechanism of use was totally alien to me. You zoom in by pushing the zoom ring away from you, and zoom out by pulling back in. You then focus by turning the same ring. Push, pull, and turn. Definitely something I needed to get used to.\nMore macro opportunities present themselves to me by zooming in to 105 mm.\nThankfully, many mirrorless camera systems utilise focus peaking, making focusing on manual lenses a doddle.\nThe zoom and focus ring on the lens is beautifully dampened. A good bit of effort is needed to zoom the lens in and out, and the focus turns cleanly. Happily, this also largely stops the lens slowly zooming in or out when you\u0026rsquo;re pointing steeply down or up.\nAdapting my shooting style # From the top of Kendal Fell, I\u0026rsquo;m really able to bring in the distant Lake District fells into the composition, even resolving the individual peaks and fells.\nSomething else I noticed with my early test shots was that I was getting a fair bit of camera shake.\nAh.\nThis is something I\u0026rsquo;m not used to.\nZooming into 105 mm means I really must pay attention to my shutter speed and make sure it\u0026rsquo;s fast enough to reduce the chances of shutter speed. With this lens, I\u0026rsquo;m now altering my aperture and ISO more to ensure my shutter speed is fast enough. I\u0026rsquo;m also utilising the Fujifilm\u0026rsquo;s Continuous Low shooting mode, enabling me to shoot 3–4 images quickly to try and minimise any camera shake from pressing the shutter button.\nSuch is life with a 6-year old camera with no image stabilisation.\nThe weight of the lens is an additional factor I\u0026rsquo;m getting used to. My three prime lenses are all quite short and light. The Fujinon 23 mm is about 180 g, the Laowa 9 mm is about 215 g, and the Pentax 55 mm is about 221 g.\nThe Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm weighs about 620 g, three times heavier than most of my primes.\nAs you can tell, I was having lots of fun zooming into 105 mm and picking out individual scenes available from the expansive panorama from the top of Kendal Fell. Here, the Kentmere valley and its fells are clearly defined.\nThis adds extra strain and camera shake at the longer end of the lens that I need to compensate with a fast enough shutter speed. Thankfully, the dynamic range of Fujifilm X-T2 is excellent, and I can push the camera to ISO 1600 with little decrease in image quality.\nThe history of the lens # Vivitar is a manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of photographic and optical equipment, originally from California, USA. They were founded in 1938 as Ponder \u0026amp; Best, but introduced the \u0026ldquo;Vivitar\u0026rdquo; branding in the early 1960s.\nBy the 1970s Vivitar introduced their \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; lens range, partnering with experienced lens manufacturers to produce optically excellent lenses at lower prices than their competitors. The range were also computer-designed.\nThe Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 VMC Macro zoom lens was made for Vivitar by Cosina, and marketed from 1985 onwards.\nExtra sample images # From the top of Kendal Golf Course, views are extensive. On this beautiful day, it was enough to see Benson Knott and the Howgills beyond. Using the landscaping features of the golf course as leading lines towards the distant Kentmere fells. Cunswick Scar and the distant Lake District fells. Not a bad place for a rest on a bench. Heading back down into Kendal. Zooming in on some purple rock cress, utilising the Vivitar\u0026rsquo;s macro-focussing capabilities.\nConclusion # I love it. Can\u0026rsquo;t you tell?\nThe focal range is so useful, the lens is sturdy in construction, optically sharp and produces some gorgeous images. It\u0026rsquo;s resulted in rethinking how I shoot, but it\u0026rsquo;s always good to adjust and evolve your shooting style and knowledge.\nHopefully, this baby will be with me for a long time.\nDid you like this post and my photos? # ","date":"3 June 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/testing-the-vivitar-series-1-28-105mm-f2-8-3-8-lens-on-fujifilm-xt2/","section":"Posts","summary":"To start, I need to make a few disclaimers.\nFirstly, this isn’t a technical review, involving test cards, colour charts, and other rigorous methods of optical testing. I don’t know how to do any of that, and I’m sure plenty on the internet have already done so.\n","title":"Testing the Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105 mm f/2.8–3.8 lens on a Fujifilm X-T2","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/arnside-knott/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Arnside Knott","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fujinon-23mm-f2/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fujinon 23mm F2","type":"tags"},{"content":"2022 has been fuckin\u0026rsquo; wild so far.\nBut finally, things are a bit happier. Family members that had been in hospital for separate issues are now home and recuperating.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been stressful, and there have been somber conversations.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s hope the 2nd half of 2022 improves.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve got my Better Half\u0026rsquo;s sister staying with us for a while. She, too, is a photographer, and considerably more established and talented than me. Today, the sun rose and a glorious spring/summer\u0026rsquo;s day was upon us. We all, keenly, felt the need to be out in nature. What better way than to explore our own back garden as it were? Up to Scout Scar we go!\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses and a new lens (more on that further in the post): a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed in Lightroom, finished in Affinity Photo.\nHeading up Helsington Laithes, a scene of serene summery simplicity. How about this for r/RuralPorn? Finally, up the back of Scout Scar and over its spine to enjoy the extensive views across the Lyth Valley towards the Lake District fells. A lone tree growing out of the limestone acts as a nice \u0026ldquo;signpost\u0026rdquo;, pointing at the Lake District fells. I never get tired of the sheer drop from the cliffs of Scout Scar. Looking back south. The atmosphere was so clear that we could easily make out the Kent Estuary, which leads out to Morecambe Bay , with Arnside Knott above it. The Kentmere and Longsleddale fells using the limestone cliffs as a leading towards them. I think this is one of the bigger vertical drops along Scout Scar, highlighted by the tiny people waltzing along the top. I think these might Helianthemum nummularium , or Common rock-rose. They apparently prefer dry, base-rich soil, and as limestone—which is what Scout Scar is made of— contains a lot of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), an alkaline material, this would make sense. I can tell I\u0026rsquo;ve not been up Scout Scar much during the late spring/summer, because I had no idea there were so many beautiful flowers along the cliff tops! My ultra-wide angle lens had a lot of fun. A 3-shot vertorama featuring the nick and drop of Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap with the Lyth Valley and the Lakeland fells beyond. It\u0026rsquo;s so good for the brain to see everything looking so green again. Beyond the nick of Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap, Lisabet and her sister were motoring on ahead, heading towards the Mushroom. In the distance, the Kentmere fells, clear as a bell. View after view after view. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to pick just one . The Lake District fells, with the Langdale Pikes in the centre, shot from the summit of Scout Scar, which is crowned by the Mushroom shelter. Back down the back of Scout Scar, with the Howgills looking lovely. After we made it back to town and refuelled with coffee and lunch, we browsed some of the charity shops. In the window of Oxfam, I spotted a Vivitar \u0026ldquo;Series 1\u0026rdquo; 28–105mm f/2.8–f/3.8 zoom \u0026ldquo;macro\u0026rdquo; lens, made for the Pentax K/Ricoh mount. I already have a Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 with the relevant adapter to mount on my Fujifilm X-T2, so this zoom lens would work too. It included the box case, plus manual and beautifully made leather pouch case. And all for £30! So I nabbed it! And the above is a shot using my new lens, zoomed in all the way to 105mm. Bargain!\nDid you like these photos? # ","date":"28 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/scout-scar-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"2022 has been fuckin’ wild so far.\nBut finally, things are a bit happier. Family members that had been in hospital for separate issues are now home and recuperating.\nIt’s been stressful, and there have been somber conversations.\n","title":"Scout Scar, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/virginia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Virginia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brigsteer/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brigsteer","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brigsteer-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brigsteer Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"I wanted to see a lot of bluebells one last time for this year.\nA work colleague tipped me off about Brigsteer Park, a woodland south of its village namesake, Brigsteer. The village sits underneath Scout Scar, and there\u0026rsquo;s a surprising amount of woodland underneath this fell.\nSo, Lisabet and I parked up at Helsington St. John\u0026rsquo;s Church and plotted a route down the fell slope, through a Bee Reserve and into Brigsteer Park for a ruddy good exploration.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles.\nThe views from the car park Helsington St. John\u0026rsquo;s church are sublime. All the way across the Lyth Valley to the Lake District fells. The southern shoulder of Scout Scar and the small road that allows access to Helsington St. John\u0026rsquo;s Church. As we navigate the footpaths down the fell slope, Whitbarrow commands your attention directly across the Lyth Valley. Couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist a shot of this gorgeous old house, covered in ivy. A delightful little cottage on Park End Lane just before you enter Brigsteer Park. Whoever lives at the cottage is a keen gardener. We had to look up what these weird and wonderful plants were. Turns out they\u0026rsquo;re probably Chilean Rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria . Also, not actually related rhubarb though you can apparently consume Chilean Rhubarb as you would normal rhubarb. Looking back at this impossibly idyllic scene before we head into the woods. It turns out that Brigsteer Park is a proper woodland, thick with growth and full of old trees. An old tree with its own \u0026ldquo;cane\u0026rdquo;. Look at this old yew tree with its \u0026ldquo;ligaments\u0026rdquo; and textures. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it magnificent? Another old yew, found further into the woodland. As we neared the exit, I turned back to snap this scene. Unfortunately, I didn\u0026rsquo;t see any sign of carpets of woodland here at Brigsteer Park. Perhaps we were in the wrong bit? Whitbarrow Scar once again commanding our attention from across the Lyth Valley. After carefully navigating through some young cows and bullocks, we returned to Park End Lane. The gardener\u0026rsquo;s cottage here, cosily nestled in the woods of Brigsteer. Everywhere is exploding in colour and wildflowers. Brigsteer Causeway, which cross the wetter and more swamp-like part of the Lyth Valley. Brigsteer is such a bonny village. I mean, come on . Not a bad place to do the rounds. As we started climbing the road up back towards St. John\u0026rsquo;s Church, the views opened to us again. Here you can see right across the Lyth Valley and even the Kent Estuary towards Arnside Knott . Not a bad way to spend the morning.\nDid you like these photos? # Then support me.\n","date":"21 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/brigsteer-park-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"I wanted to see a lot of bluebells one last time for this year.\nA work colleague tipped me off about Brigsteer Park, a woodland south of its village namesake, Brigsteer. The village sits underneath Scout Scar, and there’s a surprising amount of woodland underneath this fell.\n","title":"Brigsteer Park, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helsington-st-johns-church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helsington St Johns Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/really-nice-images-5/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Really Nice Images 5","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whitbarrow-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whitbarrow Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/garlic/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Garlic","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/owh-street/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Owh Street","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/serpentine-woods/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Serpentine Woods","type":"tags"},{"content":"There\u0026rsquo;s a lot going on right now.\nSo, with another glorious spring day on the horizon, Lisabet and I booted up for a hike up the fellside of Kendal into Serpentine Woods.\nIn my opinion, Serpentine Woods looks its best at this time of year compared to any other. That\u0026rsquo;s because the woods are filled with wild garlic, Allium ursinum. Around the middle of May the wild garlic produces a carpet of beautifully delicate white flowers and fills the air with the delicious scent of garlic.\nBeyond the woods, Kendal looked spectacular in its greenery. Nature\u0026rsquo;s restorative powers are not to be dismissed.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 90% in-camera, with finalising in Affinity Photo.\nA good route to Serpentine Woods involves walking up Kendal\u0026rsquo;s steepest road, Beast Banks. Halfway up the road, a side street branches off. This is Garth Head, a medieval lane linking Beast Banks with Captain French Lane. Everything\u0026rsquo;s looking wonderfully green now. Chinese Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis , and the old iron-wrought gate at Beech House, creating a lovely scene I had to capture. So much green! Our route lies up and to the left. This beautiful cottage sits right underneath Serpentine Woods. In the summer the front of the cottage explodes in flowers, and during the Christmas period it\u0026rsquo;s often covered in a dazzling array of Christmas lights. Into Serpentine Woods we go. The woods sits on a shelf of limestone, which occasionally protrudes and creates little clearings in the woodland. A family enjoy a wander through the woodland and its bounty of wild garlic flowers. My favourite little area in Serpentine Woods, the \u0026ldquo;pointless\u0026rdquo; gate. On goes my ultra-wide 9mm lens for some compositions involving some of the Storm Arwen casualties. Getting this close to the wild garlic, the smell was intoxicating. Out of the top of Serpentine Woods, the views over Kendal and its valley are stunning. It was nice to see plenty of families out, enjoying nature. This bench signals our way back down the fellside. This year\u0026rsquo;s spring lambs are getting nice and fat now. Fantastic cloud formations were building above Benson Knott, which sits above the town. Across the Kendal valley towards the Whinfell Common and the Howgills. To the north, the Kentmere fells look tantalisingly beautiful. The path follows this dry stone wall all the way back down into town. One last look back north. Just one of many allotments in Kendal. This one seems to be home to a flock of homing pigeons. Closer to Windermere Road and the clouds are building up. I do love me some cloud porn.\n","date":"15 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/serpentine-woods-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"There’s a lot going on right now.\nSo, with another glorious spring day on the horizon, Lisabet and I booted up for a hike up the fellside of Kendal into Serpentine Woods.\n","title":"Serpentine Woods, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wild-garlic/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wild Garlic","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wood/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wood","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bowscale-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bowscale Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brae-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brae Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/caldbeck-common/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Caldbeck Common","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/caldbeck-moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Caldbeck Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carrock-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carrock Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"There\u0026rsquo;s more to the Northern Fells of the Lake District than meets the eye.\nNearing the end of our May break, and after having enjoyed the delights of Dash Falls, Lisabet and I decided that a reasonably high climb was in order.\nThankfully we had assistance! A former work colleague of mine turned good friend, Kate, lives in Northern Cumbria and is fell acquainted with the Northern Fells. After a coffee and a catch up, she guided us to a good parking area and we set off up the fell.\nThe Northern Fells really put me in mind of the Howgills: rolling, smooth hills with deep scarred valleys. Our goal for the day was to summit High Pike (658 m/2,159 ft), and in places the going was pretty steep. However, the views from the top are exquisite.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images converted in Lightroom, then edited in Affinity Photo.\nOn our way up the easy-to-follow path and already the views are wide open and expansive. A great day for hiking. The way up, with Potts Gill to our right. This area of the Northern Fells has been historically mined extensively, evidenced by fenced off shaft entrances and clear tracks. The view from near the top of Potts Gill and its ripples. Dead centre is a transmitting station and in the far distance are the coastal Galloway mountains across the Solway Firth. As the continue the climb, slivers of light dance across the fells and sink into the gills. The prominent peak is Brae Fell. A 55mm composition of Brae Fell with deep gills scarring its flank. But finally, after lots of huffing and puffing, summit! Looking south from the summit of High Pike, the fells criss-cross each other towards the back of Blencathra. Even more stunning views to the east. To the left is Carrock Fell, and to the right are the crags of Bowscale Fell. I ventured down the western slope of High Pike a little bit to get a clear view of the scene here. Great Lingy Hill and its extremely steep valley. I kept returning to gawp at the view southwards, checking out the sheer southeastern crag faces of Bowscale Fell and Blencathra. Heading back down the same route, the afternoon sun breaks through and scans across the scene ahead of us. Back down on Caldbeck Moor there is gorse everywhere , smelling beautifully of coconut. One last look back at the trail we took to High Pike. What a crackin\u0026rsquo; hike and a beautiful conclusion to our week.\n","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/high-pike-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"There’s more to the Northern Fells of the Lake District than meets the eye.\nNearing the end of our May break, and after having enjoyed the delights of Dash Falls, Lisabet and I decided that a reasonably high climb was in order.\n","title":"High Pike, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/northern-fells/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Northern Fells","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cumbria-way/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cumbria Way","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dash-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dash Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"Here\u0026rsquo;s another place I\u0026rsquo;ve been meaning to explore for ages.\nThe Northern Fells of the Lake District are dominated by two champions: Skiddaw and Blencathra, the 6th and 18th highest mountains in England respectively. These fells make up a wall of peaks at the southern end of the Northern Fells, looming directly over Keswick and Threlkeld.\nThere are, however, numerous fells and valleys behind Skiddaw and Blencathra, and by comparison these fells see little footfall. On the western side of the Northern Fells, nestled in between the Uldale fells and the Back o\u0026rsquo; Skidda is the Dash Valley. At the head of this valley drops a rather spectacular waterfall, Dash Falls, also sometimes called Whitewater Dash waterfall. Rather than being one single drop, these falls take the form of a series of steep cascades from the head of Dash valley to the valley floor.\nThough the day was relatively overcast, the scenes were no less epic. Happily, there were also plenty of Herdwicks about!\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profile.\nThe first part of the walk involves navigating through livestock pasture to reach Peter Houses Farm and joining the Cumbria Way. Already, scenes were looking incredible. Herdwicks! With their lambs, perhaps only a couple of weeks old. A true Lake District scene: Herdwicks and the fells. Our first sight of Dash Falls. From this point on the Cumbria Way is properly paved and easy to follow all the way to the falls. Looking back at the way we came. On the right is Binsey, an isolated little hill that nevertheless enjoys fantastic views. A marker stone indicates the bridleway ahead towards Dash Falls. Beyond the falls you can carry on over via the Cumbria Way towards Skiddaw House, a hostel in the middle of Skiddaw Forest. The path gets steeper and the falls get closer. Near the top of the path you can enjoy the view straight down the falls. It might be possible to clamber down and get right alongside them, but I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t dare. With my ultra-wide lens on, I was able to capture this expansive scene of the Dash valley from the top of Dash Falls. On the way back down, after a spot of lunch and rest, I kept the 9mm lens on to snap some expansive views of the valley from the top. Looking straight down Dash Valley. There\u0026rsquo;s loads of heather about, so this will be a great place to return to in late summer. A 6-shot vertorama with my 55mm lens of Dead Crags, which looms above the southern side of Dash Valley. One last look back, a zoomed in composition of Dash Falls as it cascades down the sheer face of Dash Valley\u0026rsquo;s head. A quizzical cow scopes us out as we near the start of our walk at Bassenthwaite village.\n","date":"6 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dash-falls-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Here’s another place I’ve been meaning to explore for ages.\nThe Northern Fells of the Lake District are dominated by two champions: Skiddaw and Blencathra, the 6th and 18th highest mountains in England respectively. These fells make up a wall of peaks at the southern end of the Northern Fells, looming directly over Keswick and Threlkeld.\n","title":"Dash Falls, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dash-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dash Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whitewater-dash-waterfall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whitewater Dash Waterfall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/agfa-rsx-ii-200/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Agfa Rsx Ii 200","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/allonby/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Allonby","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/allonby-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Allonby Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re taking a week\u0026rsquo;s break in Western Cumbria.\nAfter arriving at the accommodation near Wigton, meeting the owners, and settling in, we decided an evening stroll at nearby Allonby Bay was in order.\nAllonby\u0026rsquo;s a small coastal village on the western coast of Cumbria, roughly halfway between Maryport and Silloth. It\u0026rsquo;s an unassuming place, once home to a small fishing fleet. Nowadays, knowing tourists can come off the main roads to find this little treasure near the Solway coast and its amazing views across the Solway Firth towards the Galloway mountains in Scotland.\nPhotos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Agfa RSX II 200 film profile.\nAcross the sea, as the sun was setting, Criffel hill is clearly seen as it looms over the Scottish coast. A winding channel snakes out from Allonby towards the bay. Crepuscular rays emerge from the heavens and cast golden light on the sea. One of my favourite compositions of the evening. Looking south down Allonby Bay, the golden clouds serving as a wonderful leading line. Little pools in the rippling sand made for beautiful reflections of light and colour. Finally, the setting sun came out from behind the clouds strong enough to pull out the textures in the rippling sand.\nAs the sun started to disappear behind the clouds, we navigated away from the sands and back to the village. The coastline near the village is bordered by these reeds, which I needed to make a composition of. The reeds were also home to some beautiful flowers that we didn\u0026rsquo;t expect to see. A gorgeous start to our break.\n","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/allonby-bay-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’re taking a week’s break in Western Cumbria.\nAfter arriving at the accommodation near Wigton, meeting the owners, and settling in, we decided an evening stroll at nearby Allonby Bay was in order.\n","title":"Allonby Bay, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/galloway/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Galloway","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/solway/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Solway","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/solway-coast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Solway Coast","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/solway-firth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Solway Firth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cunswick-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cunswick Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"Things are really starting to look nice and green now.\nAfter what seemed like a month or so of virtually no rain throughout spring, the April/May cusp has brought a decent amount of overnight precipitation. It seems like the plants really needed it.\nOn our hike today towards Cunswick Scar via Gamblesmire Lane, it occurred to me that the countryside surrounding Kendal was really popping with verdant hues. Alongside the warm and humid conditions, it was a welcome sign that over the horizon summer was on its way.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles.\nThis year\u0026rsquo;s spring lambs are starting to look fat and strong now. What\u0026rsquo;s always discouraging is seeing all the crows hover around them, waiting for a weakling to present an opportunity. A couple of horses in the fields before Gamblesmire Lane were very contentedly munching away at the meadows full of daisies and dandelions. Just thought it was a very cool looking tree. The ancient Gamblesmire Lane, technically an Unclassified Road, meaning that vehicles are allowed on it. An old tree uprooted by the winter\u0026rsquo;s storms, taking a chunk of limestone with it. The way to the open rolling land of the Lyth Valley. There\u0026rsquo;s a few old and rather eldritch trees that line Gamblesmire Lane into the Lyth Valley. One of them was veritably humming with honey bees. I shot a video of them here . A scene that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t ignore. We took the junction past Cunswick Hall towards Ash Spring Wood, which was the way towards Cunswick Scar. Parts of Cunswick Hall date from the 1500s. It\u0026rsquo;s in a beautiful setting. Looking back at Cunswick Hall, dandelions everywhere. Into Ash Spring Wood we go. One or two bluebells about, and the wild garlic still hasn\u0026rsquo;t blossomed. The way up the cliff face of Cunswick Scar involves a steep path through the woods below the scar. A lot of the trees here seem to have survived the winter\u0026rsquo;s storms well, sheltered as they are by the limestone scar. Onwards and upwards. A 6-shot vertorama on my 9mm ultra-wide lens, shot from directly underneath the limestone shelf of Cunswick Scar. Looking back at the steep climb we just made. The reward! Expansive views from Cunswick Scar\u0026rsquo;s cliff edge. Despite the humidity and slight haze, the views towards Kentmere were remarkably clear. My fascination with drystone walls continues unabated. Closer to Kendal, the Kentmere and Longsleddale fells tease me. See? Can\u0026rsquo;t resist \u0026rsquo;em. For the route back to Kendal we elected to turn off at Plumgarths through Helsfell Farm, across the main road and ultimately through Kendal Quarry back into the town. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist this almost timeless scene. The lane leading to the quarry. Seems like we timed things just right. As we were passing the quarry towards Kendal, the sky grew increasingly heavy and foreboding. Not long after returning home, the heavens opened.\n","date":"2 May 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cunswick-scar-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Things are really starting to look nice and green now.\nAfter what seemed like a month or so of virtually no rain throughout spring, the April/May cusp has brought a decent amount of overnight precipitation. It seems like the plants really needed it.\n","title":"Cunswick Scar, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bishopdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bishopdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cauldron-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cauldron Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cauldron-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cauldron Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/west-burton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"West Burton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/west-burton-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"West Burton Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"Another Yorkshire Dales waterfall ticked off.\nOn the way back from our weekend at Pateley Bridge, where we scrambled up Trollers Gill and explored Almscliffe Crag, we decided no the scenic route right through the centre of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.\nFrom Pateley Bridge this involves driving through Upper Wharfedale and scaling the gap between Buckden Pike and Yockenthwaite Moor, before dropping down into Bishopdale and joining the A685 west at Aysgarth.\nBefore the main road, though, we decided to stop at West Burton, a small and beautiful village. Scenes of a pristine Yorkshire Dales village are available in every direction, featuring a large village green, aged limestone buildings, and friendly residents.\nEven better, not 5-minutes walk from the village green, one can find and explore the stunning Cauldron Falls, also known as West Burton Falls.\nAll photo shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: the Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Portra 400 film profile.\nEven after a dry spell there was still plenty of water flowing over the falls. From the other side of the gorge that the waterfall had carved out, it\u0026rsquo;s possible to navigate across some rocks to get right in the middle of the gorge. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to see these falls are called Cauldron Falls, as millennia of erosion by the waterfall has created a natural bowl of an amphitheatre. No Yorkshire Dales beck would be complete without a beautiful and ancient stone packhorse bridge. I navigated as close to the waterfall as the slippery rocks allowed. Back at the village green, father and son enjoy a kickabout. The fells of Bishopdale and Walden Moor embrace the village in a comforting hug. The beautifully manicured village green runs alongside the Main Street through the village. In the distance are the Wensleydale fells. There were some gorgeous old Yorkshire Dales cottages to gawp at around the green. A proper cosy and sleepy little place. Gotta have a local pub in a Yorkshire Dales village. A crackin\u0026rsquo; way to cap off the Easter weekend.\n","date":"30 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/west-burton-falls-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Another Yorkshire Dales waterfall ticked off.\nOn the way back from our weekend at Pateley Bridge, where we scrambled up Trollers Gill and explored Almscliffe Crag, we decided no the scenic route right through the centre of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.\n","title":"West Burton Falls, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"Welcome back to Barkbooth Lot!\nWe\u0026rsquo;re starting to see those beautiful bluebells appearing in woodlands across Cumbria now, so over the weekend we enjoyed a wander around our new favourite bluebell spot, Barkbooth Lot.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s another good three weeks or so before all the bluebells are fully out and in their prime, but the sights were still glorious. Plus, it were a bonny day. Why not get out and enjoy it?\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Portra 400 film emulation.\nThe way into the woodland is clear and immediately we can see that the bluebells were out. The late afternoon light was absolutely crackin\u0026rsquo;. A survivor from Storm Arwen. Lots of other trees weren\u0026rsquo;t so lucky. Fantastic shapes, like two dancers in the sunlight. Two trees share a trail of bluebells between them. There\u0026rsquo;s so many more bluebells to come in the next couple of weeks. This way for more bluebells. Ferns unfurling. A sign that summer is coming. Some of the casualties from Storm Arwen. Down at the gentle beck, gurgling its way through the woodland. Forest bathing is a true healing salve for the soul. A remnant from an older storm. Probably one of my favourite shots from the whole walk. Torn in half. The sheer force of Storm Arwen.\nOut onto the fell side of Barkbooth Lot, the Lyth Valley fells in the distance.\n","date":"25 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/barkbooth-lot-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Welcome back to Barkbooth Lot!\nWe’re starting to see those beautiful bluebells appearing in woodlands across Cumbria now, so over the weekend we enjoyed a wander around our new favourite bluebell spot, Barkbooth Lot.\n","title":"Barkbooth Lot, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/almscliffe-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Almscliffe Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coldstones-cut/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coldstones Cut","type":"tags"},{"content":"Yorkshire\u0026rsquo;s a beautiful county, isn\u0026rsquo;t it?\nLiving in Kendal as we do, we enjoy closer access to the Yorkshire Dales, an area in North Yorkshire we love dearly. But there\u0026rsquo;s plenty more outside of the Dales.\nPateley Bridge, where we stayed at recently, is situated in the Nidderdale AONB, which lies outside of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It\u0026rsquo;s a stunning area in its own right. A 10-minute drive west of Pateley Bridge takes you up onto the moorland where can visit the incredible Coldstones Cut construction.\nFurther south of Pateley Bridge, near North Rigton, one can find the impressive Almscliffe Crag, a cap of millstone crags and rock formations sitting on top of a small hill. It\u0026rsquo;s popular with rock climbers and boulderers, not to mention a walker\u0026rsquo;s paradise.\nOn this particular occasion, we visited both areas on a beautiful yet hazy spring day.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 80% in-camera using the Astia film simulation, then finished off in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nColdstones Cut # The entrance to Coldstones Cut, 400m above sea level. Looking back down the \u0026ldquo;street\u0026rdquo; entrance of Coldstones Cut, the sun beaming right at us. Lisabet decided to go full Instagram Mode. A 5-shot panorama of the view from one of the many view areas at Coldstones Cut. The construction overlooks the imposing Coldstones Quarry, the last remaining quarry in the area that was once dominated by a multitude of limestone quarries. It\u0026rsquo;s estimated the quarry has 15-20 years of productivity left, after which it will be left to green over and return to nature. Beneath Coldstones Cut and its quarry one can find the ruins of Toft Gate lime kiln. Limestone dug from the hill above was heated by fires in the kiln to produce quicklime for local agriculture through the 19th Century.\nAlmscliffe Crag # After exploring Coldstones Cut and appreciating the art and views, we ventured south near North Rigton. Here one can enjoy quick access to the imposing Almscliffe Crag. Though not that busy, and certainly not in Lake District terms, there were still plenty of people milling around the crags. Mostly rock climbers. Crags and rock formations like these inspire me to whip out my 9mm ultra-wide lens for some unusual and fantastical compositions. As the crag is made of harder millstone rock, the hill it sits on is isolated from the rest of the land. This helps offer extensive and panoramic views, no matter where on the crags you are. I appreciated the grit and determination of these rock climbers. I certainly couldn\u0026rsquo;t do it. Leading lines, curves, and textures ahoy. My happy place. Lisabet and I clambered around the various nooks and crannies in between the crags, finding interesting views and compositions to photo. I enjoy getting into precarious situations for those \u0026ldquo;hard to find\u0026rdquo; compositions and views. I shot this primarily for the way the rocks seem to point at the road, which then zigzags off into the distance. Directly beneath the crag that marks the highest point of the hill. On the top, the crags have been smoothed out by millennia of erosion from wind and rain. People cherishing the experience and moment in their own way from the top of Almscliffe Crag. It\u0026rsquo;s all starting to look beautifully verdant. A couple and their pooch enjoy the summit views that stretch out for miles and miles.\n","date":"23 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/coldstones-cut-almscliffe-crag-north-yorkshire-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Yorkshire’s a beautiful county, isn’t it?\nLiving in Kendal as we do, we enjoy closer access to the Yorkshire Dales, an area in North Yorkshire we love dearly. But there’s plenty more outside of the Dales.\n","title":"Coldstones Cut \u0026amp; Almscliffe Crag, North Yorkshire, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coldstones-quarry/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coldstones Quarry","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/construction/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Construction","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/appletreewick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Appletreewick","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/burnsall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Burnsall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/parcevall-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Parcevall Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/simons-seat/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Simons Seat","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/trollers-gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Trollers Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"Happy belated Easter everyone. Did you have a good \u0026lsquo;un?\nUsually for Cumbria, and the Lake District in particular, Easter signals the first tourism wave of the season. With that in mind, and no obligations to serve, Lisabet and I booked a couple of nights away in a beautiful B\u0026amp;B set in bonny Pateley Bridge, in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.\nWe took the scenic route to Nidderdale from Cumbria, as we didn\u0026rsquo;t need to check in until the evening. So, first we stopped off at the impossibly pretty Yorkshire Dales village of Burnsall for lunch and some light photography. Afterwards we continued east and stopped off near Grimwith Reservoir for the day\u0026rsquo;s main activity: Trollers Gill.\nThis place has been on my radar, otherwise known as my Pinterest, for years.\nIt did not disappoint.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 80% in-camera using the Astia film simulation, then finished off in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nBurnsall # After coffee and a bacon butty near the river, we snapped some shots of Burnsall as we made our merry way back to the car. The 5-arched Burnsall Bridge here is a Grade II listed building, originally constructed in the 17th century with some 19th century improvements. I\u0026rsquo;m not sure it\u0026rsquo;s possible to get more Yorkshire than this scene. The Red Lion, built in the 16th century, and recently taken over by Thwaites Brewery. Like many Yorkshire Dales villages, there\u0026rsquo;s plenty of historical sandy limestone buildings decorated with beautiful greenery, flowers, and the distant hills. Burnsall Primary School. Originally the old Grammar School founded in 1602 by William Craven of Appletreewick, who later became Lord Mayor of London.\nTrollers Gill # After Burnsall, I identified a handy little parking area off the B6265 that would serve as the starting point of our hike to, and up, Trollers Gill. The day was bright and sunny whilst also hazy, lending a wonderful sense of intrigue and distance to photographs. Up on the moorland high above Appletreewick, views extended for miles and miles. The path down the moorland was easy enough to follow, and soon the characteristic karst limestone landscape of the Yorkshire Dales became apparent. The main signs pointing to Trollers Gill invite walkers to enter the ravine at the top and scramble their way down. Instead, we elected to take the trail around the western side of Middle Fell. This would eventually lead us to the bottom of Trollers Gill. The anticipation and excitement builds as we near the bottom of the deep ravine. At the bottom of Trollerdale, we followed the minor path north to start the climb up Trollers Gill. But first, I simply had to snap this glorious scene. The entrance to Trollers Gill, largely dry for most of the year. Historically this would\u0026rsquo;ve been the site of a thunderous ravine with several waterfalls and cascades crashing down the gill. Thousands of years of erosion in a limestone landscape means the beck at the top of the gill now goes underground before entering the ravine, later reemerging at the bottom of Trollerdale. Looking back at our way into Trollers Gill. Fellow hikers gingerly navigate the way down the ravine. Can you imagine this gorge full of water? As with many other places in the Yorkshire Dales that features sheer limestone walls, Trollers Gill is a favourite for rock climbers. Rock climbers assist each other as they ascertain routes up the sheer sides of Trollers Gill. An ultra wide composition looking up from the bottom of what would\u0026rsquo;ve been a powerful waterfall. The meaning of the name \u0026ldquo;Trollers Gill\u0026rdquo; comes in two parts. \u0026ldquo;Gill\u0026rdquo; is already quite well known and used in Yorkshire and Cumbria, sometimes alternatively spelled as \u0026ldquo;Ghyll\u0026rdquo;. It means a deep ravine or gully, and is cognate with the word gullet. \u0026ldquo;Trollers\u0026rdquo; is split into two: \u0026ldquo;troll\u0026rdquo; meaning, well, troll , the mythical beast (not the internet variety), and ears meaning \u0026ldquo;arse\u0026rdquo;. This gives us \u0026ldquo;the Troll\u0026rsquo;s arse\u0026rdquo;. You\u0026rsquo;re welcome. Near the top of Trollers Gill, where the beck mysteriously disappears into the unfathomably twisted caves underneath. Climbing out the gill and up onto the moorland, we realise that the haze has nearly cleared, giving us a fairly clear shot of Simon\u0026rsquo;s Seat. The deep drop into Trollers Gill that we had just climbed out of. The single lane \u0026ldquo;New Road\u0026rdquo; that connects with the B6265. A clear sign that a moorland is particularly and consistently wet: rushes everywhere. One last look back at the farm track that guided us down into Trollers Gill. A great discovery! Hanging on a branch near our parking spot was this beautifully preserved sheep\u0026rsquo;s skull, probably a Swaledale. We took it home. Isn\u0026rsquo;t it beautiful?\nParcevall Hall \u0026amp; Gardens # After returning to the car, we realised looking at the map that we were very near Parcevall Hall \u0026amp; Gardens. Fancy a quick visit and a wander? Why not? Parcevall Hall is a Grade II listed Manor House that includes 24 acres of sculpted and maintained gardens. They were created in 1927 but fell into decline after 1960 following the death of Sir William Milner, 8th Baronet of Nun Appleton. Restoration work commenced in the 1980s. People can visit and explore the gardens between April and October. It enjoys fabulous views and beautiful displays. Lisabet and I particularly enjoyed this peaceful statue. The Gardens, amongst other things, are known for their wonderful view of Trollers Gill, so we followed the route uphill. Still plenty of daffodils around. And there it is. Trollers Gill to the right and Middle Fell in the centre, daffodils blooming below. What a fantastic scene. Cherry Blossom in full bloom at the entrance to the Gardens. What a full and gorgeous day.\n","date":"19 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/trollers-gill-parcevall-hall-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Happy belated Easter everyone. Did you have a good ‘un?\nUsually for Cumbria, and the Lake District in particular, Easter signals the first tourism wave of the season. With that in mind, and no obligations to serve, Lisabet and I booked a couple of nights away in a beautiful B\u0026B set in bonny Pateley Bridge, in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.\n","title":"Trollers Gill \u0026amp; Parcevall Hall, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helsington-laithes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helsington Laithes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/trees/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Trees","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/vertorama/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Vertorama","type":"tags"},{"content":"A brighter weekend means a long Sunday morning above Kendal.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve been to Warriners Wood many times before, after we found it during the winter of 2021. As of spring this year it appears to have survived the 2021/2022 storm season rather well, and some of my favourite trees are still standing strong.\nA \u0026ldquo;Warriner\u0026rdquo; is an old Scottish/English term for a gamekeeper—that is, someone who\u0026rsquo;s job is to manage game in a park. I assume this woodland was once part of a gamekeeper\u0026rsquo;s land. Saying that, Warriner has also since become a fairly popular surname. Who knows?\nEven in early April we chanced upon what we think are bluebells. Already. Before the wild garlic has flowered. Crazy.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 80% in-camera using the Astia film simulation, finished off in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nHeading up Brigsteer Road, someone\u0026rsquo;s now erected an impressive wicker sculpture of a deer (I think?). Following Brigsteer Road past our usual route up the back of Scout Scar . This farm will be full of lambs now, I imagine. Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Wood is up to the left. The sun finally comes out to play. How lush this will all look when the trees are all in leaf. As the road starts winding ahead, a small opening in the drystone wall to our left gives us access down the slope to Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Wood. Nowt in the way of daffodils in Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Wood, but the leaves of bluebells are plentiful. This place will host a glorious carpet of them in a month\u0026rsquo;s time. My favourite tree in Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Wood. Or rather, a collection of trees sharing the same root system. I elected to attach my 9mm ultra-wide lens and make a 6-shot vertorama of this tree, from bottom to top. Pretty happy with how it came out! Lisabet in her element, whilst also beautifully blending in with palette of the scenery. A trio of trees in this pasture field. Following the hedgerow back down the slopes of Helsington Laithes, with the Helm serving as a local beacon in the distance. A Cumbrian pastoral scene. This gorgeous cottage at the bottom of Helsington Laithes is always worth a photo or two. I wonder how old it is… The road back to Kendal, lined with the last of this season\u0026rsquo;s daffodils.\n","date":"10 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/warriners-wood-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"A brighter weekend means a long Sunday morning above Kendal.\nWe’ve been to Warriners Wood many times before, after we found it during the winter of 2021. As of spring this year it appears to have survived the 2021/2022 storm season rather well, and some of my favourite trees are still standing strong.\n","title":"Warriners Wood, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/warriners-woods/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Warriners Woods","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barbondale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barbondale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Cumbria\u0026rsquo;s got super cold again after last weekend\u0026rsquo;s bizarre heatwave.\nFollowing the weekend\u0026rsquo;s temperatures pushing 20ºC, Monday onwards saw conditions plunge back down to freezing point with fresh snow falling on the fells. Thankfully, as the week progressed, the atmosphere cleared up and blue skies have been a regular feature, but temperatures are still barely reaching 10ºC.\nYesterday, after a morning of Life Admin, Lisabet had a long-awaited hair appointment at the newly established Wilderness Hair Lune Valley at Kirkby Lonsdale. Whilst she was enjoying having her glorious curls revived, I enjoy the glorious spring day in this ancient and bonny town.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images made 80% in-camera using the standard Provia profile, finalised afterwards in Affinity Photo on my iPad.\nThe site of the old Swine Market before you head down Mill Brow. Heading down Mill Brow, an almost timeless scene. The Old Manor House, largely built in the 1700s, though some surviving parts of the building are even older. From the bottom of Mill Brow I followed the River Lune all the way to Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge. Here, limestone formations are abundant and I had fun arranging compositions involving these rocks and the formidable Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge. On top of Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge a clear is offered to Stanley Bridge, which carries the A65 over the River Lune. Below, some folk play around the limestone formations alongside the river. People checking out the views from Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge and helpfully providing my photo a sense of scale. Always a good view from the top of Devil\u0026rsquo;s Bridge. Heading back into town, I can never resist a shot of this majestic house covered in ivy. On Market Square in the middle of Kirkby Lonsdale sits the former Trustees Savings Bank, built in the middle of the 19th-century. It\u0026rsquo;s now a private abode. St. Mary\u0026rsquo;s Church, one of the oldest buildings in Kirkby Lonsdale. Parts of it date back to Norman times. And, at this time of year, the cemetery grounds of St. Mary\u0026rsquo;s are covered in a variety of daffodils. Just beyond the church is a short path to Ruskin\u0026rsquo;s View. Described by 19th century art critic, social theorist, painter and poet John Ruskin thus: \u0026ldquo;I do not know in all my country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine.\u0026rdquo; Zooming in on the Barbondale fells and the heavy clouds looming above. From Ruskin\u0026rsquo;s View, I navigated back to the town centre and up to nab one of my favourite views in all of Kirkby Lonsdale: the view down Mitchelgate with Gragareth in the distance.\n","date":"3 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kirkby-lonsdale-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Cumbria’s got super cold again after last weekend’s bizarre heatwave.\nFollowing the weekend’s temperatures pushing 20ºC, Monday onwards saw conditions plunge back down to freezing point with fresh snow falling on the fells. Thankfully, as the week progressed, the atmosphere cleared up and blue skies have been a regular feature, but temperatures are still barely reaching 10ºC.\n","title":"Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 April 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ruskins-view/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ruskins View","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aira-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aira Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gowbarrow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gowbarrow","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gowbarrow-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gowbarrow Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"Spring has changed very quickly in the UK.\nA couple of weeks ago temperatures barely rose above 10ºC, often settling in at around 5–7ºC. Within the last week, temperatures have suddenly risen to 15ºC with clear skies and barely a breeze. Today, the weather nearly hit 20ºC.\nSpring is very weird in the UK these days. That gradual transition from winter to spring doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem to happen anymore. Instead, after months of sub-5ºC conditions and plenty of rain, you\u0026rsquo;ll get a week in March or April where it feels a switch has been flicked and temperatures suddenly leap 10 degrees.\nWeird.\nWell, with a rare free day in current circumstances, Lisabet and I decided to get up early and head to Ullswater for a steep but rewarding hike up Gowbarrow Fell. The last time we visited this fell was back in April of 2021. The weather could not have been more different.\nThankfully, on this occasion, all of my batteries were fully charged and working. What a glorious morning\u0026rsquo;s hike we had.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 80% in-camera using the Velvia film simulation, then finished off in Affinity Photo.\nA dead tree provides a wonderful subject and contrast against the deep blue sky. A flock of Swaledales wearily judge us in the distance. One of the many deep cascades along Aira Beck at High Cascades, before the river then plunges down the spectacular Aira Force . These Swaledale yows moved a comfortable distance away from us for a good hard stare. Beyond High Cascades the path turns east and climbs sharply up the fellside of Gowbarrow. Herdwick sheep were everywhere . I\u0026rsquo;ve missed those faces. Unlike Swaledales, Herdwicks aren\u0026rsquo;t too fussed about being too near humans. I managed to snap this composition of some Herdwicks chilling in the glorious spring sunshine with the Ullswater fells in the distance. The going was steep, but the views grew increasingly spectacular as we climbed up the fellside. Aaaaaand summit! The summit of Gowbarrow Fell is known as Airy Crag, appropriately named, and reaches 481 m (1,578 ft) above sea level. The views here are all-encompassing, especially look southwest towards the Helvellyn fells. I snapped on me 55mm lens for some tighter, zoomed in compositions. From the summit of Gowbarrow Fell and clear view towards Blencathra (868 m/2,848 ft) above Keswick can be appreciated. After the summit it was a simple task of following the narrow winding footpath around Gowbarrow\u0026rsquo;s northern and eastern shoulder. In places, the drop from the footpath is rather precipitous. Lisabet pauses to check on my progress, so I snapped this composition. Truly glory awaits us around the corner… Hundreds of metres below us the Ullswater Steamers begin the first of many travels across the lake. And there it is. In my view, one of the grandest views in all of the Lake District. Ullswater and the Helvellyn fells. Who can resist pausing for a rest and some photos, with a view like that?\n","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/gowbarrow-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Spring has changed very quickly in the UK.\nA couple of weeks ago temperatures barely rose above 10ºC, often settling in at around 5–7ºC. Within the last week, temperatures have suddenly risen to 15ºC with clear skies and barely a breeze. Today, the weather nearly hit 20ºC.\n","title":"Gowbarrow, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-cascades/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Cascades","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/swaledale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Swaledale","type":"tags"},{"content":"This weekend, it really feels like Spring has arrived.\nTemperatures rose to the mid-teens, finally, and the skies have cleared up. The daffodils are out in full, and this year\u0026rsquo;s lambs are alternatively dosing in the sun and sucking at their mums.\nDespite everything going on in the world—globally, locally, familially—Lisabet and I managed to get out for a good walk in the local area. I\u0026rsquo;ll never take living in Kendal for granted; 10 minutes out from the front door, and I can be hiking up the fellside with vast views in every direction.\nI am very, very fortunate.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and my adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed in Lightroom, finished in Affinity Photo.\nA clear day above Kendal clock tower, the Ukrainian flag flying high and proudly. One of the oldest surviving pubs in Kendal, Ye Olde Fleece Inn . Built in 1634. Despite Brexit, war, economic turmoil, and a global pandemic, it\u0026rsquo;s wonderful to see the 1657 Chocolate House still going strong. The ruins of Kendal Castle above the football fields and cricket pitches. Heading up Beast Banks, free books on offer for anyone who wants them. Also, No Sexists Allowed. On the Helsfell footpath branching off Queens Road, pigeons are kept as pets, left to freely fly around the area. The views open up as I climb higher above the town. Windows XP. This year\u0026rsquo;s spring lambs, happily dozing in the sun. Not a bad place to chill out with your dozing lambs. Still just a smidgen of snow left on the Kentmere/Longsleddale fells. The curving shadow of the wall lends itself as a lovely leading line towards the sheep in the field and ultimately to the distant Lake District fells. Heading back towards town, a curving drystone wall proves an irresistible temptation for a photo. Layers and layers.\n","date":"21 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/helsfell-nab-kendal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"This weekend, it really feels like Spring has arrived.\nTemperatures rose to the mid-teens, finally, and the skies have cleared up. The daffodils are out in full, and this year’s lambs are alternatively dosing in the sun and sucking at their mums.\n","title":"Helsfell Nab, Kendal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kendal-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kendal Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"The daffodils have arrived!\nSpring is in the air, so I decided a local wander was in order to see how spring was progressing. I was delighted to see daffodils blossoming here and there, but the other side of the coin was seeing the damage this winter\u0026rsquo;s storms had done to Serpentine Woods.\nThankfully, after the morning\u0026rsquo;s rain had cleared, the sun was bright and the fells were clear of clouds, making for tasty views from above Kendal. I\u0026rsquo;ll taken living here for granted.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Velvia 100F film profile.\nThe neighbour\u0026rsquo;s daffodils are all blossoming beautifully. Lovely light on the Kendal clock tower, with the Ukrainian flag flying high. Looking back down what might well be Kendal\u0026rsquo;s steepest road: Beast Banks. Lovely to see the daffodils out, although they are a week or so early. You\u0026rsquo;re never short of a good view around Kendal. The daffodils near this cottage haven\u0026rsquo;t quite made it yet. I came off the road and up into Serpentine Woods. Immediately, the scenes I see inform me that I haven\u0026rsquo;t been into Serpentine Woods since this winter\u0026rsquo;s storms. Trees down everywhere. The way through the woods to Kendal Fell. One of my favourite spots in Serpentine Woods, now with significantly fewer trees. The best bench in Kendal, in my view. Above the town, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to pick out the details and smaller scenes, and zoom in on them. You know what I\u0026rsquo;m like with drystone walls… See? Life, finds a way… Heading back down Beast Banks and the beautiful views it offers. I came off Beast Banks early to trundle through Collin Croft. In its heyday during the mid to late 19th century, Collin Croft would have been home to a whole host of tradesmen, including printers, tobacconists, a brass foundry, an iron foundry, a whitesmith, joiners, coal merchants, bell hangers, nail makers, cabinet makers, chair men, bobbin makers, armourers and many more.\n","date":"12 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kendal-fell-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"The daffodils have arrived!\nSpring is in the air, so I decided a local wander was in order to see how spring was progressing. I was delighted to see daffodils blossoming here and there, but the other side of the coin was seeing the damage this winter’s storms had done to Serpentine Woods.\n","title":"Kendal Fell, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/velvia-100f/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Velvia 100f","type":"tags"},{"content":"It was nice to get a bit of altitude.\nI think the last time we hiked the High Sweden Bridge circular was back in June of 2020, just as the UK was starting to come out of the first COVID-19 Lockdown. Wow. Time flies, eh?\nWith this weekend due to continue its favourable weather conditions, we followed Saturday\u0026rsquo;s hike around Brough Castle with a longer, more strenuous hike up to High Sweden Bridge in Scandale, above Ambleside. I tell you something: it was so good to finally see the Lakeland fells clearly.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and my adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 prime lenses. Images developed in RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Velvia 100F film profile.\nOn this occasion we elected to park at one of the free lay-bys before you get into Ambleside proper. This would give us a few extra 1,000 steps or so. Wansfell Pike (486.9 m/1,597 ft) above Ambleside, clear as a bell in the beautiful light. We soon found the steep lane that climbs up into Scandale, and the views quickly improved from \u0026ldquo;This is pretty\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;Bloody hell!\u0026rdquo; On the way up, a cute little Robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) made its presence known to us atop a drystone wall. Didn\u0026rsquo;t fly or away or anything. Happy to chill and let us take photos. Soon, High Pike came into our sight, lit up like a beacon in the spring Lake District sun. Higher and higher the trail went. Astonishingly clear views towards Rydal Water, Loughrigg, Silver How, and the Langdale Fells were enjoyed. My lovely Lisabet, perched on the ancient packhorse bridge known as High Sweden Bridge. After crossing High Sweden Bridge, it was time to ascend up the Scandale fell side in order to find the ridge that let back down into Ambleside. The full extent of Scandale opened up before us. On the eastern side of the valley, a minor footpath continues up the valley to link with Scandale Pass, which takes you onto Kirkstone Pass should you so wish. When crossing the stile, I paused at the summit of the climb to snap this obvious composition of the drystone wall leading all the way to High Pike. The Coniston fells come back into view after finding the open ridge back down into Ambleside. The wonderfully craggy profile of the Langdale Pikes, Bowfell, and Crinkle Crags. A minor sheep track branches off the main trail, heading towards Nab Scar. The skyline of the fells is impossible to resist a photo. One last peek at the Langdale Pikes before we drop down the fellside into Ambleside. The long ridge of Wetherlam sinks beneath the bulk of Loughrigg as we descend. What a fantastic and bizarre looking tree. Near Low Sweden Bridge, a flock of young Kendal Rough Fells peacefully graze on the new grass. What a crackin\u0026rsquo; day.\n","date":"6 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/high-sweden-bridge-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It was nice to get a bit of altitude.\nI think the last time we hiked the High Sweden Bridge circular was back in June of 2020, just as the UK was starting to come out of the first COVID-19 Lockdown. Wow. Time flies, eh?\n","title":"High Sweden Bridge, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kendal-rough-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kendal Rough Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brough/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brough","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brough-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brough Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"My shoulder\u0026rsquo;s starting to feel well enough for some more energetic and long distance hikes.\nWith the weather forecast finally looking nice for the weekend, we spent Saturday with my Dad and took him to the historic village of Brough in Cumbria. Here one can find the impressive ruins of the 11th century Brough Castle.\nThe castle was built on the site of an older Roman fortification, called Verterae. The fort was in use until the 5th century. After William the Conqueror\u0026rsquo;s subjugation of England in 1066, his son—William Rufus—built Brough Castle in 1092 on top of the old Roman fort after successfully invading Northern England. The site of the old fort and castle overlooks Stainmore Pass and the River Eden, an important strategic stronghold.\nOver the ensuing centuries, Northern England became a battle ground between the Kings of Scotland and England. In time, Brough Castle came into the hands of Clifford family. In particular, Lady Anne Clifford completely restored the castle in the 17th century, alongside a number of other properties within her vast estate. A fire broke out in 1666, gutting the castle. It fell into decline shortly afterwards, intermittently being stripped of stone for other constructions.\nBrough Castle is now managed by English Heritage, who look after the ruins. We enjoyed a wander around these historical ruins, followed by a brief jaunt further along the Pennine Bridleway. Unfortunately, after February\u0026rsquo;s storms, most of this part of the bridleway was boggy and thick with greasy mud. We bailed on this occasion and resolved to do the hike again during drier conditions.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Fortia SP film profile.\nThe route to Brough Castle enjoys spectacular clear views towards the Northern Pennines. No wonder this area has been used to build fortifications for so long. And there she is. This is the southeastern profile of the castle, showing Clifford\u0026rsquo;s Tower and its 17th-century windows. A young family ahead of us excitedly entered the grounds. Once in the grounds of the ruins, it was time to don my ultra-wide lens for some vast compositions of the castle. This composition was shot underneath the 12th-century arch, with a view towards the 17th-century Keep in the distance. A mind-boggling sense of time and history. These hall ranges were last modified in the 14th-century. To the right, high up, is the high wall of the gatehouse. At the other end of the site, we approached the imposing Keep. It was last modified by Lady Anne Clifford in the 17th-century, and she lived in it for a period during 1665. The Keep, originally built in the 12th-century, enjoys excellent panoramic views to the River Eden. The Gatehouse and ranges from the Keep. I don\u0026rsquo;t know why, but this photo puts me in mind of Machu Picchu. In the neighbouring fields, horses graze peacefully. In the distance, the flat-topped Wild Boar Fell in Mallerstang can be made out. What magnificent structures. Their remains tell a story 1,000-years old. I made one more ultra-wide composition of the inner and outer ranges as the light was so good. After exiting the ruins, we located the Pennine Bridleway and followed the trail west towards the River Eden. The views quickly open up and we are afforded lovely scenes looking back at the ruins of Brough Castle. Looking south across the fields to the Mallerstang valley, flanked by Wild Boar Fell and Mallerstang Edge. Though the day was sunny and clear, there was a strong and bitingly cold wind. This meant the sun made intermittent appearances, variously scanning across the land in many patterns. Upon spotting this composition, I lined everything up and simply waited for the sun to break free of the clouds again to highlight the castle ruins. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to see why there\u0026rsquo;s been a fort of some kind here since the Ancient Roman times. The fields will soon fill up lambs once again. Spring is on her way.\n","date":"5 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/brough-castle-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"My shoulder’s starting to feel well enough for some more energetic and long distance hikes.\nWith the weather forecast finally looking nice for the weekend, we spent Saturday with my Dad and took him to the historic village of Brough in Cumbria. Here one can find the impressive ruins of the 11th century Brough Castle.\n","title":"Brough Castle, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 March 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/north-pennines/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"North Pennines","type":"tags"},{"content":"The week leading to these photos and this post has been… frustrating.\nOn Monday my left shoulder grew progressively stiff and painful. By the evening I was in a lot of pain and I ultimately did not get a second of sleep. Looks like I did another one of my favourite Fit-During-My-Sleep-And-Discolate-A-Limb-Whilst-Shredding-Muscles.\nSo most of this week has been spent fighting pain and keeping the shoulder immobilised. Apart from the constant pain and lack of sleep being exhausting, it\u0026rsquo;s also boring.\nBy the weekend, I\u0026rsquo;d finally got my pain levels under control and was starting to regain movement in my shoulder. Sunday arrived bright and clear, with blue skies promising a beautiful day. Lisabet took us for a drive through Sedbergh and the Yorkshire Dales, occasionally parking up for short walks and photo snaps. I really needed it.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0. Images developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Velvia 100F emulation.\nOne of my favourite views of the Howgills can be shot from the A684, as you crest the hill past Lily Mere. It felt so good to finally see a clear blue sky after all the storms we\u0026rsquo;ve endured. Happily there\u0026rsquo;s a couple of lay-bys alongside this part of the A684 where one can park and snap some glorious photos. Onwards into the Yorkshire Dales. Beyond Sedbergh and heading further into the Yorkshire Dales, another viewpoint of the Howgills can be obtained, now looking at their southeastern profile. This is a little area known as Tom Croft Hill. Further into the Yorkshire Dales, closer to Hawes, we stopped off at the small layby near Holme Heads Bridge for a wee jaunt to check out the beautiful Cotter Force. It was lovely to see the waterfall with a decent amount of water flowing through it. Everywhere we look, signs of spring are arriving. When you\u0026rsquo;re in the Yorkshire Dales, you can always count on an abundance of bare stone barns dotted about the land. We skirted around the town of Hawes and hopped onto Blea Moor Road, which ultimately takes you to Ingleton and back onto the A65. Views of the magnificent fell Ingleborough entice you all the way along the road. The area around the Ribblehead Viaduct was jammed with cars. Thankfully, we managed to find a small space to park up and snap some photos of this incredible architectural feat, situated underneath the highest peak of the Yorkshire Dales, Whernside. Whernside\u0026rsquo;s eastern face, with a smidge of snow still clinging on. Barely a cloud in the sky.\n","date":"28 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/howgills-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The week leading to these photos and this post has been… frustrating.\nOn Monday my left shoulder grew progressively stiff and painful. By the evening I was in a lot of pain and I ultimately did not get a second of sleep. Looks like I did another one of my favourite Fit-During-My-Sleep-And-Discolate-A-Limb-Whilst-Shredding-Muscles.\n","title":"Howgills \u0026amp; Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ribblehead-viaduct/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ribblehead Viaduct","type":"tags"},{"content":"The day after Storm Eunice.\nEvenings and weekends have been frustratingly wet and stormy in February, which has meant that I\u0026rsquo;ve not been able to get out into nature as much as I\u0026rsquo;d like. This culminated in the week commencing 14th February, which saw two named storms passing over the British Isles: Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice.\nStorm Dudley struck first, from Wednesday 16th to Thursday 17th. It brought 80 mph winds and heavy rain to Wales and parts of Northern England and Scotland. Following Dudley, Storm Eunice arrived Friday 18th to Saturday 19th, with even stronger winds of up to 122 mph, and a rare Red Alert (danger to life) issued for the South West and South East of England. Videos across social media soon emerged of trees being ripped up from their long-held roots, power lines collapsing, wind turbines disintegrating, and even the O2 Arena having its roof shredded apart. Unfortunately, lives were lost, too.\nThis 2021–2022 storm season has reportedly seen more than 8 million trees destroyed.\nBy Saturday afternoon conditions started to calm down once more, and the sun soon came out. So, armed with my camera, I gingerly ventured out for a hike around my town, Kendal, to get some high vantage points and survey the damage.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 prime lens. Developed in Lightroom and finished in Affinity Photo.\nIt was nice to actually see the sun come out for once. I decided to head up onto Castle Howe, the site of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s first castle. To do that, you need to turn onto Allhallows Lane then up one of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s steepest roads, Beast Banks. Even following two life-threatening storms, people are still more than ready to head out for a spot of retail therapy. About a ⅓ of the way of Beast Banks you can exit onto Garth Head, an ancient medieval lane connecting two steep streets, Beast Banks and Captain French Lane. It\u0026rsquo;s technically an unclassified highway—the U752—making its upkeep the responsibility of Cumbria County Council. About halfway along Garth Heads a couple of footpaths branch off and head up the fellside. This is the way to Castle Howe, the site of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s first castle. Nowt remains of the castle now except an obelisk that marks the castle\u0026rsquo;s original location. The castle was built somewhere around the end of the 11th century or turn of the 12th century. The obelisk that marks the site of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s first castle, Castle Howe. What the land around Castle Howe does offer is a fantastic view across Kendal town all the way to Benson Knott and the Whinfell fells. One of my favourite lanes in Kendal, and certainly one of the steepest. From Low Fellside the view spreads out more. The Whinfell fells and the Howgills are covered in a fresh coating of snow. Above Maudes Meadow Residential Care Home, the rabbits were happily munching and frolicking on the common. Storm Arwen destroyed many trees around Maudes Meadow. Thankfully, Dudley and Eunice didn\u0026rsquo;t add to the casualty list. The River Kent, too, appears to have returned to normal levels.\n","date":"20 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kendal-post-eunice-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"The day after Storm Eunice.\nEvenings and weekends have been frustratingly wet and stormy in February, which has meant that I’ve not been able to get out into nature as much as I’d like. This culminated in the week commencing 14th February, which saw two named storms passing over the British Isles: Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice.\n","title":"Kendal (Post-Eunice), Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/storm-dudley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Storm Dudley","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/storm-eunice/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Storm Eunice","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brockholes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brockholes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brockholes-nature-reserve/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brockholes Nature Reserve","type":"tags"},{"content":"Recently I had the joy and honour of staying over at my best friend\u0026rsquo;s place in Preston, Lancashire.\nI lived in Preston for many years, leaving in 2012 to move further up north in Kendal, Cumbria. As such, it\u0026rsquo;s been a decade since I\u0026rsquo;ve seen Preston. The city has changed a lot.\nWell, let\u0026rsquo;s be accurate. Some parts of the city, around the thriving University of Central Lancashire, have changed dramatically as the University continues to steer the economic direction of the city. Other parts of the city, away from the University, have barely changed or—worse—have totally degraded.\nBoth scenarios were a shock to see.\nTo cap off a lovely weekend, my friend and I had a wee waltz around the Brockholes Nature Reserve, located on the eastern outskirts of Preston. The Nature Reserve is situated in the flood plains of the River Ribble, and features the UK\u0026rsquo;s first floating visitor centre. The weather was pretty terrible all weekend, but thankfully during our hike it brightened up enough to actually snap some photos, in between the furious downpours.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 prime lenses. Developed in Lightroom and finished in Affinity Photo.\nAs we left the car park to walk the 3-mile \u0026ldquo;Discovery\u0026rdquo; trail around Brockholes, the clouds above did not promise settled conditions. Thankfully, the unsettled conditions resulted in this wonderfully clear double rainbow arching over the ponds. Nearing the floating visitor village the sun broke out behind us, illuminating the landscape whilst another dark squall approaches overhead. The floating visitor village was designed by Adam Khan Architects , built by Price \u0026amp; Myers , and opened to the public in 2011. It houses shops, an exhibition area, an activity room for schools and community groups, a restaurant and a conference centre. After knocking back an espresso with a flapjack, it was time for one last prowl around this magnificent feat of architecture.\n","date":"9 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/brockholes-nature-reserve-lancashire-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Recently I had the joy and honour of staying over at my best friend’s place in Preston, Lancashire.\nI lived in Preston for many years, leaving in 2012 to move further up north in Kendal, Cumbria. As such, it’s been a decade since I’ve seen Preston. The city has changed a lot.\n","title":"Brockholes Nature Reserve, Lancashire, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"9 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rainbow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rainbow","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 February 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wetlands/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wetlands","type":"tags"},{"content":"A new storm has arrived on our shores.\nStorm Cowrie, like Storm Arwen, has not brought much in the way of rain (at least here in Cumbria) but definitely in terms of wind. There\u0026rsquo;s already been recordings of 140+ mph winds on the peaks of the Cairngorms in Scotland.\nHere in Cumbria, we\u0026rsquo;ve had gusts of 50–60 mph winds with the occasional spell of mizzle. No peak climbing for us today. Instead, after a lazy lie in, we enjoyed a brisk and lengthy walk around the place we call home: Kendal, the Auld Grey Town.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 lens. Shot using the Velvia film simulation, edited in Lightroom, and finished in Darkroom.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s no Big Ben, but Kendal Town Hall\u0026rsquo;s clock tower is unmistakeable in any direction. Heading up one of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s steepest roads, Beast Banks, I stopped for a shot down Garth Row, a medieval footpath linking Beast Banks with Captain French Lane. Up Brigsteer Road, the light started to improve, highlighting these trees covered in vines. A casualty of Storm Arwen, cut up before removal from the footpath. I wonder how many more trees will be felled by Storm Corrie. A picture of suburbia. The small knobby hill in the distance is The Helm. One of many old stone bridges in Kendal that cross the River Kent. This is Nether Bridge. It has records dating from the 14th century, and the 18th century packhorse bridge still exists underneath this newer 19th century construction. The Almshouses on Aynam Road, originally built in the 19th century and named the \u0026ldquo;Sleddall Victoria Jubilee Alms Houses\u0026rdquo;. Aynam Mills, originally built for processing snuff, which Kendal became known for making during the 18th and 19th centuries after the decline of the woollen industry. Some of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s older buildings have definitely seen better days.\n","date":"29 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kendal-town-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"A new storm has arrived on our shores.\nStorm Cowrie, like Storm Arwen, has not brought much in the way of rain (at least here in Cumbria) but definitely in terms of wind. There’s already been recordings of 140+ mph winds on the peaks of the Cairngorms in Scotland.\n","title":"Kendal Town, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fleswick-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fleswick Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-bees/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Bees","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-bees-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Bees Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"For our final full day of our mini-break, a trip to the coast was in order.\nThe weather forecast for the day had the fells of the Western Lake District blanketed in clouds. Instead, the westernmost point of Cumbria seemed like a good alternative.\nSt. Bees is a small village on the western coast of Cumbria. In comparison to the deep dales and high fells that characterise the Cumbrian landscape, most of Cumbria\u0026rsquo;s coastline consists of long sandy beaches, stretches of shingle, the occasional dune, and mudflats nearer Morecambe Bay. The exception to this rule lies at St. Bees, where St. Bees Head towers above the coastal village.\nSt. Bees Head is split into two sections: the South Head (which overlooks St. Bees village, and is known locally as the Tomlin), and the North Head. In between the two headlands is Fleswick Bay, accessible only by foot or sea. The small bay consists of deep shingle underfoot and towering sandstone cliffs in an array of otherworldly and seemingly impossible shapes and arrangements.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been a good few years since we\u0026rsquo;ve hiked St. Bees Head, and it\u0026rsquo;s nice to reaffirm that our fitness has greatly improved since the last visit. St. Bees Head, and Fleswick Bay, did not disappoint.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted 55mm f/2.0. All images made in-camera using a custom Velvia-based recipe, finished for the web in Pixelmator and Darkroom.\nOur destination for the day: St. Bees Head from the shore at St. Bees. The views open up the minute you step on the cliff path. It\u0026rsquo;s fair to say that St. Bees Head has seen it\u0026rsquo;s fair share of erosion. The cliff path reveals the extent of the St. Bees coastline. Much of the Cumbrian coastline is like this. The first section up to the top of the South Head is quite the pull. Yeah, that\u0026rsquo;s pretty steep. If the path were more wet and muddy, I\u0026rsquo;d have really struggled. Thankfully it\u0026rsquo;s not long before the cliff path levels out, and gorgeous panoramas to St. Bees village and the Lakeland fells open up. Near the old coastguard lookout, a fantastic view towards the headland\u0026rsquo;s sheer cliffs and Fleswick Bay beyond is possible. The path used to follow this cliff top quite closely, but erosion has meant the path has moved further inland. To be safe, we stayed on the inland side of the path. The cliffs surrounding Fleswick Bay become more visible. Despite the heavy cloud cover, the light conditions were being very cooperative. Lots of gorse, Ulex europaeus , can be around the cliff tops of St. Bees Head. They\u0026rsquo;re not quite flowering yet, but those that have offered a nice composition as we neared Fleswick Bay. The way down to Fleswick Bay nears. Getting down to Fleswick Bay can be tricky. The path is often muddy, and the deep gill leading out to the bay is lined with moss-covered loose boulders. I did, dear reader, fall on my ass trying to get to the bay. Our preservation paid off. This is Fleswick Bay and her incredible cliffs. My lovely Lisabet, providing a sense of scale against the deep red jenga-like cliffs of Fleswick Bay. It was time to fit my ultra-wide 9mm lens on to nab some expansive compositions of Fleswick Bay\u0026rsquo;s strange cliff textures. Millennia of wave action have torn chunks off the cliff face, and smoothed out boulders. Getting right low and underneath the cliffs with my ultra-wide lens provided some incredible angles. Most of the sandstone cliffs are wet and constantly dripping water from the grass and soil above. Our footprints are testament to how soft and deep the shingle goes. Really hard to walk in. We ventured as far out as we dared with the tide making its way in. What now follows is a celebration of the weird and wonderful textures and patterns of Fleswick Bay\u0026rsquo;s sandstone cliffs.\nThis is the deep gill that flows out into Fleswick Bay. And this is the reason why it\u0026rsquo;s quite hazardous to navigate your way back onto the cliff path. But navigate we did. We were the only ones at Fleswick Bay this whole time. Everyone else seemed more interested in sticking to the cliff path. One last look back at the cliffs of Fleswick Bay before making our way back to St. Bees. Heading back to St. Bees, the light got better and better and I went on a shooting spree whilst it lasted. In the distance, a think bank of cloud sits on top of the Black Combe fells. As the sun began its trajectory down into the sea, plenty of people will still heading up and down the cliffs of St. Bees Head. St. Bees getting drenched in golden wintersun with the dark Muncaster Fells behind. My lovely Lisabet, striding purposefully on towards St. Bees village as the sun bathed the land in light.\n","date":"23 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/st-bees-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"For our final full day of our mini-break, a trip to the coast was in order.\nThe weather forecast for the day had the fells of the Western Lake District blanketed in clouds. Instead, the westernmost point of Cumbria seemed like a good alternative.\n","title":"St. Bees, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tomlin/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tomlin","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/angler-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Angler Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ennerdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ennerdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ennerdale-water/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ennerdale Water","type":"tags"},{"content":"Compared to Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s clear blue skies, Ennerdale could not have been more different.\nI think the last time we were at Ennerdale was in April 2017. Goodness. That\u0026rsquo;s coming on to 5 years now. It\u0026rsquo;s one of my favourite places in the Lake District, with a distinctly unique \u0026ldquo;vibe\u0026rdquo; compared to any other area in the National Park.\nEnnerdale is a long valley by Lake District standards, measuring around 10-miles long. There are no settlements here, save for the Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre, Ennerdale YHA, and Black Sail Hut right at the head. Ennerdale Water sits at the foot of the dale, offering views all the way down the valley towards some of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s biggest peaks: Great Gable, Steeple, and (one of my favourites) Pillar.\nIn 2003 the major landowners of the valley—United Utilities, the National Trust, and the Forestry Commission—joined forces to create the Rewilding Ennerdale partnership and project. The project\u0026rsquo;s stated goal is:\n\u0026ldquo;[…]to allow the evolution of Ennerdale as a wild valley for the benefit of people, relying more on natural processes to shape its landscape and ecology.\u0026rdquo;\nEnnerdale does have a massively different feel compared to the rest of the Lake District. It feels more Scottish in a way.\nAlthough on this hike we didn\u0026rsquo;t see much of the sun, the low clouds did interact with the high fells beautifully, creating gallons of drama for us to photograph.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 95% in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Modern Negative\u0026rdquo; Fujifilm recipe.\nFollowing the road from the car park, the views open up and reveal the huge Ennerdale fells tussling with the clouds above. Across Ennerdale Water, Crag Fell slopes down to an abrupt toe known as Angler Crag, before plunging into the deep lake. This was the most sun we saw all day. Worth it though. Caw Fell, Haycock, and Scoat Fell fight with the clouds. A closer view of Angler Crag. It is technically possible to complete a circular hike around Ennerdale Water, but the difficulty is in navigating around this awkward crag. The cloud cover starts to lift a little bit, with Steeple\u0026rsquo;s shadow suggesting an appearance. Lots of trees near the lake shore are covered in thick carpets of moss. Beautifully eldritch. Beautiful light highlights the reaching arms of this moss-covered tree. Near the Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre, the forest cover recedes a little and we get out first glimpse of the mighty Pillar. My excitement levels build. We followed the winding forest track towards Middle Bridge, which cross the River Liza. This would signal our way back down the other side of the valley. Pillar gets closer… Swirling clouds wrestle with the summit of Pillar. Like a lot of the Lake District, Storm Arwen took casualties in Ennerdale too. These trees managed to survive… …but these two giants didn\u0026rsquo;t, completely uprooted and tossed aside by the powerful winds of Storm Arwen. Incredible. Middle Bridge offers beautiful views looking all the way down the rest of Ennerdale. The River Liza tumbles down the valley here in a series of cascades and falls, each with its own sublime turquoise and azure plunge pools. The water clarity was astonishing. We crossed the Liza via Middle Bridge, and took the official Liza Trail back towards the foot of Ennerdale. But not without another look back at the crystal clear river and its falls. Navigating the Liza Trail alongside the river back to the Forest path was tricky, given that several chunks of it had been washed away by Storm Arwen. But views like this from the forest trail made up for it. Ancient sheep enclosures have long been left to be reclaimed by nature. Ennerdale Forest, growing taller everywhere.\n","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ennerdale-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Compared to Buttermere’s clear blue skies, Ennerdale could not have been more different.\nI think the last time we were at Ennerdale was in April 2017. Goodness. That’s coming on to 5 years now. It’s one of my favourite places in the Lake District, with a distinctly unique “vibe” compared to any other area in the National Park.\n","title":"Ennerdale, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/%C3%B8yvind-nordhagen-modern-negative/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Øyvind Nordhagen Modern Negative","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pillar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pillar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rewilding/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rewilding","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-liza/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Liza","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scoat-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scoat Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/steeple/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Steeple","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/buttermere/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Buttermere","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s time for a mini-break.\nWe were planning for a Christmas break away in Scotland. But after the emergence and subsequent rise of the SARS-CoV-2-Omicron variant, we decided to cancel it.\nOne month on, with the situation more clear—and Lisabet transitioning between jobs—we decided to book a few days off and enjoy a long weekend around West Cumbria. We\u0026rsquo;ll be based near Cockermouth, but on the way we decided to take the scenic route via the Newlands Pass and into Buttermere. A walk around Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s gorgeous lake was in order.\nAnd what a decision that was! We were greeted with clear blue skies, no wind, gorgeous light, and crystal-clear reflections. A fantastic way to start out mini-break.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images 95% made in-camera, finished for web in Pixelmator and Darkroom. I used Øyvind Nordhagen\u0026rsquo;s Modern Negative Fujifilm recipe.\nThe way down into Buttermere after navigating the beautiful Newlands Pass. With the High Stile range in view, excitement levels build. Honestly, some church builders have a wonderful sense of setting. This is St. James\u0026rsquo; Church in Buttermere. The original chapel was built in 1507, with the more modern construction dating from 1840 and restored in 1930. First thing\u0026rsquo;s first, we needed to get down to the shores of Buttermere. But when we did, goodness me… I mean, look at it! From Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s southern corner, the views back across the lake to the Grasmoor and Newlands fells were astounding. Looking down Lorton Vale towards Mellbreak, the main fell that overlooks Crummock Water. Directly across Buttermere, the Robinson fell crags of High Snockrigg and Goat Crag are illuminated in the late-morning wintersun. Directly above us, the High Stile range looms over our heads. Buttermere is ringed by so many distinctive fells, but arguably the one that commands your attention the most is Fleetwith Pike, seen here perfectly reflected in Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s waters. I decided to play around with some compositions using my ultra-wide 9mm lens. The path starts to open up as we near the edge of Burtness Woods directly beneath the High Stile range. The way ahead, with Fleetwith Pike glowing like one of the Pyramids of Giza. Across the water from Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s southwestern shore, Hassness Country House is a veritable beacon in the low wintersun. The point where we turn away from Fleetwith Pike, towards Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s northeastern side. The outflow of Warnscales Beck, looking back towards the Crummock Water fells. High Crag looming above the Buttermere trail. Though not busy, there were a fair few folk wandering around various parts of the trail with us. At Gatesgarth Farm, the trail becomes the road around the lake, before eventually rejoining the footpath around the northern shore of Buttermere. Before turning away, I get another look at beautiful Fleetwith Pike. Couldn\u0026rsquo;t miss the opportunity to nab a composition of this delightful farm cottage set against the High Stile range. From Buttermere\u0026rsquo;s northeastern side, the profile of the High Stile range becomes more apparent. There are three main peaks: High Crag, High Stile, and Red Pike. One of my favourite compositions and views to be found around Buttermere. A lone tree along the northeastern shore of Buttermere catches the light, a contrast against the deep shadows of the High Stile range. The shingle beach of Hassness Crag Wood offered a lovely leading line towards Mellbreak in the distance. A field of Herdwick, happily grazing underneath the craggy wall of the Robinson/Hindscarth Fells. A clear view of Mellbreak and its reflection. In order to carry on walking around the northern shore of Buttermere, you need to navigate through Hassness Tunnel. Popping out of the tunnel, the view back towards Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks was exquisite. Time for my ultra-wide lens to nab some compositions of the High Stile range, with the sun setting behind them. With previous cameras and lenses, I was never able to get a good shot of all three of High Stiles\u0026rsquo; peaks. Now, with my 9mm ultra-wide, I was able to get all three of them in and more! My 55mm was able to zoom right in and capture some of the gorgeous detail on Mellbreak. One last look at Fleetwith Pike in the sunset light. What a gorgeous day.\n","date":"21 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/buttermere-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s time for a mini-break.\nWe were planning for a Christmas break away in Scotland. But after the emergence and subsequent rise of the SARS-CoV-2-Omicron variant, we decided to cancel it.\n","title":"Buttermere, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fleetwith-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fleetwith Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/haystacks/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Haystacks","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-stile/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Stile","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/robinson/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Robinson","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/close-up/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Close Up","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/country-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Country Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/countryside/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Countryside","type":"tags"},{"content":"I hope you like trees.\nWith other duties and tasks that needed to be completed today, we decided on a lovely 10,000-step walk around the Levens Hall Deer Park. The park was landscaped some 300-odd years ago, around the same time as the gardens of the historic Levens Hall. As such, many of the trees in the park are centuries old and, unfortunately, some of them have suffered after Storm Arwen\u0026rsquo;s 100mph winds.\nLevens Hall Deer Park is home to Black Fallow Deer and a herd of rare-breed Bagot goats. Whilst we didn\u0026rsquo;t see any of the distinctive goats, we did manage to spot some of the deer, happily chilling and grazing in the grounds.\nWith the trees devoid of leaves, there were opportunities to focus more on the shape and texture of each tree instead. With the sun out, we got some delicious golden side lighting, which I happily took advantage of with some more unusual close-up compositions.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 95% in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen\u0026rsquo;s Modern Negative Fujifilm recipe, finished in Pixelmator and Darkroom.\nThe main lay-by near the park was already full, so we had to drive further up the A6 to find the second, smaller, lay-by. Not a problem, you just follow the mossy and slippery path all the way to park entrance. A beautiful iron-wrought gate attached to some of the cottages near the park. Once in the park, it was already shaping up to be a beautiful day. With their leaves gone, it felt to celebrate the overall shape and \u0026ldquo;personality\u0026rdquo; of each tree. Some of them still appear to have remnants of their autumn foliage on display. One of many Storm Arwen casualties around the park. It was nice to see families around enjoying the park too. It blows my mind to think of the forces involved to rip a strong-looking tree like this in half. What a storm… If some of the ancient trees suffered, then the surrounding dry stone walls had no chance. These cottages must have some smashing views of the Deer Park and perhaps beyond the Morecambe Bay. A tree stump being consumed by fungi provided me with some delightful textures to play with. The extended loop of the circular park walk involves walking up to Force Falls, crossing the bridge over the river, and following the road back into the other side of the park. I weren\u0026rsquo;t complaining; Force Falls is always stunning. The southeastern side of Levens Hall Deer Park was already giving us some beautifully gnarly trees to gawp at. My lovely Lisabet, in her natural element. This cottage on returning to the Deer Park caught my eye. Beautifully idyllic, and the light was the cherry on top. So beautiful. Practically a sculpture in its own right One of the distinctive aspects of Levens Hall Deer Park is \u0026ldquo;the Avenue\u0026rdquo;, which is lined with a variety of ancient trees, particularly oak. Near Park End cottage, a separate branch of the avenue had its own otherworldly collection of trees. One of my favourite photos from the whole shoot. I\u0026rsquo;ll probably use this as a phone wallpaper. I mean, just check out those textures… After capturing some close-up compositions on my 23mm and 55mm, it was time to whack on the ultra-wide 9mm to really play with those textures, light, and angles. I really dig this composition, I must say. Some of the twists and knots in these trees were almost impossibly otherworldly and magical.. It\u0026rsquo;s not often I do close-up compositions using my ultra-wide lens, but the texture on this tree just called for it. Anyone else see something of H. R. Giger\u0026rsquo;s work or style in this tree? Onwards through the Oak Avenue, with a Storm Arwen casualty lying across. Can\u0026rsquo;t imagine how old that tree was… I love the combination of textures here, from whirling and smooth to stubbly and geometric. The base and roots of another tree gave me Sleepy Hollow vibes. My lovely Lisabet, being the Wood Elf that she is, inside a hollow tree. Looking back down the Oak Avenue we sauntered up, past another destroyed tree. Nearing the end of our walk, this cluster of trees—all seemingly \u0026ldquo;looking\u0026rdquo; in the same direction—caught my eye. Sometimes you just have to shoot chaos, and let someone else\u0026rsquo;s brain find something they can point to. The day was a joy of wonderful soft light and glorious eldritch textures. More days like this, please.\n","date":"15 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/levens-hall-deer-park-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"I hope you like trees.\nWith other duties and tasks that needed to be completed today, we decided on a lovely 10,000-step walk around the Levens Hall Deer Park. The park was landscaped some 300-odd years ago, around the same time as the gardens of the historic Levens Hall. As such, many of the trees in the park are centuries old and, unfortunately, some of them have suffered after Storm Arwen’s 100mph winds.\n","title":"Levens Hall Deer Park, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sooc/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sooc","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tree-trunks/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tree Trunks","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eden-bridge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eden Bridge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kirkoswald/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kirkoswald","type":"tags"},{"content":"Welcome to the ancient village of Kirkoswald.\nThe day ahead looked to be rather changeable, with unpredictable downpours combined with gusty winds. Our best bet was to head to Northern Cumbria. So why not spend a day with Dad?\nWe all ventured to Kirkoswald for a gentle stroll around the area. The village is timeworn, with many buildings still standing since the 1600s and 1700s. Even older—to the south of the village—is St. Oswald\u0026rsquo;s Church, with parts of it dating back to the 12th century. The church is, in fact, where the village gets its name: \u0026ldquo;Kirk\u0026rdquo; is the Old Norse word for \u0026ldquo;church\u0026rdquo;. It is thought that the body of Saint Oswald, King of Northumbria, was taken through the village.\nSouthwest of the village is Eden Bridge, a beautiful red sandstone construction. It dates from 1762, with repairs made in the 19th and 20th centuries.\nThankfully the day was largely cooperative, weather-wise, and we all enjoyed some lovely photography walking around this ancient parish.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images 95% made in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen\u0026rsquo;s Modern Documentary Fujifilm recipe, with cropping and framing in Pixelmator and Darkroom.\nMy Dad\u0026rsquo;s lovely little farm cottage, in the middle of nowhere of Northern Cumbria. The road that passes by Dad\u0026rsquo;s cottage. Dad set up a load of bird feeders outside the cottage, home to many species that he\u0026rsquo;s always happy to take photos of. We parked at a small car park just before the Lazonby Eden Bridge. This signalled the start of our walk into Kirkoswald. The River Eden was rather high and fast. On the Kirkoswald side of the main bridge that spans the River Eden are these \u0026ldquo;dry arches\u0026rdquo; that were, nevertheless, flooded. She\u0026rsquo;s a beaut of an 18th century bridge. I whipped on my 9mm ultra wide lens to capture the whole span of the bridge as well as the lovely cloud textures that were forming. One last look back along the entire span of the bridge before carrying on towards Kirkoswald. Evidence of Storm Arwen\u0026rsquo;s vengeance on trees across the UK. We took the permissive footpath from Eden Bridge into Kirkoswald, then through the church gate to follow the old cobbled path towards St. Oswald\u0026rsquo;s Church. The church is in a beautiful setting. There she is, St. Oswald\u0026rsquo;s Church. The building\u0026rsquo;s unique in having a 19th-century bell tower on top of a hill 200 yards from the church itself. The main entrance to the church. Historic England specifies this timber frame thus: \u0026ldquo;North timber-framed gabled porch of c1523\u0026rdquo;. So 500-years old. Small, and old, but humble. People are still buried in this church\u0026rsquo;s graveyard. I spotted a gravestone for January 2021. I\u0026rsquo;m sure there are conditions/restrictions that need to be satisfied for burial here. Love the wrought iron works around the churchyard. A rather grand entrance to an estate of some sort. Crossing over the small bridge that spans Raven Beck. Ancient red sandstone buildings everywhere. Not sure what these folk were doing along the shores of the beck… but I had to snap them. One of many buildings in Kirkoswald dating from the 18th century. This one\u0026rsquo;s datestone reads 1713. The Crown Inn, still very much in operation. It\u0026rsquo;s an old coaching inn, again from the 18th century. On t\u0026rsquo;other side of t\u0026rsquo;road, Lisabet inspects the menu for the Featherston Arms. Love old buildings that are wrapped in branches and vines. Victorian-era road signage, which still references Cumberland County Council. Out of the top of Kirkoswald, the views across the Eden Valley are extensive. The village square. Kirkoswald gained a Market Charter in the 13th century, and hosted markets at the village square for centuries. This then moved to the Lazonby and Kirkoswald Railway Station after the opening of the Settle–Carlisle line in 1876. Heading back to Eden Bridge via the permissive footpath, I spy a simple composition as the storm clouds build up above. A high and fast-flowing River Eden from the top of Eden Bridge.\n","date":"2 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kirkoswald-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Welcome to the ancient village of Kirkoswald.\nThe day ahead looked to be rather changeable, with unpredictable downpours combined with gusty winds. Our best bet was to head to Northern Cumbria. So why not spend a day with Dad?\n","title":"Kirkoswald, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/%C3%B8yvind-nordhagen-modern-documentary/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Øyvind Nordhagen Modern Documentary","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st.-oswalds-church/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St. Oswald’s Church","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/apple-photos/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Apple Photos","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/drum-nation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Drum Nation","type":"tags"},{"content":"Happy New Year everyone! Here\u0026rsquo;s to a joyous and—hopefully—more globally positive 2022.\nThe weather has been… weird. In fact, the UK set a new temperature record for New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve, reaching as high as 16.5ºC. That is uncharacteristically warm. Temperatures maintained their elevated levels on New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day, too, but high winds also arrived. After a decent lie in, Lisabet and I decided on a local favourite to enjoy the first day of the new year: Scout Scar.\nThe last time we went up Scout Scar was almost exactly a month ago, and conditions could not have been more different. For New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day we took the time-honoured route up Captain French Lane and onto Brigsteer Road, following that all the way to the back of Scout Scar. Then, it\u0026rsquo;s a simple exercise of following the trail up the gentle slope of Scout Scar all the way until you reach it\u0026rsquo;s precipitous drop down to the Lyth Valley.\nThe wind was roaring all around us and views were obscured by haze and low cloud covering the Lake District fells. However, the sun was trying its hardest to burst out in between the rushing clouds. There were other sounds that were less familiar as we approached the summit… more rhythmical, and human. Turns out that Drum Nation Kendal had arrived at the summit for a joyous New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day drum performance on the fell.\nUnexpected? Absolutely. But very awesome.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images made in-camera using a customised Classic Chrome recipe, with finalisations made in Apple Photos, Pixelmator, and Darkroom.\nHeading up one of the steeper roads in Kendal, Captain French Lane. Crossing over the A591 via Brigsteer Road, cars struggling to drive straight in the powerful crosswinds. Looking back to Kendal, and you barely make out the slopes of Benson Knott, Kendal\u0026rsquo;s most prominent fell. The Scout Scar landscape is one of limestone and sparse clusters of small trees. Plenty of other folk were heading up Scout Scar for a New Year\u0026rsquo;s Day yomp, despite the roaring wind. As we crested onto the plateau of Scout Scar, it became clear there was an immense light show occurring over the Lyth Valley and the Kent Estuary. My lovely Lisabet, fighting the storm near the cliff edge at Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap to nab some crackin\u0026rsquo; light. The swirling clouds, full of moisture, suffused the sunlight, and drenched the winter limestone landscape in golden light. Away from the sun, the view north along Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap to the \u0026ldquo;mushroom\u0026rdquo; on the summit of Scout Scar is always a good \u0026lsquo;un. The sun catches the cliffs of Scout Scar briefly, whilst the Lyth Valley and the the Lakeland Fells remain shrouded in dark foreboding clouds. We work our way north along the cliffs of Scout Scar, taking in whatever views we could find, and generally enjoying the dramatic conditions. It\u0026rsquo;s a long way down… A reminder of what was happening behind us. A lot of the Lyth Valley was still flooded after recent downpours. Our ears prick up at a more unfamiliar sound near the Scout Scar summit. Was that… drumming? Why yes, yes it is! Drum Nation Kendal, the epitome of fun, competing with the wind on volume. Everyone was having so much fun. Gathering round for the finale. One last look at the spectacular light show over the Lyth Valley and Kent Estuary. The legacy of Postman Pat in Kendal. Did you know?\n","date":"1 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/scout-scar-new-years-day-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a joyous and—hopefully—more globally positive 2022.\nThe weather has been… weird. In fact, the UK set a new temperature record for New Year’s Eve, reaching as high as 16.5ºC. That is uncharacteristically warm. Temperatures maintained their elevated levels on New Year’s Day, too, but high winds also arrived. After a decent lie in, Lisabet and I decided on a local favourite to enjoy the first day of the new year: Scout Scar.\n","title":"Scout Scar, New Year’s Day, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 January 2022","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/underbarrow-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Underbarrow Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/clough-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Clough Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/keswick-threlkeld-railway/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Keswick Threlkeld Railway","type":"tags"},{"content":"And now for something completely different.\nAfter yesterday\u0026rsquo;s thrilling circular hike around the gorgeous and epic Malhamdale, today we embarked on something a little more tourist-friendly and flat: the Keswick–Threlkeld Railway walk.\nThe 5km walk follows the route of the old Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway from Keswick to Threlkeld. It was constructed in 1864 with the goal of connecting the town of Cockermouth with the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) West Coast Main Line at Penrith. It closed to passengers and business in the 1960s and 1970s.\nMuch of the trail was badly damaged or totally destroyed by Storm Desmond in December 2015. Major restoration work was undertaken and the trail was upgraded and reopened in December 2020.\nLisabet and I met met up with me Dad near the start of the trail at Keswick, and followed the route all the way to Threlkeld and back, a good 6.2 miles and 17,000 steps later.\nWe were blessed with lifting hill fog, resulting in some incredible scenes of clouds whipping around the shoulders of nearby fells Lonscale Fell, Blencathra, and even some of the Helvellyn fells.\nThis route will definitely be one to revisit in Spring and Summer.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made in-camera, with no additional editing, using Øyvind Nordhagen\u0026rsquo;s Overcast Fujifilm recipe.\nThe Keswick Hotel, which also seems to come with its own garage. At least, it used to. The aforementioned Keswick Hotel Garage. The Keswick–Threlkeld Railway trail starts near Keswick Leisure Centre, alongside the old station. I nabbed a sneaky shot of me Dad. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t long before the trail started offering some lovely views along the River Greta towards the fells above Keswick. The main fell pictured here is a favourite of ours, Latrigg. Where possible the Lake District National Park have tried to save and restore as many of the old Victorian bridges and tunnels as possible. Near the \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; tunnel there\u0026rsquo;s a little commemorative sculpture, erected to celebrate the National Cycle Route and the Coast to Coast trail. Into the \u0026ldquo;big\u0026rdquo; tunnel we go… Again, beautifully preserved Victorian engineering, now with the added convenience of modern lighting and smooth, durable tarmac. On the other side of the tunnel, panoramic views of the River Greta and Latrigg open up. Despite being in winter, it was lovely to still see some colour about. One of many of the newer bridges that criss-cross the winding River Greta. Evidence of Storm Desmond, which scoured the river banks clean. You can still the level that river came up to during the storm. Land slips ahoy. A nice little holiday village, Low Briery, alongside the River Greta. The trees now denuded of their leafy vegetation, line the river and serve as a leading line towards Latrigg. Onwards to the next bridge. There were plenty of other people around enjoying this trail. It was a good job we got started nice and early. The next bridge to cross the River Greta. The Greta Gorge flattens out at this point, providing \u0026ldquo;in-bye\u0026rdquo; land for nearby hill farmers to use for their grazing flocks of sheep. I wanted to play with lines and angles provided by this bridge, so I snapped on my ultra-wide 9mm lens for some fun compositions. Not a bad spot for a bit of lunch. The gorge created of the River Greta flattens out here, opening more perspectives of the Latrigg fells above. To the north, the clouds were starting to lift from mighty Blencathra. A solitary tree has survived erosion and storms against all the odds, and stands proudly in the middle of the river. The excitement levels rise as we catch our first glimpse of Blencathra\u0026rsquo;s jagged peaks. Additionally, to the east, the morning hill fog was wrestling with the crags of Clough Head, part of the Helvellyn range. Beyond Latrigg, the crags of Lonscale, too, were freeing themselves of the morning\u0026rsquo;s mist. The shoulder of Lonscale Fell high above the Greta Gorge. Another relic of Victorian engineering, a small tunnel blasted through the crag leading to Rawsome\u0026rsquo;s Bridge. Near Threlkeld, lots of trees were covered in beautiful and vibrant moss as the gorge walls closed in. The end of the trail. Beyond the A66, Clough Head provides a dramatic backdrop as it tussles with the clearing fog and mist. Blencathra\u0026rsquo;s craggy and jagged peaks, now nearly clear of morning mist. Dad leads the way back to Keswick, happily snapping away. There\u0026rsquo;s something wonderfully eldritch about wintery trees covered in moss. Quite happy with this candid snap of me Dad. Lonscale Fell again, now apparently losing its battle against the sky. Blease Fell below Blencathra, and a band of mist clinging to its shoulder. At around lunchtime, the sun finally broke through the thick cloud cover and illuminated these trees in golden light. Overall, I can heartily recommend this trail. I look forward to returning in the spring and summer, when there\u0026rsquo;s more wildlife and flora about.\n","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/keswick-threlkeld-railway-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"And now for something completely different.\nAfter yesterday’s thrilling circular hike around the gorgeous and epic Malhamdale, today we embarked on something a little more tourist-friendly and flat: the Keswick–Threlkeld Railway walk.\n","title":"Keswick–Threlkeld Railway, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/latrigg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Latrigg","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lonscale-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lonscale Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/%C3%B8yvind-nordhagen-overcast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Øyvind Nordhagen Overcast","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-greta/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Greta","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/threlkeld/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Threlkeld","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gordale-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gordale Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/janets-foss/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Janets Foss","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/malham-village/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Malham Village","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/malhamdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Malhamdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Merry Christmas everyone!\nAfter a morning of tasty foods and gift exchanging/opening, Lisabet and I decided on a wintery hike around Malhamdale in the Yorkshire Dales.\nThe Yorkshire Dales has much to offer but a particular jewel in the Park is Malhamdale. The area features the beautiful village of Malham, the epic and ancient extinct waterfall of Malham Cove, the cavernous cathedral of Gordale Scar, and the peaceful waters of Janet\u0026rsquo;s Foss.\nThinking a Christmas Day hike wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be too busy, we were surprised by the number of people parked up at the village, ready for their own wanderings around this part of the world.\nThe day barely topped 4ºC and strong gusty winds often brought temperatures below freezing point. Nevertheless, the scenery was epic, and it certainly whetted our appetite for Christmas dinner later.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8. Images edited using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome profiles, finalised in Affinity Photo.\nThe Buck Inn, closed for Christmas. It was built in 1874 on the site of an older coaching inn. It\u0026rsquo;s not long before we find the path off the road and Malham Cove makes itself very clearly known. We\u0026rsquo;re fast approaching Malham Cove and the scale of this sheer limestone wall quickly makes itself apparent. We hopped around the beck that flows out of the bottom of Malham Cove, seeking compositions. Ever been underneath an extinct waterfall? Tens of thousands of years ago, a giant waterfall would\u0026rsquo;ve crashed down here. After gawping at the sheer verticality of Malham Cove we skirted around its western flank and started the long ascent up the steps towards the top of the Cove. Around the flanks of Malham Cove, Belted Galloway cows happily grazed on what they could find. As we near the top of the steps, the views across the Cove to the fells beyond soon open up. Finally, we make it above Malham Cove. Whilst the main cliff face of the Cove is impressive all by itself, the limestone pavement above—with its clints and grikes—is a different world entirely. Limestone pavements occur when a glacier retreats and scours limestone, leaving behind a flat bed of rock. Limestone is slightly soluble in water, and rain is slightly acidic, so over time cracks form in the joints of the limestone. Give it a few thousand years or so, and this is the sort of landscape you\u0026rsquo;re left with. Up on Malham Cove, the views are extensive, and we can see all the way across Malhamdale, beyond the Aire Gap towards the smooth hills of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Even with the landscape being as epic as it is, the light was also wonderful. We gingerly hopped our across the clints and grikes of Malham Cove towards its eastern flank, seeking a way towards the footpath that leads to Gordale Scar. At various points, sudden gaps along the cliff edge opened up, offering views down to Malhamdale. These would\u0026rsquo;ve been smaller waterfalls that tumbled down Malham Cove, aside from the main one. At the eastern shoulder of Malham Cove\u0026rsquo;s curve we could look all the way back to the main cliff face, and see the tiny little people near its edge. My lovely Lisabet being unusually daring near the edge of Malham Cove\u0026rsquo;s eastern shoulder. That\u0026rsquo;s quite a drop, honey… This shot really shows the sheer drop down from Malham Cove\u0026rsquo;s sheer southern face. Be careful there, people. Getting as close to the eastern edge as I dare, really shows the precipitous drop down to the valley floor. Plenty of people also enjoying the immense views that can be enjoyed from all aspects of Malham Cove. We found the footpath the leads to Gordale Scar and followed the thankfully easier trail to our next destination. The light was still gorgeous. The way into Gordale Scar. At this point of the hike, we were joined by a young South Indian student, who wasn\u0026rsquo;t entirely sure of the way around the trail back to Malham. He was studying at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. Nice fellow. A myriad of colours, even in winter. And there she is, the frankly awe-inspiring sight of Gordale Scar. The towering crags of limestone, catching the afternoon winter sun above the waterfalls. Depending on how much water there is in Gordale Beck decides the number of waterfalls that tumble out of the scar. Mud-slicked limestone made clambering around the boulders in the gorge treacherous, so this was as close as I could get to the waterfalls. Much of Gordale Scar\u0026rsquo;s walls actually lean over, dripping water into the gorge. Such an epic place. I never tire of it. Our final stop of the day was just down the road from Gordale Scar, a small but beautiful waterfall known as Janet\u0026rsquo;s Foss. But first, we had to say hi to some Belted Galloways. The beautiful Janet\u0026rsquo;s Foss, with its aquamarine plunge pool. What a wonderful Christmas Day.\n","date":"26 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/malhamdale-yorkshire-dales-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Merry Christmas everyone!\nAfter a morning of tasty foods and gift exchanging/opening, Lisabet and I decided on a wintery hike around Malhamdale in the Yorkshire Dales.\nThe Yorkshire Dales has much to offer but a particular jewel in the Park is Malhamdale. The area features the beautiful village of Malham, the epic and ancient extinct waterfall of Malham Cove, the cavernous cathedral of Gordale Scar, and the peaceful waters of Janet’s Foss.\n","title":"Malhamdale, Yorkshire Dales, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dodd/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dodd","type":"tags"},{"content":"Thankfully a dry, if bitingly cold, weather system has descended on the British Isles.\nOn the Saturday, Kendal was engulfed in a soupy-think mist. It almost seemed to muffle the world in a pillow. In actuality, a temperature inversion sat on top of a lot of Lake District valleys, including Kendal. Conditions above the inversion were clear, sunny, and bright.\nSo, for the Sunday, we decided to head to the Northern Lakes for a hike up Dodd, part of the Skiddaw range. Local weather reports indicated that a temperature inversion would continue to cling to the fells below 450 m or so, but otherwise the day would be sparkling clear above. Dodd measures 502m above sea level.\nIn the end, the temperature inversion wasn\u0026rsquo;t quite as extensive around the Northern Lakes, mostly sitting on top of Derwentwater. Nevertheless, conditions were glorious, the Lake District was quiet, and hiking Dodd is always a good exercise.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images were bracketed handheld, merged and blended in Affinity Photo, then finalised in Snapseed.\nThe Old Sawmill Tearoom, at the car park below Dodd. A beautifully quaint and cosy place. Hiking up Dodd is simple enough. Just the follow the green signposted trail. As we did we rose above the leftover mist in the woods, and the sun pierced through the woodland. Most of Skiddaw, like a lot of Lakeland fells, lacks significant tree cover. Dodd\u0026rsquo;s an exception, and its dense woodland is managed by the Forestry Commission. Couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist snapping a composition of this Sleepy Hollow-esque tree, seemingly pointing the way up through the woodland. As we started to emerge above Dodd Forest, more of the fell\u0026rsquo;s rough and craggy summit becomes apparent. One of many incredible views you can enjoy around the summit of Dodd. Above the woods and the temperature inversion, a clear sight towards the Helvellyn range reveals itself. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to keep up the hiking momentum when panoramic views like this constantly vie for your attention. Nearing the summit of Dodd. To the left a temperature inversion clings to the surface of Derwentwater, creating a lake-sized mirror reflecting the morning sun. To the right are the Newland fells; tiny tufts of fog cling to dales below. From the summit of Dodd. Bassenthwaite Lake was impossibly still, and the atmosphere was clear that you could see all the way across to the Cumbrian coast and beyond to Galloway in Southwestern Scotland. We rested on the summit for coffee and fruit, but I had to snap another composition looking back to the magnificent shapes of the Helvellyn range. With my 55mm attached I tried for some focused compositions of some of the nearby fells from Dodd summit. The wooded fell here is Barf (yes, that\u0026rsquo;s right). The shapely peak pictured above the dale here is Grisedale Pike. As we started to descend, more compositions offered themselves to me. Immediately above is the southern face of Carl Side with Little Man behind it. The way back down Dodd\u0026rsquo;s southern aspect is quite steep, but no less beautiful. As we near the bottom, Ullock Pike glows in the midday wintersun. Despite being in winter, Skill Beck was surprisingly lush and verdant. The remnants of Storm Arwen\u0026rsquo;s destruction made for some nice ultra-wide compositions. There\u0026rsquo;s a lot of lush fern to be found alongside Skill Becks many mini waterfalls. Another casualty of Storm Arwen, now left where it fell to provide life and nourishment for all denizens of the forest.\n","date":"21 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dodd-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Thankfully a dry, if bitingly cold, weather system has descended on the British Isles.\nOn the Saturday, Kendal was engulfed in a soupy-think mist. It almost seemed to muffle the world in a pillow. In actuality, a temperature inversion sat on top of a lot of Lake District valleys, including Kendal. Conditions above the inversion were clear, sunny, and bright.\n","title":"Dodd, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/snapseed/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Snapseed","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/temperature-inversion/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Temperature Inversion","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/valleys/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Valleys","type":"tags"},{"content":"On Saturday just gone, my Dad celebrated his 68th birthday!\nDo you know what else happened on that day? Storm Arwen arrived. And it brought with it sustained winds of over 60mph with gusts approaching 100mph. Ultimately it caused power cuts for tens of thousands of homes across the UK as trees were torn from their roots and slammed into power lines.\nIn Kendal, we were one of the lucky ones. So rather than try to get to Dad\u0026rsquo;s house for his birthday, which involves driving over the A6 or M6 at altitudes several hundreds of metres above sea level, we postponed the get-together for Sunday.\nThis was fortuitous because as Saturday blended into Sunday, Storm Arwen left and snow arrived. By the time Dad arrived in Kendal, a fresh coating of powdery snow had packaged Cumbria in wintery goodness. What to do? Go on a walk, of course!\nSo we hiked up an old favourite, Scout Scar, to get some crackin\u0026rsquo; winter views across to the Lakeland fells. And surely we did.\nA smashing day all round.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 prime lens. Images were developed with RNI\u0026rsquo;s Fortia SP film profile, then finished off in Affinity Photo.\nThe goal initially was to drive up to, and park at, the main Scout Scar car park. We had to abandon this, though, as the entrance to it was slick with slushy ice and compacted snow. Instead, we navigated up Brigsteer Road and began the hike at the lay-bys behind Scout Scar. Already, the light was looking delicious. My lovely Lisabet and my Dad, taking in the scenery in their own ways. Far, far in the distance are the comely shapes of the Howgills , covered in fresh snow. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t long until we came across our first sledging family, excitedly pulling their sledge back up the fell side for another ride. As we gain height, the views looking back across Kendal to the Howgills open up. Our excitement builds. The day is crystal clear. And there they are, the Lakeland fells, covered in the first of 2021\u0026rsquo;s snow. Storm Arwen made damn sure there were no autumnal leaves left on the trees. A landscape of auburn and yellow has quickly been replaced with fresh white snow. My lovely Lisabet, glowing as she does. The Kentmere and Longsleddale fells, in particular, were looking absolutely stunning. Mountains really do look taller with snow on them, don\u0026rsquo;t they? I\u0026rsquo;ve been up Scout Scar so many times. I never get sick of the views from its precipice. Something else I never get sick off: Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s hair. Windswept trees, stripped bare of their leaves as the sun begins to set. As we began our way back down the fell, there were still plenty of people making their way up. Clouds laden with snow quickly started to form over Kendal. The setting sun managed to creep underneath the gathering clouds, shooting beams of golden light across the tree tops. A crackin\u0026rsquo; end to a lovely day.\n","date":"30 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/scout-scar-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"On Saturday just gone, my Dad celebrated his 68th birthday!\nDo you know what else happened on that day? Storm Arwen arrived. And it brought with it sustained winds of over 60mph with gusts approaching 100mph. Ultimately it caused power cuts for tens of thousands of homes across the UK as trees were torn from their roots and slammed into power lines.\n","title":"Scout Scar, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/easedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Easedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/easedale-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Easedale Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":"And just like that, it starts to feel like winter.\nThis past weekend, temperatures suddenly plunged 5–8°C, bringing in clear and frosty days with freezing cold nights. On the Sunday, a crystal clear blue-sky day greeted us, so we donned our gloves and hats and made our way into the Lake District. Our goal: a lovely autumnal hike from Grasmere, up to Easedale Tarn via Sourmilk Ghyll, and back down into Far Easedale before returning to Grasmere.\nA good 10km hike with some solid ascension.\nThe last of the autumn colours were evident in the rust-coloured bracken and the leaves littering the footpaths. Just one of those days where it feels great to be outside and alive.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: my Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images lightly developed in Lightroom from Classic Chrome RAW files, finished in Affinity Photo.\nIt doesn\u0026rsquo;t take long before a clear view of Helm Crag (405 m/1,329 ft) comes into view. The trail takes us into Easedale where the arresting sight of Sourmilk Ghyll towered by Tarn Crag (551 m/1,808 ft) and High Raise (762 m/2,500 ft) comes into view. To our right are the slopes of Helm Crag. Though not a tall fell by Lake District standards, it is deceptively steep. Across the beck, chunky Herdwick tups graze in the fields below Helm Crag. Further along the trail, another field beneath Helm Crag was home to some Herdwick lambs with their darker fleeces. The first goal of the day: Sourmilk Ghyll, with Ecton Crag rising protectively above it. The waterfalls are an impressive sight. Sourmilk Ghyll was probably named for its bright white water contrasted against the dark ravine it tumbles down. Above and beyond the falls, the footpath climbs to Easedale Tarn with the imposing face of Tarn Crag directly above it. Tarn Crag and Slapestone Edge plunge directly into the deep, dark, and cold waters of Easedale Tarn. Fancy a swim? The view looking back the way we came is no less impressive, taking in Helm Crag, Heron Pike (612 m/2,008 ft), Great Rigg (766 m/2,513 ft), and Fairfield (873 m/2,864 ft). Adventurous hikers have the option of taking the path all the way around Easedale Tarn and up towards Codale Tarn on the way to High Raise. For us, we crossed the beck flowing out of Easedale Tarn and followed the less-travelled path towards Far Easedale. One or two clouds joined us on our hike, casting their shadows across Cockly Crag and Greathead Crag. Look back at the loosely pitched footpath we took from Easedale Tarn. As the path started to descend down into Far Easedale, more clouds darkened the fellside of Gibson Knott. My lovely Lisabet leading the way, with the sun drowning the fells in warm light. Our destination is the valley bottom of Far Easedale, directly underneath Gibson Knott and Horn Crag, at Stythwaite Steps. To the east, a more slender profile of Helm Crag can be seen. We could not have asked for better light conditions on this day. The valley bottom at Far Easedale, following the line of Far Easedale Gill towards Pike of Carrs. Time for lunch! Post-lunch, we followed the craggy trail east back towards Grasmere. This giant boulder above us gained our interest, largely for the addition of a drystone wall perched on top of it! The Far Easedale path back to Grasmere is definitely more rough and wild, but that just made for more interesting scenes. Gradually, the path increases in quality as it navigates around giant boulders and ancient barns. A true Lake District scene: Herdwick sheep and the fells. This lovely lady had no issues at all posing for us as we snapped away. Looking back, beyond the ancient Brimmer Head Farm to the waterfall and Easedale fells. Nearing Grasmere, views of Heron Pike and Rydal Fell soon come into view. Gotta love this time of year for the low angles of light. Across Broadgate Meadows, the peak of Seat Sandal is darkened by the clouds above. Back to the car park we go.\n","date":"24 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/easedale-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"And just like that, it starts to feel like winter.\nThis past weekend, temperatures suddenly plunged 5–8°C, bringing in clear and frosty days with freezing cold nights. On the Sunday, a crystal clear blue-sky day greeted us, so we donned our gloves and hats and made our way into the Lake District. Our goal: a lovely autumnal hike from Grasmere, up to Easedale Tarn via Sourmilk Ghyll, and back down into Far Easedale before returning to Grasmere.\n","title":"Easedale, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/far-easedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Far Easedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sourmilk-gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sourmilk Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tarn-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tarn Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/baxenghyll-gorge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Baxenghyll Gorge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/beezley-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beezley Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hollybush-spout/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hollybush Spout","type":"tags"},{"content":"Finally, we\u0026rsquo;re starting to see some crisp and clear autumnal days.\nAfter another week or so of rain and clouds, Saturday set the scene with clear skies, warm sun, and cool temperatures. Our mind started racing: where to go? We wanted to go somewhere where we could shoot the last of this season\u0026rsquo;s autumn colours, ideally.\nWe decided on the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve both been around the trail countless times before, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter. The trail changes depending on weather, season, amount of rain, and so on. After all the rain we\u0026rsquo;ve had recently we were very much hoping for roaring powerful waterfalls complete with autumn colours.\nAnd that\u0026rsquo;s exactly what we got.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8. Images were developed in Lightroom using my Classic Chrome RAW-based preset, then finished in Affinity Photo.\nNot far into the first part of the trail, and the soft reflected light is already giving me ideas. A dead tree trunk completely taken over with a variety of fungi and mushrooms. The first part of the trail heads down into the depths of the Swilla Glen, created by the River Twiss. Already the autumn colours has us excited. This is exactly what I\u0026rsquo;m talking about. Deeper into the gorge, I spotted a cave halfway up the gorge wall. The sun started to catch the tree branches, so I used them as leading lines pointing towards the cave. Our first sighting of the first waterfall on the trail: this is Pecca Falls, surrounded by lovely autumnal foliage. The trail criss-crosses over the River Twiss before ascending up alongside the waterfall, given me glorious views like this. I decided to whack on my 9mm ultra-wide lens as we get closer to these massive falls. The main drop of Pecca Falls, water stained with peat from the moorlands above the falls, delicate autumnal colours everywhere. The trail continues to climb and we soon reach our second waterfall, Hollybush Spout. We\u0026rsquo;re starting to get high enough out of the gorge that the sun catching the walls of the gorge. The trail pops out of Glen Swilla and onto the lower end of the Kingsdale valley. Soon you round the corner and are confronted with arguably the jewel of the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail: Thornton Force. Lisabet quickly makes friends with a local runner. She\u0026rsquo;s like that, very personable. As they chat, I clamber down to the river shore and start seeking interesting compositions. Thankfully, the river bank near Thornton Force features these rock striations that I use as a leading line towards the waterfall. After taking in all 50ft of Thornton Force\u0026rsquo;s roaring power, we follow the trail up and out above the waterfall. I look back and spot this lovely scene that I wanted to capture. Above Thornton Force there\u0026rsquo;s a clear view towards Twistleton Scar End. Lisabet was gracious to pose for me for this composition. The Kingsdale fells come into view as we head for Raven Ray bridge, the point at which we connect with the Twistleton Scar Bridleway. It was such an unbelievably clear and beautiful day. We\u0026rsquo;ve now joined the Twistleton Bridleway above the River Twiss. The small hump of Tow Scar comes into view. A different view of Tow Scar, featuring the characteristic limestone drystone walls of the Yorkshire Dales. Twistleton Bridleway descends down into the next valley, where you\u0026rsquo;re greeted with this magnificent view of one of the Yorkshire Dales\u0026rsquo; most famous peaks: Ingleborough (723 m/2,372 ft). We joined the second half of the trail, which follows the River Doe south back to Ingleton. The first of the falls on the River Doe is Beezley Falls. The bottom half of Beezeley Falls is known as Triple Spout. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to see why. Below Triple Spout is the next wide section of Beezeley Falls, known as Rival Falls. A thunderous pounding of water. As we clamber down the trail south, the River Doe digs further and further down into the gorge, eventually culminating in this deep slot called Baxenghyll Gorge. A small footbridge allows stomach-churning views straight down the gorge. Gradually the trail moves away from the River Doe as we near Ingleton. Quarry Woods provides some beautiful colour as the sun beams through the canopy. Shafts of light beam through the trees, catching Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s glorious hair. Before reaching the town of Ingleton the River Doe flattens out and the views open up. This is also the site of some in-progress limestone quarrying. I snap this final composition of the day as the sun illuminates the crag face of the quarry.\n","date":"14 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ingleton-waterfalls-yorkshire-dales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Finally, we’re starting to see some crisp and clear autumnal days.\nAfter another week or so of rain and clouds, Saturday set the scene with clear skies, warm sun, and cool temperatures. Our mind started racing: where to go? We wanted to go somewhere where we could shoot the last of this season’s autumn colours, ideally.\n","title":"Ingleton Waterfalls, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/deepdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Deepdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Grisedale keeps evading us.\nAfter meticulously scanning the weather forecasts and satellite radars, Dad and I embarked initially on a lovely hike up one of my favourite valleys: Grisedale.\nLast time rain fended us off. This time, a running/trials event blocked all the car parks in Patterdale and Glenridding. No matter, that\u0026rsquo;s why you should have a back up plan! Instead, we drove back towards Brothers Water and pulled up in a little-used layby. This was the start of the hike into Deepdale.\nAlthough no less splendorous compared to Grisedale—featuring as it does the magnificent fell of Greenhow End at its head—it\u0026rsquo;s certainly not as good to walk. Large patches of Deepdale are often submerged in water and super boggy to boot. This means lots of bog-hopping.\nNevertheless, a crisp yet blowy autumnal day greeted us and Dad and I were treated to delicious light and wonderful colours.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed in Lightroom using my own Classic Chrome-based preset, finished in Affinity Photo.\nAn autumnal Arnison Crag (433 m/1,421 ft) above Greenbank Farm. And some actual blue skies! Closer to the farm, my beloved Herdwick sheep come into view and the sun illuminates the scene. Passing through the farm, we followed the track towards the valley. As the wind was blowing a hooley, the clouds above passed intermittently across the sun, allowing beautiful spotlighting of light. As we pass Deepdale Hall, Latterhaw Crag below and the back of St. Sunday Crag (841 m/2,759 ft) come into view, drenched in golden autumnal light. It\u0026rsquo;s always important to remember: don\u0026rsquo;t forget to look behind you. Otherwise I would\u0026rsquo;ve missed this lovely composition. Aureate light highlights the boulders that line the cascades of Coldcove Gill. Rowan berries provide a nice colour contrast against the icy cold waters of Coldcove Gill. Behind us, the tops of Angletarn Pikes (567 m/1,860 ft) and Place Fell (657 m/2,156 ft) are treated to similarly gorgeous light. Finally, the crown jewel of Deepdale comes into view: Greenhow End. A magnificent fist of a fell, here being treated to some delicious side lighting. A clump of boulders blocking the trail provided a lovely scene with Greenhow End in the distance. We\u0026rsquo;ve reached that stage of autumn all the bracken and fern turns a beautiful rusty shade. My Dad, doing what he does best: awkwardly posing (love ya, really). At various points, the \u0026ldquo;trail\u0026rdquo; gets close enough to Deepdale Beck, allowing for compositions such as this. Dad and I spotted this boulder, and immediately made out the face-like structure in its forms. So, I lined up this composition involving Angletarn Pikes. Dad, enjoying the light play above us. I spotted a cluster of boulders and glacial erratics, so I whipped out my ultra-wide lens to nab some more unusual and striking compositions. I got real close to the glacial erratic, noting its wonderful lines, textures, and colours. I elected for a near-far ultra-wide composition, showcasing the strata in the boulder and Greenhow End above. One of my favourite compositions from the whole hike. Just a perfect balance of light, contour, simplicity, and colour. The head of Deepdale gets considerably boggier and impassable. That\u0026rsquo;s the point I usually turn back. Thankfully the views on the way back are no less splendid. Place Fell providing the ultimate subject as the farm track makes a lovely leading line. Sunlight bathes this field in warm light, leaving the fell in relative darkness. A circumstance of light and lines that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t ignore. The farm track back to the main road. Almost impossibly idyllic. Hunger was setting in. Time to grab some lunch. After he was quite done grimacing at my camera, I managed to snap a nice warm candid photo of me Dad. A lovely lunch was had at one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s most famous pubs: the Kirkstone Pass Inn, which has been in operation at the top of Kirkstone Pass (454 m/1,489 ft) since 1496 CE. What a lovely day out with Dad.\n","date":"8 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/deepdale-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Grisedale keeps evading us.\nAfter meticulously scanning the weather forecasts and satellite radars, Dad and I embarked initially on a lovely hike up one of my favourite valleys: Grisedale.\nLast time rain fended us off. This time, a running/trials event blocked all the car parks in Patterdale and Glenridding. No matter, that’s why you should have a back up plan! Instead, we drove back towards Brothers Water and pulled up in a little-used layby. This was the start of the hike into Deepdale.\n","title":"Deepdale, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/greenhow-end/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Greenhow End","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kirkstone-pass/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kirkstone Pass","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kirkstone-pass-inn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kirkstone Pass Inn","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pub/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pub","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/festival/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Festival","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/penrith/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Penrith","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/street-photography/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Street Photography","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/street-photography/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Street Photography","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/winter-droving/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Winter Droving","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s been a while since my last post, for which I can only apologise.\nA lot can change in a month, and this particularly applies to the British weather. After one of the warmest Septembers on record, and a particularly dry summer, October developed into a wet and blustery month. By Wednesday 27th October, Storm Aurore arrived and dumped 361.6mm of rainfall in almost 36 hours over Honister Pass (for context, the UK record for highest rainfall in 24 hours was recorded at Honister Pass; 341.4mm due to Storm Desmond in December 2015).\nSo yes, this is all to say: it\u0026rsquo;s been a bit too wet to properly get out hiking and do some photography.\nThankfully, a break in the dreadful weather arrived Saturday 30th October, the final day of traditional Winter Droving Festival at Penrith. Despite living in Cumbria for nearly a decade now, I\u0026rsquo;ve never been to the Winter Droving Festival so it was definitely time to correct this. Lisabet and I teamed up with my Dad and we all enjoyed what turned out to be a fabulous day watching live music, dances, gymnastics, marching drummers, incredible street food, and so much more.\nPlus, it\u0026rsquo;s always cool to hang out with my Dad and talk photo tech.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my shiny new Fujinon 23mm f/2 prime lens. Images developed in Lightroom from Classic Chrome RAW files using my own custom-made preset, then finalised in Affinity Photo.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s something wonderfully incongruous about colourful fairground rides juxtaposed with old monochrome stone houses. Halloween decorations were out in full force. Even though we arrived at the opening of the 3rd day, Penrith town centre was already filling up. A fun and colourful \u0026ldquo;gingerbread house\u0026rdquo; set amongst the old stone houses of Penrith. Lisabet already getting lots of snaps in. All manner of sweet treats available. Our first destination we wanted to check was St. Andrew\u0026rsquo;s Church. This was where the larger-than-life animal lanterns were being displayed. In years before, these lanterns were lit from within and paraded during the evening of the 1-day festival. This time, as the festival was being held over the course of 3 days to manage crowding, the lanterns were arranged in the grounds of the church. Lisabet and my Dad, catching up. More weird and wonderful juxtapositions I enjoyed framing together. The smells emanating from this Jamaican street food stall were godly. The Winter Droving animal lanterns, with autumn foliage everywhere. Kudos to the people who made these, incredible skills. This ram\u0026rsquo;s head was probably my favourite of the bunch. I\u0026rsquo;m guessing each lantern was also sponsored by a local business, providing some funds for the Eden Arts group who organise the Winter Droving every year. The sunlight hit this fantastic wolf lantern just long enough for me to snap a composition. Slightly creepy eyes on some of these lanterns, too… We met Lisabet inside the church, who was happily browsing through bargains galore. £3 for this beautiful woolly hat. I just had to snap a photo. I\u0026rsquo;ve never been inside St. Andrew\u0026rsquo;s Church in Penrith before. It\u0026rsquo;s bonny, and houses some lovely stained glass windows. This scene and light caught my eye as I was browsing amongst the goodies on offer in the church. It put me in mind of a still life piece of art, so I set up for a photo. Lovely light aided this atmospheric stained glass window. Amongst everything else on offer, some handmade shepherd\u0026rsquo;s crooks. Time to pay up. Back outside we followed the booming and crackling sounds of drums. The Drum National samba band, in full swing. The faces of joy and concentration. I miss drumming… Loved the headwear and outfits too. I mean, look at those horns. The only person who didn\u0026rsquo;t seem to be having as much fun as everyone else… A little donation to Penrith Mountain Rescue as the drumming band passes. This lass was cool! I think she\u0026rsquo;s called Nula Hula. A \u0026ldquo;one woman\u0026rdquo; hula hooping show. Taking off clothes whilst stilling hula hooping? No problem. Applying makeup whilst hooping? Peasy. A drumming family, finished with their event for the day. The Ferris wheel proved popular. That\u0026rsquo;s a no from me, though. The Jamaican Street Food stall beckoned us once again with those exquisite smells. So we broke for lunch. Looking for a table to sit at, I came across this Viking family who were understandably attracting a lot of attention. This goat curry was sublime, and a first for me in two ways: I\u0026rsquo;d never had Jamaican food before, and I\u0026rsquo;d never eaten goat before. Absolutely delicious; the goat was slow-cooked on the bone, too. It came with rice, pickled coleslaw, and \u0026ldquo;festival\u0026rdquo;—that is, Jamaican Festival bread. After our tasty food we watched this guy do his incredible balancing tricks and acrobatics. Dude got the whole crowd pumping. I mean, that balance. Those skills. We meandered around the outskirts of the Winter Droving festival, ducking in and out of Penrith\u0026rsquo;s various yards. Two old friends were steadily making their way into town, happily chatting away. Not only were all the various bands and troupes super talented, their outfits were amazing too. Next to the Sainsbury\u0026rsquo;s supermarket, there was a display of classic cars that we unfortunately missed. Lisabet fancied a nibble of something, so we stopped at Penrith\u0026rsquo;s famous butcher/deli the Chopping Block. A firm favourite of Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s is Pastéis de Nata , Portuguese egg tarts. Back in the town centre, all the fairground rides were in regular use and full swing as the sun was beginning its trajectory below the horizon. I wanted to see if I could get some motion blur shots of the Galloping Horse carousel. Didn\u0026rsquo;t turn out too bad! We decided, with the light getting low, that we would venture for a small hike up Penrith\u0026rsquo;s nearby hill, Beacon Pike, and see what views and light we could get. But first, we needed to navigate through the crowds. Gorgeous autumnal light. We found Fell Lane and walked up the road to the permitted footpath that takes you up Beacon Pike. Horse chestnuts everywhere! Beacon Pike is covered in a dense woodland known as Beacon Plantation. The autumn colours were glorious. See? Stunning. Our final destination of the day: Beacon Tower. Glorious warm sunset light and incredible views across the Eden valley towards the Lakeland fells. It was great to be back out again.\n","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/winter-droving-2021-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s been a while since my last post, for which I can only apologise.\nA lot can change in a month, and this particularly applies to the British weather. After one of the warmest Septembers on record, and a particularly dry summer, October developed into a wet and blustery month. By Wednesday 27th October, Storm Aurore arrived and dumped 361.6mm of rainfall in almost 36 hours over Honister Pass (for context, the UK record for highest rainfall in 24 hours was recorded at Honister Pass; 341.4mm due to Storm Desmond in December 2015).\n","title":"Winter Droving 2021, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/winter-droving-festival/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Winter Droving Festival","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-lomond/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben Lomond","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/falls-of-falloch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Falls of Falloch","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/falls-of-leny/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Falls of Leny","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-lomond-and-the-trossachs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Lomond and the Trossachs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-lomond-nature-reserve/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Lomond Nature Reserve","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-lubnaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Lubnaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/panorama/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Panorama","type":"tags"},{"content":"Our Loch Lomond holiday is over.\nBut before I say goodbye, here\u0026rsquo;s some bonus photos that didn\u0026rsquo;t really fit in with any of my other Loch Lomond Holiday posts.\nI hope you enjoy them. Until next time, Scotland…\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my two prime lenses: a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens. Developed using RNI Films.\nKilchurn Castle \u0026amp; Loch Awe # Beyond the northwestern corner of the Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs National Park, one can find the shores of Loch Awe and the mighty peak of Ben Cruachan (1,126 m/3,694 ft). Below the mountain lies the ruins of Kilchurn Castle, originally constructed in the 15th century as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy. I shot this 9-image panorama using my 55mm lens to really capture the mood and setting of this scene. Across the valley from Ben Cruachan is Beinn Eunaich (989 m/3,245 ft) with the waterfall Steallair Eùnaich rushing down its flanks. On this day, the clouds did not leave the mountain tops. We walked to Kilchurn Castle for a closer look. As we neared the ruins, the view east briefly opened up and revealed the mountains around Ben Lui (1,130 m/3,710 ft), complete with swirling clouds.\nThe Falls of Falloch # North of Loch Lomond one can easily find, signposted off the main road, the Falls of Falloch and its own little car park. A brief 5-minute walk from the car park presents you with this magnificent powerful waterfall. A 5-image vertorama on my 55mm lens reveals the full extent of the Falls of Falloch. After a week or so of low pressure systems bringing near-constant rainfall, the waterfall was positively roaring. A fallen twig with a solitary leaf provided the perfect foreground subject for this 9mm ultra-wide composition as the falls became illuminated by the sun. A small gap in a fence allowed access to a ledge that give me a nice open view of the falls for this composition. The pool below the waterfall is apparently known as \u0026ldquo;Rob Roy\u0026rsquo;s Bathtub\u0026rdquo;. In 2013 a steel cage viewpoint known as the Woven Sound was constructed to enable tourists to view the falls without disturbing a lot of the surrounding area. This is the view from it.\nRSPB Scotland Loch Lomond Nature Reserve # From our little cottage accommodation, a brief 5–10 minute walk took us to RSPB Scotland\u0026rsquo;s Loch Lomond Nature Reserve. As well as exploring the marshy woodland, it offers a frankly stunning viewpoint, taking in the entirety of the Loch Lomond mountains. A stitched together this panorama with my 55mm lens in an attempt to accurately capture the entire view. A tiny little beck with criss-crossing tree trunks provides a strong foreground interest for this beautiful woodland scene in the Loch Lomond Nature Reserve.\nThe Falls of Leny # On our way to Balquhidder, we stopped off for a small diversion just south of Loch Lubnaig. There, one can take the barely noticeable trail that follows the main road until the roaring sound of water guides you to this incredible scene. These are the Falls of Leny. This is large panorama shot with my 55mm lens and stitched together to get this incredibly detailed and wide view of the falls. My ultra-wide 9mm lens reveals the context of this waterfall and the gorge it\u0026rsquo;s created in the river Garbh Uisge , which is Gaelic for \u0026ldquo;rough water\u0026rdquo;. Appropriate.\n","date":"10 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/various-places-loch-lomond-trossachs-autumn-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":"Our Loch Lomond holiday is over.\nBut before I say goodbye, here’s some bonus photos that didn’t really fit in with any of my other Loch Lomond Holiday posts.\nI hope you enjoy them. Until next time, Scotland…\n","title":"Various Places, Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs, Autumn, Scotland","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/balquhidder/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Balquhidder","type":"tags"},{"content":"Wednesday was looking like another glorious day! So this time we aimed for the more quiet northwestern part of the Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs National Park. Welcome to Balquhidder Glen, lined by mountains known as the Braes of Balquhidder.\nApart from its astounding beauty, the valley is known for being the final resting place of Rob Roy MacGregor, commonly known as Rob Roy. He was an 18th century Scottish patriot, folk hero, and outlaw, sometimes seen as the \u0026ldquo;Scottish Robin Hood\u0026rdquo;.\nThe glen contains two small lochs—Loch Voil and Loch Doine—and is lined with mountains ranging from 600 m or so high to the highest peak above the valley, Beinn Tulaichean at 946 m/3,104 ft high.\nWe were greeted with a beautifully sunny day, crystal clear reflection in the lochs, and possibly one of the greatest views in the whole of the national park.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my two prime lenses: a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 and an adapted Pentax 55mm f/2.0 lens. Developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Portra 160 film profile.\nA short 250 m hike above the village of Balquhidder, one can climb above the Glen Kirkton forest to summit Creag an Tuirc and find one of finest views in all of Scotland. The entirety of the Balquhidder Glen, with its two lochs and many peaks, lays before you. Absolutely stunning. After carefully clambering back down to the village, we began the walk towards the northern shore of Loch Voil, passing by a variety of beautifully quaint cottages. In a field near the loch shore, a noisy stallion struts over to us for an inquisitive sniff. Like much of the Loch Lomond national park, Balquhidder Glen is well-forested and the tree coverage is growing all the time. After popping out of the woods of Gleann Crotha we were confronted with one of many peaks in the valley. This one is Stob Caol , at 734 m/2,408 ft. Near the Dhanakosa Buddhist Centre the road winds right close to the loch shore, allowing us access to these incredible views and reflections. Popping on my ultra-wide lens, I managed to snap this expansive loch view and its glorious reflections. Further west along the shore of Loch Voil, the view opens up more. We could not have asked for better conditions. We found a spit of land south of the Buddhist Centre and went wandering into its woodlands for beautiful light and interesting trees.\n","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/balquhidder-loch-lomond-trossachs-autumn-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":"Wednesday was looking like another glorious day! So this time we aimed for the more quiet northwestern part of the Loch Lomond \u0026 the Trossachs National Park. Welcome to Balquhidder Glen, lined by mountains known as the Braes of Balquhidder.\n","title":"Balquhidder, Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs, Autumn, Scotland","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/creag-an-tuirc/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Creag an Tuirc","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glen","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-doine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Doine","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-voil/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Voil","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rob-roy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rob Roy","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-aan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben A’an","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ben-venue/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ben Venue","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/creag-noran/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Creag Noran","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-achray/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Achray","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-katrine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Katrine","type":"tags"},{"content":"The rain finally ceased.\nSo we set our sights on one of our main \u0026ldquo;bookmarks\u0026rdquo; for this Loch Lomond holiday: Loch Katrine.\nIn particular, our true goal was a small yet isolated hill high above the loch called Ben A\u0026rsquo;an (461 m/1,512 ft). It\u0026rsquo;s a very popular hill walk and for good reason: it offers one of the grandest and most spectacular views in all of Scotland (check out the Wikipedia view here).\nUnfortunately, at least for us personally, the car park and trail for the hill are being upgraded until the end of December 2021. It\u0026rsquo;s understandable; both the car park and the trail must take a battering every year.\nInstead, we ventured on a loch shore walk along Loch Katrine\u0026rsquo;s northern and northeastern shore, breaking off every now and then for various compositions.\nDespite the lack of ascent, the clarity of atmosphere and glorious conditions more than made up for it. Loch Katrine is 13 km long and only 1 km at its widest point, a true ribbon lake typical of a post-glacial make up. It\u0026rsquo;s ringed by various peaks all around except for the eastern shore. In particular, Ben Venue (729 m/2,392 ft) looms constantly above the loch\u0026rsquo;s southern shore, demanding your attention.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my two prime lenses: an adapted Pentax 55mm f/2.0 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens. Developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Fortia SP film profile.\nThe booking office, should you wish to go on a delightful cruise down Loch Katrine. Folk getting ready for a lovely boat ride on the loch. The coats and hoods are to protect against the cold; the day turned out to be gloriously sunny. Y\u0026rsquo;know what\u0026rsquo;s better than a boat? A boat with bunting . Autumn colours around Loch Katrine are looking proper lush. Once you move beyond the Trossachs Pier area, the loch opens up and Ben Venue immediately draws your attention. I shot this photo as a vertorama, five separate images top to bottom. Towards Loch Katrine\u0026rsquo;s eastern shore reside many small islands. They are noteworthy as being able to look back in time for an idea of what a fully forested valley this would\u0026rsquo;ve been. We managed to drop down to the loch shore near Silver Strand for some compositions across the loch. I used my 9mm ultra-wide lens to get this composition looking towards Ben Venue. Across the loch from Silver Stand is Eilean Molach , or Ellen\u0026rsquo;s Isle. Autumn fern popping up amongst the lush forest colours, my Lisabet striding purposefully ahead. One of many beautiful little cascades that flow into Loch Katrine from the many hills that surround it. We eventually reached a spit of land—variously known as either Brenachoile Point or Ruinn Dubh Aird —that protrudes out into the loch, affording us fantastic views all the way up and down Loch Katrine. Looking east, the unmistakeable profile of Ben A\u0026rsquo;an comes into view and I shot this photo; a mental bookmark to return to this area again and summit that hill. We clambered down to the eastern shore of this spit of land, and I was of course delighted to find various boulders strewn around. On went my ultra-wide lens, and I began making compositions. In addition, the loch\u0026rsquo;s water level still hasn\u0026rsquo;t quite recovered from this year\u0026rsquo;s remarkably dry summer. As a result, various wave-sculpted rock formations are still visible above the water. Another sculpted boulder provides an interest foreground subject as contrast against the dark mountains in the distance, Above the spit\u0026rsquo;s eastern shore, the last of the year\u0026rsquo;s heather bloom and a fantastic rock formation give another chance at a different composition. The boulder in question. Back onto the loch shore road, I keep my 9mm ultra-wide lens on to nab some compositions looking deep into the forest that looms above the loch. Beautiful autumnal fern and the looming forest of pines above. A wonderfully craggy tree that almost seems to grow from the boulder itself. Further along the loch road, silver birch make an appearance as stark paint brush strokes amongst the autumn palette. After returning to Trossachs Pier, we moved the car a short distance to the Ben Venue car park. We weren\u0026rsquo;t about to tackle Ben Venue itself; despite being \u0026ldquo;only\u0026rdquo; 700 m high or so, it\u0026rsquo;s notoriously steep. Instead, a considerably smaller crag— Creag Noran , only a 10-minute walk or so—promised lovely views to Ben A\u0026rsquo;an, Ben Venue, and across to Loch Achray. It did not disappoint. This is Ben A\u0026rsquo;an\u0026rsquo;s southern profile from Creag Noran . Well, this is glorious. A nine-image panorama of Loch Achray from the top of Creag Noran . Bloody lovely. My lovely Lisabet, amongst the heather and trees on the summit of Creag Noran . Looking southwest from the summit of Creag Noran to Ben Venue. Lisabet has the perfect hair for this kind of photo.\n","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/loch-katrine-loch-lomond-trossachs-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"The rain finally ceased.\nSo we set our sights on one of our main “bookmarks” for this Loch Lomond holiday: Loch Katrine.\nIn particular, our true goal was a small yet isolated hill high above the loch called Ben A’an (461 m/1,512 ft). It’s a very popular hill walk and for good reason: it offers one of the grandest and most spectacular views in all of Scotland (check out the Wikipedia view here).\n","title":"Loch Katrine, Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-trossachs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Trossachs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aberfoyle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aberfoyle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/litle-fawn-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Litle Fawn Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lodge-forest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lodge Forest","type":"tags"},{"content":"Loch Lomond and the Trossachs attracts people from afar for its lochs and mountains, of course. But the national park is also nationally famous for its extensive forests and woodlands.\nAfter a late start, and the possibility of varied and changeable conditions, we decided to drive 20 minutes north to Aberfoyle, home of the Lodge Forest Visitor Centre. A day in deep woodland filled with waterfalls and surrounded by crags? Sounds good to us!\nHappily for my lovely Lisabet, the forest was also chock full of fungi and mushrooms, making for one very happy Lisabet.\nHighlight of the hike? Probably the main waterfall in the area, Little Fawn Falls.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 and an adapted 55mm f/2.0 lens. Developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profile.\nNot far into the Waterfall Trail, you come across a depressed marshy area dotted with these mirrored standing figures. Creepy? Weird? Artistic? Whatever you like. I think they\u0026rsquo;re cool. What a cool idea for a \u0026ldquo;sculpture\u0026rdquo;. A handy boardwalk across a marshy area guides us towards the sound of rushing water. The waterfall must be near… You turn the corner, and boom! There it is. She is glorious, Little Fawn Falls. I sort of wished I had my wellies with me so I could properly go wading into the river for better compositions. Still, I were fair happy with what I got. You know I\u0026rsquo;m a sucker for weird and unusual rocks and boulders that stand out. After the waterfall we followed the trail up towards Craigmore, seeking a circular route. The light in the forest was being wonderfully cooperative. We would\u0026rsquo;ve made faster time, but there were so many good mushrooms and fungi to see! Further up the trail we spotted another waterfall and decided to venture for a closer look! This one wasn\u0026rsquo;t named on the OS map, but I\u0026rsquo;m guessing it would be something like Upper Little Fawn Falls since it\u0026rsquo;s the same river. That gorgeous soft forest light. We eventually popped out of the forest, finding ourselves near the Duke\u0026rsquo;s Pass road. Gorgeous autumn colours everywhere. We followed the Duke\u0026rsquo;s Pass downhill, seeking to rejoin the Craigmore trail back towards the Visitor Centre. But not before snapping some cracking views. Back into the moss and lichen-covered woods, we follow the roaring sounds of the water. Back down on the trail to the Visitor Centre, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist snapping some more of the gorgeous autumn foliage around us. There\u0026rsquo;s something timeless and eldritch and trees covered in dropping moss. Love it. The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, with Craigmore looming above.\n","date":"3 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lodge-forest-loch-lomond-trossachs-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Loch Lomond and the Trossachs attracts people from afar for its lochs and mountains, of course. But the national park is also nationally famous for its extensive forests and woodlands.\n","title":"Lodge Forest, Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/queen-elizabeth-forest-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Queen Elizabeth Forest Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/balmaha/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Balmaha","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conic-hill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conic Hill","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re back in Scotland, bayBEEEE!\nIt feels so good to be back. Especially during the height of autumn, clearly the best time of the year.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve had to contend with a variety of low pressure weather systems waving across the British Isles this week. This doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem to be easing. So, this morning, we got up and out to Balmaha. We wanted to get a hike up to the summit of Conic Hill (361 m/1,184 ft) before the forecasted rain storm arrived.\nThankfully conditions were favourable for long enough for us to enjoy the short, yet steep, hike up to Conic Hill and enjoy its amazing views.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Laowa 9mm f/2.8 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens. Developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profiles.\nInto the woods of Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, which nestle beneath the peaks of Conic Hill. Some lovely soft light deep in the forest. Especially this subtle spotlighting. The West Highland Way starts to climb up as we look to exit the forest. Gorgeous light everywhere. Vibrant reds of Rowan berries everywhere as we pop out of the forest and begin the steep ascent up towards the hill. Our first sighting of a Highland Cow! Definitely in Scotland now… I was very fortunate to snap this intimate moment between a Highland cow and her calf. A herd of Highland cows and their calves, occupying a good outlook just off the West Highland Way. The way up gets steeper. Though not busy, there\u0026rsquo;s still plenty of people around. Our target: Conic Hill. Looking mighty steep. Another look back at the Highland cows. Pretty damn good view they\u0026rsquo;re enjoying; I can see why they\u0026rsquo;re there. The view east from the summit of Conic Hill. Wowsers! An 8-shot panorama from the summit of Conic Hill, looking down its ridge towards the islands of Loch Lomond and its western hills. Fantastic. A 5-image panorama, taking in the views from Conic Hill towards the Arrochar Alps, the low clouds clipping their peaks. Conic Hill, and the islands of Inchcailloch and Inchmurrin, mark the Highland Boundary Fault, where two prehistoric continents (one containing Scotland, the other containing England) smashed into each other. Absolutely fascinating. Another panorama taking in the sweeping views on the way down the West Highland Way. The last of the good light, before the rain storm came in. Back into the Queen Elizabeth Forest. Time to get the ultra-wide 9mm lens out. There\u0026rsquo;s something lovely about the soft light you get in woodland. No wonder \u0026ldquo;forest bathing\u0026rdquo; is a thing. Thankfully this part of the forest is pitched with steps, I can imagine it turns into a cascade of waterfalls in wet weather. I just loved the cris-crossing of these ferns. Lovely forest light again as start to emerge from the woods back to the Balmaha car park. What a crackin\u0026rsquo; hike.\n","date":"2 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/conic-hill-loch-lomond-the-trossachs-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’re back in Scotland, bayBEEEE!\nIt feels so good to be back. Especially during the height of autumn, clearly the best time of the year.\nWe’ve had to contend with a variety of low pressure weather systems waving across the British Isles this week. This doesn’t seem to be easing. So, this morning, we got up and out to Balmaha. We wanted to get a hike up to the summit of Conic Hill (361 m/1,184 ft) before the forecasted rain storm arrived.\n","title":"Conic Hill, Loch Lomond \u0026amp; The Trossachs, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/highland-cow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Highland Cow","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-lomond/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Lomond","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 October 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/national-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"National Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/askham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Askham","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/askham-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Askham Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lowther-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lowther Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lowther-estate/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lowther Estate","type":"tags"},{"content":"Autumn\u0026rsquo;s definitely here. You know what\u0026rsquo;s also here? The Great British Changeable Weather.\nI took an educated guess at the weather today and decided our best bet for good light and conditions would be East Lake District/Cumbria during mid-morning/early afternoon. So! We ventured to the Lowther Castle and its Estate, for a healthy jaunt from the castle grounds to Askham Fell and back round.\nDriving to Lowther was… interesting. It involves taking the A6 up and over Shap Fell, whereupon we were greeted with a thickness of fog that a Live Music Stage FX Producer would be proud of. Once we arrived at Lowther, the cloud base was starting to lift and the sun made various attempts to breakthrough.\nThankfully, as we hiked up Askham Fell, and back down through Helton, the cloud cover truly lifted and we enjoyed glorious autumnal scenes.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. If you\u0026rsquo;re wondering why the right hand side of my photos appears constantly out of focus, it\u0026rsquo;s because I think there\u0026rsquo;s a broken element in my lens. Damn.\nImages developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profile.\nThe ruins of Lowther Castle, a popular destination for many families. The fog was gone but we were still waiting for the cloud base to lift. The way to the Lowther Castle Courtyard. Not our destination for the day, though maybe after the hike. I implore visitors to explore the ruins of Lowther Castle. It\u0026rsquo;s epic. Down into the woods we go. Autumn colours are really starting to pop in Cumbria. One of many abandoned entrances into the various private areas of the Lowther Estate. Look at them beautiful colours. The path pops out of the woodland beneath Lowther Castle, and follows alongside the River Lowther. The cloud cover finally starts to break up. Sunlight breaks through and picks out the tiny village of Helton above the River Lowther. One of my favourite parts of this hike is when you come off the road to Whale and up the \u0026ldquo;lonnin\u0026rdquo; (lane) alongside Millkeld Sike towards Helton. We would\u0026rsquo;ve like to have spotted more fungi, but we did see what I think is known as \u0026ldquo;Chicken of the Woods\u0026rdquo; or—more properly— Laetiporus sulphureus . My lovely Lisabet, capturing the beautiful that was developing through the lane. Our way to Helton… Sloe! Otherwise known as Blackthorn, and more properly Prunus spinosa . Good for making Gin with. We follow the minor road, south of Helton, which will eventually lead us to the bridleway up onto Askham Fell. Our goal: Askham Fell, with its fellside traced with dry stone walls. There were quite a lot of Kendal Rough Fell sheep around the area, which I was happy to see. You tend find more Swaledale around here. On the way up the bridleway toward Askham Fell, we stop to admire this dilapidated barn. We paused on our way up the bridleway to admire the light and views towards Burtree Scar. Near the flat top of Askham Fell, there were a fair few hay bales dotted around the fell side, which I didn\u0026rsquo;t expect. Another Kendal Rough Fell yow, chilling as we made our towards Helton. An impossibly pretty farmhouse, with many of its original features still intact. Helton has some proper bonny cottages. Didn\u0026rsquo;t spot any red squirrels, unfortunately. This row of cottages in Helton enjoy some crackin\u0026rsquo; views across the valley to Burtree Scar and the Ullswater Fells. By this point in the day, the sky was really starting to clear up. Another barn gave me a lovely subject for this composition. Into the woods near Gillriggs Cover as we make our way towards Askham and ultimately back to Lowther Castle. The track took us past St. Peter\u0026rsquo;s church in Askham. Some of its windows and gravestones have seen better days. A very low and dry River Lowther, shot as we crossed Askham Bridge to head back up the woods to Lowther Castle. Just a nice scene and soft light as we hiked up the steep route through Lowther Castle woods.\n","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lowther-estate-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Autumn’s definitely here. You know what’s also here? The Great British Changeable Weather.\nI took an educated guess at the weather today and decided our best bet for good light and conditions would be East Lake District/Cumbria during mid-morning/early afternoon. So! We ventured to the Lowther Castle and its Estate, for a healthy jaunt from the castle grounds to Askham Fell and back round.\n","title":"Lowther Estate, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/samyang-35mm-f1.2/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Samyang 35mm F1.2","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/cameras/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Cameras","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/iphone-12-pro-max/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Iphone 12 Pro Max","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/singleton-park/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Singleton Park","type":"tags"},{"content":"Wow, it\u0026rsquo;s been a good couple of weeks since my last blog post.\nFirstly, sorry about that. It\u0026rsquo;s been a mad two weeks or so. Largely because I\u0026rsquo;ve changed jobs, which has required a lot of spare mental energy to adjust to new circumstances, after being at my previous employer for 7.5 years.\nThankfully, in a couple of weeks time, Lisabet and I will be happily frolicking around the Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs National Park in Scotland. We\u0026rsquo;re definitely looking forward to it.\nWhat else has changed in the last couple of weeks? I upgraded my phone!\n\u0026ldquo;Pacific Blue\u0026rdquo; iPhone 12 Pro Max. Image courtesy of Hendrik Morkel/ Unsplash .\nI\u0026rsquo;ve \u0026ldquo;jumped ship\u0026rdquo; once again to a brand spanking new \u0026ldquo;Pacific Blue\u0026rdquo; iPhone 12 Pro Max, after 3 years or so with the Google Pixel 3XL.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve had a long interest in the camera technology of smartphones. For me, this started in earnest with my Motorola/Google Nexus 6.\nThe Motorola/Google Nexus 6 \u0026ldquo;phablet\u0026rdquo;. Image courtesy of 9to5google.com\nThis was the first smartphone to debut Google\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;HDR+\u0026rdquo; computational photography feature. In short, it worked by shoot several frames of photos, aligning all the images together, and merging them into a single photo that contained more light information than a single frame on its own. I really enjoyed the images I got out of the Nexus 6.\nThen, in 2016, Apple announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. I was intrigued by the 7 Plus as it featured a new \u0026ldquo;telephoto\u0026rdquo; lens (equivalent to 56mm on a full-frame camera) as well as the standard \u0026ldquo;wide\u0026rdquo; lens (equivalent to 28mm). So the iPhone 7 Plus became my main smartphone of choice for a good couple of years.\nGoogle changed the game in 2018 when they announced their Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL smartphones. The subsequent reviews suggested the images from these phones were miles ahead of the competition and unmatched by any other smartphone on the market. Was I willing to sacrifice the 2nd zoom lens on my iPhone for just the one lens on the Google Pixel 3XL plus superior image quality?\nYes, I was. So the Google Pixel 3XL became my main smartphone for the next three years, and its photos served me well. We were all blown away by the image quality this smartphone could produce.\nIn fairness, it took the same amount of time for other smartphone brands to catch up with Google\u0026rsquo;s Pixel image quality. But catch up they did. By 2020 Apple announced their iPhone 12 series of smartphones, now featuring their \u0026ldquo;Smart HDR\u0026rdquo; computational photography, \u0026ldquo;Night mode\u0026rdquo; for shooting in the dark and more. In particular, the iPhone 12 Pro Max featured three cameras: the standard wide (26mm), a new ultra-wide (13mm equivalent), and a new telephoto (65mm equivalent).\nWith the choice of three cameras, plus image quality on a par with the lead Google\u0026rsquo;s Pixel phones had created, I switched once again.\nSo here I am, in 2021, with a massive iPhone 12 Pro Max.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been putting the cameras on this beast through their paces. Have to say, I\u0026rsquo;m pretty impressed with the capabilities.\nToday we decided on a local hike through Singleton Park and up onto Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane before descended the fellside again via the Old Sedbergh Road. It started off fairly dry, if severely overcast, but as we ascended the drizzly mist arrived and we got pretty wet for the rest of the hike. Thankfully the iPhone dealt with the drizzle absolutely fine.\nAll photos taken on my iPhone 12 Pro Max using all three of its cameras. Edited using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodachrome film profile.\nColourful. And tempting. But don\u0026rsquo;t eat them. They\u0026rsquo;ll make you sick. Beautiful Miller Bridge with Benson Knott rising above in the distance. Plenty of mills, warehouses, and old factories around Little Aynam and Canal Head, a testament to Kendal\u0026rsquo;s history as an important trader and manufacturer. This area of Kendal, known as Thorny Hills, really puts me in mind of Harrogate. These houses are cute. Just a shame that they flood. The Castle Inn pub, recently saved by the community. Can never resist a shot of this bridge as we head towards Castle Green Lane and Singleton Park Road. Some rather massive sunflowers growing in the allotments along Castle Green Lane. Snowberries! Or Symphoricarpos , if you will. Near Castle Green Hotel, these houses always catch my eye. I love their shape. Almost like a Dutch barn. Our way to Singleton Park and up the fellside towards Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane. The lane is dark, dank, and slippery underfoot. After popping out of the top of the lane, before the railway bridge, there\u0026rsquo;s a little woodland containing these ruins. They\u0026rsquo;re not labelled on any map I\u0026rsquo;ve seen. I wonder what they once were? Some kind of chimney nearby indicates that maybe these were some sort of mill, maybe? A quick snap of the railway before heading up through Singleton Park. The heavens closed in and the misty drizzle fell. You can barely make out Scout Scar from here. By this point it was better for me to take my glasses off and squirrel them away. In the fields below Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane, some Texel ewes wearily stared at us. And up on Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane! The autumnal colours really starting to appear in Cumbria now. Greyhound House and its lovely bright red doors. Opposite the house, this is Greyhound Farm. Down the Old Sedbergh Road we go, with the rain increasing in intensity. More autumn colours, please.\n","date":"19 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/singleton-park-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Wow, it’s been a good couple of weeks since my last blog post.\nFirstly, sorry about that. It’s been a mad two weeks or so. Largely because I’ve changed jobs, which has required a lot of spare mental energy to adjust to new circumstances, after being at my previous employer for 7.5 years.\n","title":"Singleton Park, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/latrigg-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Latrigg Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"Autumn has arrived.\nThe \u0026ldquo;life\u0026rdquo; from all the verdant vegetation is starting to wane, the ferns are turning rust-hued, and the leaves are beginning to drop. Autumn\u0026rsquo;s here, and I cannot wait for those autumnal colours.\nWhilst we wait, we decided today on a venture up a relatively small fell that we\u0026rsquo;ve never tried before: Walla Crag (379 m/1,243 ft).\nAt \u0026ldquo;only\u0026rdquo; 379 m tall it\u0026rsquo;s definitely one of the smaller fells, especially when compared to some of the giants in the area such as Skiddaw (931 m/3,054 ft) and Blencathra (868 m/2,848 ft). Nevertheless, what it lacks in height it makes up for in the jaw-dropping views it offers from its summit.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodak Ektar 100 profile.\nNot far along the trail and already the views really open up. A couple enjoy a picnic in the sun with the backdrop of the Helvellyn fells behind them. A row of Roman trees, Sorbus aucuparia , filled with their fruit frame the trail looking back to Blencathra in the distance. The trail starts rising, offering up views looking back towards the likes of Lonscale Fell (715 m/2,346 ft). By now the full profile of Skiddaw, its fells, and the smooth profile of Latrigg are fully exposed. It\u0026rsquo;s turning out to be a crackin\u0026rsquo; day. Plenty of other fell walkers were making their way up and down the trail. To the left in the distance is the magnificent slopes and peaks of Blencathra. Skiddaw\u0026rsquo;s multi-peak shape looms of the bonny town of Keswick. On our way up, the views towards the Derwentwater Fells, too, soon open up and our sense of anticipation grows. Rowan trees and their vivid berries frame the Derwentwater fells on a somewhat hazy day. Another lovely aspect to Walla Crag\u0026rsquo;s environment is the sheer abundance of pink heather everywhere. The water level at Derwentwater is ridiculously low. New gravelly islands are reappearing and existing ones are gaining new shores. It soon becomes apparent how much of a drop there is from Walla Crag\u0026rsquo;s northwestern face. As more sun comes out, I spot another framing opportunity full of colour. Looking back at the cliff-edge trail we followed. The amount of heather around Walla Crag is ludicrous . Like, so much heather… Aaaand… summit! Plenty of other folk enjoying the views from Walla Crag summit too. We stop for a quick bite and some water, taking the panorama in. My ultra-wide 9mm lens was able to take in the vast panorama available from the summit of Walla Crag. One of the best views in the whole of the Lake District. With my 55mm attached, it was time to pick out some smaller scenes amongst the vast panorama. The hazy conditions allowed for a wonderful layering affect with Derwentwater Fells. Mighty Skiddaw looming above Keswick. After taking everything in, it was time to follow the trail back down from the summit towards the main path off Walla Crag, with heather still in abundance. Looking across the moorland and ferns, deep into the Jaws of Borrowdale. Fellow hikers branch off from the path to take in the views towards the Helvellyn range, and Clough Head (726 m/2,382 ft) in particular. Seemingly endless layers of fells in Borrowdale. On the way back down off the fell, I spot this tree and arrange it underneath the peaks of Blencathra. Magnificent Blencathra, demanding our constant attention as we climb off the shoulders of Walla Crag. This is Armillaria mellea , or honey fungus. Apparently highly revered for its edible qualities, though a lot of UK species react with alcohol badly in people\u0026rsquo;s bodies causing nausea and vomiting. It\u0026rsquo;s generally best to parboil these mushrooms, and not consume alcohol for a day before and after eating them. Follow other hikers along the trail back down to the car. The haze appears to lift somewhat around the Helvellyn fells. The Helvellyn range above, with High Rigg and Low Rigg below. Another fantastic day.\n","date":"5 September 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/walla-crag-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":"Autumn has arrived.\nThe “life” from all the verdant vegetation is starting to wane, the ferns are turning rust-hued, and the leaves are beginning to drop. Autumn’s here, and I cannot wait for those autumnal colours.\n","title":"Walla Crag, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"29 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/arant-haw/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Arant Haw","type":"tags"},{"content":"It was time to come back to the Howgills.\nBack in April this year, 2021, Lisabet and I made our first hike up onto the Howgills, summiting Winder (473 m/1,552 ft), the fell that directly overlooks the beautiful Yorkshire Dales town of Sedbergh. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t hard, during that hike, to gawp at the next fell along the ridge from Winder, namely Arant Haw at 605 m. We vowed to return and tackle Arant Haw.\nToday was that day.\nThe forecast was for clear skies and pushing 20°C, but when we arrived at Sedbergh for around 9am it was relatively chilly and cloudy. As we began our ascent up the Dales High Way up into the Howgills—and the views opened up—it became apparent that the cloud base still hadn\u0026rsquo;t quite cleared the fell tops. This resulted in amazing light and weather conditions, significantly slowing down our hiking progress (but all for good reason).\nAfter a proper good pull, we managed to summit Arant Haw as well as add on the smaller fell of Crook on the way back down.\nWhat a crackin\u0026rsquo; day.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8. Developed with RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodak Portra 160 profile.\nThe way marker indicates the Dales High Way, the main trail that takes you up into the Howgills from Sedbergh. The fell on the left is Crook. This was the kind of light show we were subject to on our way up the Howgills. The cloud base was clinging to the top of the Garsdale and Dent fells, and as the sun was rising they were swirling as they burning off. Shapely Winder from the Dales High Way. Not our destination for the day. A fell runner and her anxious dog passed us on their way across Settlebeck Gill and up Crook. Plenty of lambs and young sheep around the Howgills, warily watching us we disturbed their grazing. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t long before we spotted more people heading up the trail behind us. We weren\u0026rsquo;t in a rush. The light and views were too good to miss. The view looking up Settlebeck Gill. That little hill in the distance with the trail running over it? That\u0026rsquo;s our destination: Arant Haw. Looking down Settlebeck Gill, the light and views just get better and better. The small Frostrow Fells catching the morning light, whilst the Dent fells recede in shadow. Astounding. The steep folds of Settlebeck Gill, leading down to Sedbergh and the Barbondale fells beyond. After reaching the plateau above Settlebeck Gill, our destination becomes immediately obvious: Arant Haw. Looking back to Winder, morning light scanned across the fells and I waited for it to reach the summit of Winder before snapping this composition. The view north from the summit of Arant Haw. Good heavens . The views north from Arant Haw take in a succession of Howgills peaks and valleys, felltops such as Calders (674 m/2,211 ft), Bram Rigg Top (672 m/2,205 ft), The Calf (676 m/2,218 ft, highest point of the Howgills), and White Fell (636 m/2,086 ft). The clouds clung to the felltops as the day brightened Looking down the gill of Swarth Greaves Beck eastwards. Views for miles and miles. Just astounding. The western spur that juts out from Arant Haw gives you an indication of the steepness of the fell\u0026rsquo;s western face. Zooming in more, I love this arrangement of horizontal and diagonal lines created by the fells and gills. Time to head down Arant Haw. The conditions looking back to Winder and Sedbergh were starting to brighten up significantly. The little knobbly fell to the right is our next destination: Crook. There\u0026rsquo;s not any \u0026ldquo;official\u0026rdquo; path to the fell, but that\u0026rsquo;s no major bother anyway. The Howgills is all Open Access Land. Swaledale and Rough Fell sheep enjoy the views towards Garsdale as much as we do, it seems. Even though Crook is only 450 m high or so, the views from its summit are no less impressive. From Crook it was even possible to make out the back of Wild Boar Fell in Mallerstang , looking northeast. Looking back up to Arant Haw from around Crook summit, the light getting brighter and brighter. It was time to come off the Howgills, Lisabet leading the way ahead. We decided on the Soolbank route off Crook, heading down into Settlebeck Gill. Once we were alongside the banks of Settlebeck Gill, it was simple enough to follow the gill all the down until you could cross and rejoin the Dales High Way back into Sedbergh. Settlebeck Gill is an impressive sight. The little people hiking the Dales High Way give an indication of scale. The way back down into Sedbergh, the fells now free of clouds.\n","date":"29 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/howgills-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It was time to come back to the Howgills.\nBack in April this year, 2021, Lisabet and I made our first hike up onto the Howgills, summiting Winder (473 m/1,552 ft), the fell that directly overlooks the beautiful Yorkshire Dales town of Sedbergh. It wasn’t hard, during that hike, to gawp at the next fell along the ridge from Winder, namely Arant Haw at 605 m. We vowed to return and tackle Arant Haw.\n","title":"Howgills, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"29 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-calf/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Calf","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/winder/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Winder","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/area-of-outstanding-natural-beauty/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cauldron-snout/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cauldron Snout","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cow-green-reservoir/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cow Green Reservoir","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dolerite/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dolerite","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/low-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Low Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"Woohoo for a week off! With the Lake District as rammed as it is at the moment, let\u0026rsquo;s go somewhere and l\u0026rsquo;al bit different.\nThe North Pennines AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is a favourite of ours but remains relatively untouched by us. We\u0026rsquo;ve explored arguably the jewel of the North Pennines, High Cup Nick, many times. But another absolutely stunning part of the area is the three main waterfalls: High Force, Low Force, and Cauldron Snout.\nLong-time followers of this blog may remember our last excursion to High Force and Low Force, last year. The two waterfalls are a geology student\u0026rsquo;s dream and truly spectacular. But the third waterfall, Cauldron Snout, is often missed out on compared to the other two. That\u0026rsquo;s because it\u0026rsquo;s many miles further up the River Tees, near Cow Green Reservoir. Like High Force and Low Force, Cauldron Snout is the result of the outflow of Cow Green Reservoir passing over the whin sill; a layer of prehistoric super-hard dolerite volcanic rock that has left pillars and columns. The waterfall has eroded the softer rock around, leaving the harder columns of whin sill standing.\nCauldron Snout \u0026ldquo;only\u0026rdquo; drops about 60 m, all in all, but does so steeply down 180 m of the gorge, making it one of the longest waterfalls in England. The last time we visited it was many years ago in between Christmas and New Year, and a lot of the rock around the waterfall was covered in ice, making it a treacherous task to navigate. This time, we managed to scramble all the down alongside the waterfall. It was immense.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images developed using one of RNI Film\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome profiles, finished in Affinity Photo.\nLow Force is probably the easiest of the three to access, being less than a kilometre\u0026rsquo;s walk from the Bowlees Visitor Centre. Regardless, it\u0026rsquo;s an impressive sight and sound. My lovely Lisabet, already on the case and getting some compositions in. I clambered around the columns and cliffs of whin sill to get to the northern bank of the Tees for this view of the main falls of Low Force. The morning\u0026rsquo;s light was wonderful and I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to miss out. The twin falls of Low Force. Not necessarily all that tall, but powerful and loud. The conditions and light were beautiful. Not too harsh. Autumn\u0026rsquo;s definitely on the way. One gentleman decided that a dip in the waterfall was in order. Fair play to him. The Pennine Way heads along this footbridge, which crosses the River Tees below. It\u0026rsquo;s an old \u0026lsquo;un, too, so all the signage requests people cross it one at a time. The lower aspect of Low Force shot from the southern banks of the Tees after we crossed the bridge. After I spotted this young lass climbing the statues, I think she looked rather… sheepish? A tighter composition of the main falls of Low Force, trying to convey the sheer power of these waterfalls. The redness in the water comes from all the peat the river carries from the high moorlands of the North Pennines. Looking back at the northern bank of the River Tees, with more people finding their now to the waterfalls. Best get a move on. Lisabet doing her best to capture all the splendour around her. Love all the signs of autumn starting to appear. Looking forward to all the rusty colours of autumnal ferns. After trekking the Pennine Way along the southern side of the River Tees, we crossed another old footbridge and took these steep steps up towards the road. A visit to High Force beckoned us. The woodland above the Tees is still lush. After paying our entrance fee (£2 per adult, very reasonable), we followed the path through the woodlands of the Raby Estate. Already, we could hear the booming sound of the giant waterfall, High Force. The first glimpse of High Force and the gorge it\u0026rsquo;s created. The excitement builds… And there she is, plunging 70 ft off a cliff into the deep pool below. What a sight. We scrambled down to the boulder field left behind by the receding waterfall, each of us seeking our own photographic compositions of the waterfall. Of course, mine predominately featured all the wonderful shapes of the boulders. After thousands and thousands of years, as the waterfall carves its way back up the River Tees, it\u0026rsquo;s left behind boulder with fascinating shapes and textures. Plenty of other folk were clambering around the boulders for better views of the awesome High Force. Nature makes you feel closer. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the High Force trail is a one-way system now, so we hiked up the steep steps out of the gorge and navigated through the Raby Estate woods back to the car. My lovely Lisabet, looking as stunning as ever. Upper Teesdale has a similar \u0026ldquo;feel\u0026rdquo; to a Yorkshire Dales valley, to me. After a break for lunch, we drove a few miles west and parked at Cow Green Reservoir, seeking out Cauldron Snout. Along the way, views across the reservoir can be had of Meldon Hill (767 m/2,517 ft). We crossed the dam for views over the reservoir and below to the Tees. Clouds of midges were out in full force. Looking down onto the Tees from the top of the dam. You can just make out to the left the top of Cauldron Snout before it crashes down into the valley. Cow Green Reservoir was constructed in the late 1960s to supply the industries of Teeside with a constant supply of water. The reservoir essentially acts as a river regulator, ensuring the River Tees is always flowing with water even during dry conditions. And here\u0026rsquo;s the top of Cauldron Snout. The Pennine Way is to left, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t really a \u0026ldquo;path\u0026rdquo; as such as navigating and scrambling down the side of the gorge created by the waterfall. But doing so enables you to get right next to the falls for cracking views like this. A man perched at the top of the falls helps provide a sense of scale. With the heather in bloom, they provided wonderful pops of colour around the waterfall. Scrambling down the gorge was exhilarating, and definitely something that would not have been possible for my condition 5-years ago. As the gorge sheltered us from the wind, this provided the necessary moist and still conditions for clouds of midges to form everywhere . They duly took advantage and started ravaging our bare flesh. Near the bottom of Cauldron Snout now, and we can start to understand the scale of these falls. The bottom of Cauldron Snout, which climaxes with this beautiful fanned curtain of a waterfall.\n","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/north-pennines-waterfalls-county-durham-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Woohoo for a week off! With the Lake District as rammed as it is at the moment, let’s go somewhere and l’al bit different.\nThe North Pennines AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is a favourite of ours but remains relatively untouched by us. We’ve explored arguably the jewel of the North Pennines, High Cup Nick, many times. But another absolutely stunning part of the area is the three main waterfalls: High Force, Low Force, and Cauldron Snout.\n","title":"North Pennines Waterfalls, County Durham, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/river-tees/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"River Tees","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/teesdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Teesdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whin-sill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whin Sill","type":"tags"},{"content":"After two successive weekends of rain, it was time to seek a waterfall or two.\nGetting outside for some solid hiking has been difficult given the changeable conditions we\u0026rsquo;ve experienced in August. Thankfully, the week ahead is looking promising, which is fortuitous because I have a week off.\nLisabet and I got up and out early to avoid the crowds, taking on a good 10,000 steps to visit both Skelwith Force and Colwith Force. Both waterfalls are not large but after prolonged rainfall they are powerful.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8. Developed using RNI Films\u0026rsquo; Kodak E100G film profile.\nGetting as close as I dare to Skelwith Force. After rainfall the roaring thunder from these falls is near deafening. Lisabet was braver than me, and clambered down the crags to the small footbridge for a different view. The spray from the falls leant a delicious mood to the scene. We crossed the river and double-backed onto the Cumbria Way, stopping near Park House and Park Farm for some glorious views towards the Langdale Pikes as the cloud started to clear from the fells. Gorgeous Herdwick ewes, fleeces clipped short after a hot summer and their smit marks reapplied. Near Low Park we spot a good clump of Impatiens glandulifera , or Himalayan Balsam. It is considered a highly invasive species. This year\u0026rsquo;s Herdwick tup lamb, just starting to grow its horns. One of my favourite trees in the Skelwith/Colwith area. Truly gnarly, with the clouds burning up from the fells. What a scene. The way down to the River Brathay, with Wetherlam fighting with the clouds above. Heading to Colwith Force. Already we can here the bassy roar of the twin spouts… And there she is, looking absolutely incredible after all the rainfall we\u0026rsquo;ve had. We climbed the pitched path to get to the upper part of the falls, teetering near the top of the main falls. I plugged my 9mm ultra wide onto the camera to try and capture the scene from above the main falls. It\u0026rsquo;s always an exciting time when the foliage starts to turn towards those wonderful autumn hues. One final look at the upper falls before we climb higher through the woods. Sometimes you just have to take a picture of a pretty tree. After popping out of the top of the woods you\u0026rsquo;re greeted with the craggy top of Great How. Additionally, the sun decided to show its face. We decided to to explore a little extra and took the path towards Stang End, snapping High Park Farm along the way with Lingmoor Fell above. By this time of the day, many more people were on the paths enjoying the weather and scenes. To cap the day off, we were greeted by a vocal chicken navigating its way on top of a dry stone wall. As you do.\n","date":"23 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/colwith-force-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"After two successive weekends of rain, it was time to seek a waterfall or two.\nGetting outside for some solid hiking has been difficult given the changeable conditions we’ve experienced in August. Thankfully, the week ahead is looking promising, which is fortuitous because I have a week off.\n","title":"Colwith Force, Summer, Lake District","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"23 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kodak-e100g/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kodak E100g","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for something a little bit different.\nThe Lake District is obviously world famous for its natural splendour; the lakes, fells, tarn, waterfalls, and everything in between. But beneath the surface of this picture of paradise lies thousands of years of man-made work.\nMining has been a feature in the Lake District landscape for hundreds of years. Copper, graphite, lead, slate… you name it, it\u0026rsquo;s probably been found and mined for. One of the bigger historical industries in Lakeland was slate mining; I say \u0026ldquo;historical\u0026rdquo;, slate mining still occurs at Honister Pass, inside Fleetwith Pike.\nSlate was mined extensively in and around the Coniston area, too, particularly in the 19th century when Lake District slate was in demand for \u0026ldquo;roofing Britain\u0026rdquo;. Three miles north of beautiful Coniston, one can find one of the biggest leftover workings of slate mining in the whole of the Lake District: Hodge Close Quarry.\nLisabet and I have been meaning to find and explore Hodge Close Quarry for quite some time now. Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s been before, but many moons ago. I, on the other hand, have only ever had Google Images and Pinterest to go on. We parked up in lay-by just north of Yew Tree Tarn and follow the easy trail northwest, clearly signposted for Hodge Close Quarry. Along the way, one can enjoy frankly spectacular views of the Langdale Pikes and Central Fells of the Lake District. This was an aspect of the hike I had no idea of!\nArriving at Hodge Close Quarry, and taking careful note of all the warning signs, we were greeted by a cavernous scar in the earth; sheer walls dropping 150 ft into a dark pool, itself a depth of around 150 ft. What a wonder; and what work man has performed!\nWe spent a good couple of hours around the quarry, shooting compositions in the gorgeous evening light. And there was no hardship in retracing our steps back to the car, as the light just better and better.\nOne of the most beautiful evening walks in the Lake District I\u0026rsquo;ve had for a while.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 75% in-camera, with RNI Film\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profile applied afterwards.\nThe way up to Hodge Close Quarry, via a bridleway known as Smithy Brow. Probably literally named. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t tell you what this piece of farming tech is called, but it certainly looked long abandoned. The first of many delightful scenes available from Smithy Brow. Taking in Lingmoor Fell (469 m/1,539 ft), Pike of Blisco (705 m/2,313 ft), and Bowfell (902 m/2,959 ft). The view looking towards the northeast, taking in Seat Sandal (736 m/2,415 ft) and Dollywaggon Pike (858 m/2,815 ft). That wonderful towards the northwest once again, shot near one of the disused farm barns alongside Smithy Brow. Freshly clipped (sheared) Swaledale sheep, enjoying the grassy offerings around High Oxen Fell. The area between High Oxen Fell Farm and Hodge Close Quarry is densely wooded and filled with ferns. Just a lovely scene involving the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s famous dry stone walls and a knobbly coppice. Nearing the quarry, we pass through a load of holiday cottages that enjoy spectacular views of the Coniston fells. They were probably all mining buildings once. The first sight you see of Hodge Close Quarry. Quite the drop, eh? 150 ft down to the dark pool below. A young couple perched on top of the crag gives you a sense of scale. Thankfully, with my 9mm ultra-wide lens at hand, I was able to capture immense compositions that could feature both the dark pool and the sheer walls of the quarry, all at once. We scanned along this western edge of the quarry, shooting along the way as the light gradually faded along the top of the crags. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to feel weak in the knees when capturing the sheer drop down… We skirted around the southern and eastern edges of the quarry, nabbing compositions of the chasm with the Langdale fells in the distance. This is the view the aforementioned young couple would\u0026rsquo;ve enjoyed. We joined the Holme Fell trail northwards, looking to reconnect with the Smithy Brow bridleway back to the car. Lush carpets of fern everywhere gives a real \u0026ldquo;jungle\u0026rdquo; vibe to this scene. The setting sun was providing beautiful deep tones of orange when peaking through the canopy and hitting the trees. Peeping through the head-height ferns for this composition of Black Crag. My lovely Lisabet, always the perfect accompaniment to any hike. High Oxen Fell Farm, now property of the National Trust courtesy of Beatrix Potter. Probably built in the 1600s. The nice thing about retracing the route back was enjoying the views in reverse with even better light. Low Oxen Fell and Great How, with the gentle sunset light pulling out the contours of the landscape. What a scene! What light! Basking in the golden glow. Layers and layers.\n","date":"12 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hodge-close-quarry-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for something a little bit different.\nThe Lake District is obviously world famous for its natural splendour; the lakes, fells, tarn, waterfalls, and everything in between. But beneath the surface of this picture of paradise lies thousands of years of man-made work.\n","title":"Hodge Close Quarry, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/astia-100f/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Astia 100f","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/berwick-upon-tweed/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Berwick Upon Tweed","type":"tags"},{"content":"Here\u0026rsquo;s the final collection of work from our week-long summer jaunt around Northumberland.\nBerwick-upon-Tweed is a town steeped in history and filled with curiosities. It\u0026rsquo;s England\u0026rsquo;s northernmost town, right in the northeastern corner of the country. In fact, it\u0026rsquo;s slightly further north than Copenhagen in Denmark as well as the southern tip of Sweden.\nBerwick\u0026rsquo;s name comes from the Old English berewíc, meaning \u0026ldquo;corn/barley farm\u0026rdquo;, which I guess gives you an idea of the town\u0026rsquo;s origins. During a period of about 400 years, Berwick changed hands between England and Scotland a dozen times or so. Richard of Gloucester retook Berwick for England for the last time in 1482. More than 200 years later, the Kingdom of Scotland joined the Kingdom of England in 1707, forming the Kingdom of Great Britain, and ending the border quarrelling between the nations.\nA persistent legend exists about the town \u0026ldquo;technically\u0026rdquo; being at war with Russia. The myth goes that because Berwick had changed hands several times, it was regarded as a special, separate entity, sometimes referred to in proclamations as \u0026ldquo;England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed\u0026rdquo;.\nFor the declaration of the Crimean War against Russia in 1853, Queen Victoria supposedly signed the proclamation as \u0026ldquo;Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, Berwick-upon-Tweed and all British Dominions\u0026rdquo;. When the Treaty of Paris was signed to conclude the war, \u0026ldquo;Berwick-upon-Tweed\u0026rdquo; was left out. This meant that, supposedly, one of Britain\u0026rsquo;s smallest towns was officially at war with one of the world\u0026rsquo;s largest powers – and the conflict extended by the lack of a peace treaty for over a century.\nIn reality, Berwick-upon-Tweed was not mentioned in either the declaration of war or the final peace treaty, and Berwick-upon-Tweed was legally part of the United Kingdom for both.\nRegardless, the town is fascinating and you can feel the dual-nationality personality of the place. During our wandering, a sea fret obscured most of the coastline, lending a misty foggy atmosphere to our photography.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI Film\u0026rsquo;s Astia 100f profile.\nThe Royal Tweed Bridge as the sea fret rolled in. It was constructed in the 1920s, designed to take on the increasing numbers of traffic away from the old Berwick Bridge, which had stood since the 1600s. The nice thing about the Royal Tweed Bridge is you can get right underneath it and see its \u0026ldquo;guts\u0026rdquo;, so to speak. An incredible piece of engineering. One of our favourite shops in Berwick, Slightly Foxed . The interior of the shop is almost made out of books, there\u0026rsquo;s so many. The weird leaning/curved building is the old Granary, now serving life as the Granary Gallery. An unusually empty Berwick, as we make our way towards the sea. As we approach the North Sea, a look back reveals the three bridges of Berwick, which cross the Tweed. Old riverside properties as the Tweed pours out into the North Sea. We decide to venture out towards Berwick Lighthouse, England\u0026rsquo;s most northerly lighthouse. It was built in 1826. Time to whip out my 9mm ultra-wide lens to capture the entirety of the lighthouse. And lurking behind the lighthouse, a fisherman investigating opportunities in the North Sea. We decide to exit the pier and continue up northwards along the Berwick coastline, see what\u0026rsquo;s what. Welp, this was an unexpected find. The bloated carcass of a whale, long dead and washed up on the shore of Meadow Haven. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t tell you what type of whale it was. Further up the Berwick coastline we came across an unexpected and delightful find: a raised platform of rocks and boulders known as Meadow Haven and Bucket Rocks. Let\u0026rsquo;s explore compositions!\nI\u0026rsquo;m always fascinated by how geometric geology like this comes to be formed.\nWe pop up through the dunes away from the sea to find a way through the golf course and back into the town. A lovely clump of Red Valerian amongst the reeds and sand dunes, Centranthus ruber . Story time! As we made our way back through Berwick town, we stopped outside someone\u0026rsquo;s house to admire their front garden filled with flowers. Lisabet took some photos. As she did, an old gentleman enquired approached us to ask about our activity. After learning we were just admiring his garden, he simply invited us through to their back garden, which was even more fecund and filled with all sorts of flowers and vegetables. The \u0026ldquo;lady of house\u0026rdquo; was very enthusiastic about her gardening, and was more than happy to meet us and run through the garden with her. I snapped this quick portrait of her. What a wonderfully welcoming and friendly pair they were! Her garden was, indeed, glorious. After the Surprise Garden Tour we made our way towards the old town walls and military fortifications that surround Berwick-upon-Tweed. Local kids enjoy a game of footie sent against the 500-year old fortifications. Walkways have been constructed around the old walls and fortifications, but there are still sections that have been preserved. This area of the walls are known as the Elizabethan ramparts, which were essentially 16th-century upgrades to the existing 14th-century construction. And back down the old cobbled street.\n","date":"8 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/berwick-upon-tweed-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Here’s the final collection of work from our week-long summer jaunt around Northumberland.\nBerwick-upon-Tweed is a town steeped in history and filled with curiosities. It’s England’s northernmost town, right in the northeastern corner of the country. In fact, it’s slightly further north than Copenhagen in Denmark as well as the southern tip of Sweden.\n","title":"Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/really-nice-images/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Really Nice Images","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whitbarrow/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whitbarrow","type":"tags"},{"content":"It was time to continue exploring a \u0026ldquo;local\u0026rdquo; fell.\nThe first time Lisabet and I checked out Whitbarrow was only a few months ago, March in fact. Considering it\u0026rsquo;s just a few miles west of Kendal, it\u0026rsquo;s incredible that we\u0026rsquo;d never hiked up the fell in all our time living round here.\nOur spring hike gave us a nice little introduction to the potential of Whitbarrow. Now we\u0026rsquo;re in the summer, we ventured up once again with a slightly different—and longer—route.\nIn particular, after summiting Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat we took the trail through the Nature Reserve part of Whitbarrow to find a landscape more akin to a tropical jungle!\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 75% in-camera using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation, with some finishing edits afterwards in Snapseed and Affinity Photo.\nThe area around Whitbarrow seems to be a veritable treasure trove for wild food foragers! Near where we parked, we found a hedge full of sloe or blackthorn, Prunus spinosa . Anyone fancy making some sloe gin? The hike up and through the Township Plantation to get onto the fell gave us an indication of how fecund Whitbarrow was in comparison to March. Ferns everywhere . Despite only being the first day of August, some of the abundant fern was already changing into its autumn colours. A silver birch surrounded by multi-hued fern caught my eye as we approached the open limestone fellside of Whitbarrow. The soft transition of light between the highlighted ferns and tree trunks compared to the gloom of the inner woodland. Pretty purple heather is starting to blossom. A sure sign that late summer is coming. We exited the Township Plantation and followed the trail east up onto the open fell. Looking back at the woodland we navigated through to get onto the open fellside. This is where you start to see some fantastic limestone formations and glacial erratics ahoy. My lovely Lisabet providing a sense of scale here. In the distance, a little to the right, you can just make out the unmistakeable shape of Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales. Young cows up on the fell didn\u0026rsquo;t want to give me and my camera too much attention. The wonderful contortions of the common juniper, Juniperus communis . I followed Lisabet on a trail northwards, to see how the views opened up towards the Lake District fells. The clarity was rather lovely. Lisabet checking out some of the more shapely trees around the northern edge of Whitbarrow. Additionally, a view of the Langdale Pikes could clearly be made out. We retraced our steps and picked out a trail heading south towards the Flodder Allotment part of Whitbarrow. The path took us through a silver birch plantation near Horse Pasture Wood. This is the way to the summit of Whitbarrow, known as Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat. There were plenty of other hikers around the fell, though certainly not enough to make the area feel busy. As we gain height the views of the surrounding fells open up. A young family play around the limestone escarpment that forms a natural boundary for the Nature Reserve. In the hazy distance lies the Howgills . Approaching the wind-blasted summit and cairn of Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat, which also serves as a signal to take a rest for water and a snack. The view south from Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat. Rather lovely isn\u0026rsquo;t it? To the right is the coastal village of Arnside with Arnside Knott above it, and in the far distance is the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. We closed in on the limestone wall that serves as a natural perimeter of the Whitbarrow Nature Reserve. I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist these curving shapes offered by a pair of juniper trees set against the escarpment. There are plenty of trees that grow out of the limestone wall, which then get blasted by the wind, resulting in remarkable scenes like this. We finally found the trail that heads into the Whitbarrow Nature Reserve and took it northwards to eventually rejoin our original path. I\u0026rsquo;ve never seen a place like it! Very much like a jungle. As we neared the Township Plantation once again, the Nature Reserve opened up and we found this beautiful world of limestone columns, stunted trees, and the floor carpeted in flowers. Like a lost world. Two pillars of limestone, putting me in mind of a bee hive or something. Incredible.\n","date":"2 August 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/whitbarrow-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"It was time to continue exploring a “local” fell.\nThe first time Lisabet and I checked out Whitbarrow was only a few months ago, March in fact. Considering it’s just a few miles west of Kendal, it’s incredible that we’d never hiked up the fell in all our time living round here.\n","title":"Whitbarrow, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/embleton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Embleton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/embleton-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Embleton Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/haar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Haar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newton-point/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newton Point","type":"tags"},{"content":"Ah haar, there\u0026rsquo;s a sea fret rolling in.\nEarly on in our Northumberland break we fancied a hike around Embleton Bay, to shoot photos of the bay\u0026rsquo;s massive and smooth black basalt boulders with views towards the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.\nHowever, plans change. As we neared the bay it became clear (or rather, it didn\u0026rsquo;t) that a \u0026ldquo;haar\u0026rdquo; or sea fret had rolled in off the North Sea, covering the whole Northumberland coastline in thick fog. There were no views to be had of the castle ruins.\nInstead, we followed trail—known as St. Oswald\u0026rsquo;s Way—north, passing through the National Trust village of Low Newton-by-the-Sea towards Newton Point. We ventured with open eyes and mind, which was good because Newton Point was an absolute delight that we no idea about.\nAdditionally, the haar provided an atmospheric aura to some of my photos, which I\u0026rsquo;m happy to take.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax 55mm f/2.0. Images made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits and corrections afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nAfter parking at Embleton, our hopes were high for wonderful scenes of Dunstanburgh Castle. Alas, no castle could be seen. The haar had covered the whole Northumberland coastline in a thick fog. Nevertheless, to get to Embleton Bay and the trail from Embleton Village, you have to pass through Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club. There\u0026rsquo;s a lot of golf around the Northumberland coast. Above Embleton Bay, near the Embleton Links golf course, there\u0026rsquo;s a whole bunch of \u0026ldquo;beach chalets\u0026rdquo; or, more accurately, bungalows that sit on National Trust land. On a clear sunny day I\u0026rsquo;ve no doubt they look adorable and inviting. With the sea fret rolled in, the bungalows presented a more foreboding presence. Spooky. Zombie film, anyone? A way down to the sands of Embleton Bay, but my eye was caught by the people walking along the beach, appearing like ghosts as the haar rolled in off the sea. We close in on the charming village of Low-Newton-by-the-Sea, an old fishing village now almost totally owned by the National Trust. The village is known for its cream white cottages and open square, with the 18th-century Ship Inn pub right in the middle. A charming place. North of the village we break away from St. Oswald\u0026rsquo;s Way and take the private road east towards the coastline, curious to see what was here. What we found was a coastline of bloom flowers, lichen and moss, and volcanic black boulders everywhere. With the haar in place, the area appeared to me magical and surreal. Clints and grikes of volcanic basalt rock provided lovely textures and lines for playing around with compositions. With my ultra-wide 9mm lens, I was able to render some more unusual compositions around here by getting really low and intimate with some of the small channels carved into the rock. Blossoming flowers and weeds everywhere gave me more opportunities for interesting photos. The headland of Newton Point houses a former LORAN (long range navigation) station from the Cold War era. Spooky. We followed the eastern edge of Newton Point around to its northern side, and then—BOOM. This view and these cliffs. We had no idea they were here. Not massive cliffs by all means, but shapely and beautiful nevertheless. Columns of dark volcanic basalt stand as a fortress against the unrelenting sea. The North Sea around here was wonderfully clear and azure. This made it awfully tempting for Lisabet to go for a swim. Grass and lichen provide gorgeous colour contrast against the azure water and blue fog. Fantastic colours and views. From Newton Point we dropped down to the beach northwards known, interestingly, as Football Hole. The retreating tide left behind these following lines and curves that I had to make a composition of. The dunes around Snook Point make for some lovely views. At this point the sun even threatened to break through the haar. Sand dunes that seemingly go on forever… A beautiful blossom of Geranium sanguineum , otherwise known as bloody crane\u0026rsquo;s-bill. Also the national flower of Northumberland! On our way back, the haar was finally starting to burn off courtesy of the midday summer sun. In the distance, cows graze peaceful near a pond.\n","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/newton-point-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Ah haar, there’s a sea fret rolling in.\nEarly on in our Northumberland break we fancied a hike around Embleton Bay, to shoot photos of the bay’s massive and smooth black basalt boulders with views towards the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.\n","title":"Newton Point, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sea-fret/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sea Fret","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/snook-point/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Snook Point","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bullpot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bullpot","type":"tags"},{"content":"The heatwave has finally ended.\nAfter a week of temperatures pushing 30°C consistently with barely any air movement, today was looking a more comfortable 23°C with some wind.\nAbout a month ago we embarked on one of our favourite local-ish walks, Barbondale in the Yorkshire Dales. On that occasion I was somewhat distracted by the sheer number of deer flies biting chunks out of me. Part of the Barbondale hike we did involved clambering over into Bullpot. We resolved to return to Bullpot for a deeper exploration of the area\u0026rsquo;s famous pot holes, gills, and caves, particularly Ease Gill Kirk.\nAfter a lazy start, today was that day.\nThe dry ravines around the junction between Ease Gill and Leck Beck display some wonderful geology. Like a lot of the Yorkshire Dales, the gills here are largely made of limestone, which is porous and soluble in water. Limestone landscapes lend themselves to lots of waterfalls and cave systems, and the Ease Gill Cavern System is the longest and most complex cave system in Britain. As a result of the areas various potholes and caves, the area around Ease Gill Kirk is largely dry and full of \u0026ldquo;extinct\u0026rdquo; waterfalls, ready for exploration.\nWhich we duly did as best we could.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax 55mm f/2.0 lens. Images made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nThe way to Ease Gill Kirk, after passing Bullpot Farm. The old farmhouse now serves as the base for the Red Rose Cave \u0026amp; Pothole Club. The ruins of two lime kilns provide a hint as to the industrial heritage of this area. The Bullpot valley features lots of dry stone walls that expertly trace the steep curves of the dale. Layers and layers. Our first sighting of the dry Ease Gill Kirk. Now to clamber down and explore… We followed the dry river bed east up Ease Gill to find our first \u0026ldquo;waterfall\u0026rdquo;. The gill is largely dry now—save for periods of heavy rain—as the limestone geology of the area is water soluble. This means that the water that once carved out this river and waterfall now disappears further up the gill into a deep cave system, many miles below. Nature is a fantastic sculptor. It was amazing to see the curves and forms created in the rock face by the waterfall that used to flow over here. A stagnant pool is all that remains of this extinct waterfall. We exited back out of Ease Gill and made our way south to Ease Gill Kirk, following the dry river. Lisabet and I scrambled down the gorge created by Ease Gill to capture this world of twists and turns. I\u0026rsquo;ve no doubt that with a good pair of wellies on, and a more adventurous spirit, you could follow this largely dry gorge a good distance. For now, this will do. The ruins of Hellot Scales Barn, which serves now as a signpost of sorts for locating Ease Gill Kirk. On the way back to Bullpot Farm I, of course, had to snap some compositions of the brilliant dry stone walls here. Just follow the wall all the way back to Bullpot Farm. I suspect in wetter months the path between Bullpot Farm and Ease Gill Kirk would be consistently boggy. The area near Bullpot Farm is home to lots of shake holes, not to mention one of the main entrances into the Ease Gill Cave System, ominously called \u0026ldquo;Bull Pot of the Witches\u0026rdquo;. I saw it, lined it up, and took a photo of it. One final shot of the wall of fells above Barbondale known as Calf Top.\n","date":"27 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bullpot-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"The heatwave has finally ended.\nAfter a week of temperatures pushing 30°C consistently with barely any air movement, today was looking a more comfortable 23°C with some wind.\nAbout a month ago we embarked on one of our favourite local-ish walks, Barbondale in the Yorkshire Dales. On that occasion I was somewhat distracted by the sheer number of deer flies biting chunks out of me. Part of the Barbondale hike we did involved clambering over into Bullpot. We resolved to return to Bullpot for a deeper exploration of the area’s famous pot holes, gills, and caves, particularly Ease Gill Kirk.\n","title":"Bullpot, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ease-gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ease Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ease-gill-kirk/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ease Gill Kirk","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dale-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dale Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dale-head-crags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dale Head Crags","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fell-walking/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fell Walking","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-spy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Spy","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hindscarth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hindscarth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/honiste-pass/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Honiste Pass","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/honister-slate-mine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Honister Slate Mine","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/maiden-moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Maiden Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newlands-pass/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newlands Pass","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newlands-round/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newlands Round","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newlands-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newlands Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":"The British Summer Heatwave has arrived.\nIn the week leading up to yesterday, Saturday 17th July, I had been planning a fell walk with my friend, Kate. She has more experience fell walking than I do, so we agreed to try a fell walk incorporating a view I\u0026rsquo;ve been after for years: Dale Head.\nAs the week progressed, it became apparent that a heatwave would arrive over the British Isles on the day of our walk. So we agreed to get up super early, drive to the location, and start the hike before temperatures became unbearable.\nThat was exactly the right decision.\nParking up at Honister Slate Mines, we started the steep ascent up the shoulder of Dale Head (753 m/2,470 ft) in comfortable temperatures of 15–16°C and a lovely breeze. By the time we had reached the final fell of the round, Robinson (737 m/2,418 ft), temperatures had risen into the mid-20s and the sun was strong. We had planned it well.\nKate turned out to be the perfect fell walking partner. Relaxed, sensible, and well-provisioned.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s to more fell walking!\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens. Images made 80% in-camera using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation, with minor corrections and edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nThe ascent up the shoulder of Dale Head from the Honister Slate Mine quickly opens these incredible views towards Buttermere and the Lorton Vale. Fleetwith Pike (648 m/2,126 ft) on the left was looking magnificent. Looking back down the path we had taken, now the southern fells were becoming visible. Featuring Base Brown, Grey Knotts, and Green Gable. At this height, the northern face of Kirk Fell (802 m/2,631 ft) was coming into view. Aaaannddd… summit! The top of Dale Head, featuring its massive cairn and, more importantly, the ridiculous view if offers all the down the Newlands Valley towards the Skiddaw mountains. 8-years in waiting, and I loved every second. Though the southern shoulder of Dale Head is steep, it is relatively smooth. By contrast, the fell\u0026rsquo;s northern face drops 400 m or so in less than a kilometre via Dale Head Crags. This enables this huge open view towards the High Spy and Maiden Moor ridge on the right, and the shoulder of Hindscarth on the left. Probably my favourite shot of the day. The High Spy and Maiden Moor ridge, with its western flanks dropping sheer to the valley floor in a series of crags. In the distance, the Skiddaw range. Incredible. Time to rest and refuel, which Kate and I were more than happy to do. From Dale Head, there are unparalleled views towards the northern face of Fleetwith Pike and even, in the distance, mighty Pillar (892 m/2,927 ft). West of Dale Head summit it\u0026rsquo;s easy enough to follow Hindscarth Edge to the next fell, drinking in the views all the way. Here is a clear shot of Buttermere and the massive High Stile range of fells above it. The view back east shows the sheer craggy drop of its northern face as well as the crags of High Spy. In the distance is the Helvellyn range. The way forward. Our next goal was to follow Hindscarth Edge and branch off to the right in order to summit Hindscarth itself. Another view of Fleetwith Pike\u0026rsquo;s norther face and mighty Pillar in the centre. To the right is High Crag, part of the High Stile range. Just below Hindscarth Crags I move towards the edge to nab this composition of the High Spy/Maiden Moor ridge with the Skiddaw and Blencathra ranges in the distance. Closer to me, a Swaledale lamb chews the cud and chills. As we ascend Hindscarth, different views open up eastward. Below is Far Tongue Gill, to the right is Dale Head Crags, and left is Miners Crag and Red Crag of the High Spy/Maiden Moor ridge. In the distance, the Helvellyn range. And another summit! This time, Hindscarth (727 m/2,385 ft), which offers a wonderful view down to the Newlands Valley floor and the Skiddaw range beyond. Looking back at the High Stile range, I primarily took this shot for the British Isles-shaped cloud above the fells. You see it? Being more west than when we started out, the High Spy/Maiden Moor ridge opens up and we can see Catbells (451 m/1,480 ft) as well. In the distance is the beautiful Blencathra fells. A vertical composition from Hindscarth, looking down the trail to Scope End and the Skiddaw range in the distance. Just incredible views, no matter where you look. High Spy, Maiden Moor, Catbells with beautiful Blencathra far away. Kate happily resting by the wind shelter on Hindscarth. Across the valley is our next target, Robinson. The way to the next fell, Robinson, involves returning back to the Hindscarth Edge trail and carrying onto the Littledale Edge trail towards Robinson. Before we did, I had to capture this panorama of fells from the Hindscarth summit. Looking back at the Hindscarth Edge trail. Hard to believe we had walked all that way. The Honister Pass, the top of which marked the start of our hike. We\u0026rsquo;ve made it quite far. In the distance is Glaramara (783 m/2,569 ft). Nearing the top of Robinson. The small isolated fell of Rannerdale Knotts comes into view, followed by Crummock Water and Mellbreak above it. We can now see beyond the Lake District out to the Irish Sea. And the third and final summit! Robinson was definitely the hardest to climb. The top is relatively flat but its sides a rather steep, with paths made largely of loose scree. By the time we reached Robinson, it was midday and temperatures were really starting to climb. I went scurrying around the summit with my ultra-wide lens to shot some of the interesting rock formations. Utilising our previous route as a leading line towards the fells and featuring this wonderful craggy formation. Fascinating geology. This is apparently an \u0026ldquo;olistostrome of disrupted, sheared and folded mudstone, siltstone and sandstone\u0026rdquo;. I also liked in this composition our the pile of rocks on the right mirrored the shape of the Skiddaw range to the left. After the rather precipitous climb down Robinson\u0026rsquo;s northeastern flank to Buttermere Moss, I look back to shoot this profile of Robinson. More as a reminder of what we\u0026rsquo;d achieved. What a wonderful day.\n","date":"18 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-newlands-round-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"The British Summer Heatwave has arrived.\nIn the week leading up to yesterday, Saturday 17th July, I had been planning a fell walk with my friend, Kate. She has more experience fell walking than I do, so we agreed to try a fell walk incorporating a view I’ve been after for years: Dale Head.\n","title":"The Newlands Round, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"This might be a bit of a mish-mash of a post, so bear with me.\nOne morning, whilst perusing our favourite weather apps and services, we could see that we needed to stay away from the coast if we wanted to avoid the rain and thunder. Being more in-land would be a better deal. So we began looking at our \u0026ldquo;wishlist\u0026rdquo; of Northumberland in-land locations and realised that quite a few of them were fair clustered together.\nA plan formulated in our heads…\nNow, each location here could well have been given its own post. But they would\u0026rsquo;ve been short posts, and I like giving value for money. So please enjoy this journey through the history, and pre-history, of Northumberland.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens. Images made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor corrections and edits in Lightroom and Affinity Photo afterwards.\nFirst stop, Norham Castle! The original tower known as the Great Tower, which is largely what\u0026rsquo;s left of the castle, was founded by Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, between 1099 and 1128 AD. It was built to protect the bishopric of Northumberland from the Scots. That makes Norham Castle over 900-years old! The castle was an important fortification and site against the Scots, and in the course of the next 300 years since its founding the castle was attacked, invaded, and changed hands many times between the English and the Scots. As peace finally settled between England and Scotland in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth declared she would spend nothing on Norham and the castle was left to ruin. It gained fame once again in the 19th century due to the paintings of J. M. W. Turner. Here I employed some actual HDR photography, first time in many years, in an attempt to capture more dynamic range looking up the stairwell in the Great Tower. The site and castle is now taken care of by English Heritage, who\u0026rsquo;ve made access to the area free and have helped maintained accessibility of this historic treasure.\n10-minutes south-by-southeast of Norham is the tiny village of Duddo. We parked up at a lay-by just outside the village to take the farmer-permitted access track to Duddo Stone Circle. The land around here seemed primarily used for growing crops of wheat, and their sea-like wavering in the wind mesmerised me. Halfway along the path the stone circle becomes visible and we could see we weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones. Lisabet and I waited by a clearing to give the previous visitors space to leave. One way in, one way out. Looking back the way we came, the Cheviot Hills were looking rather lovely. Not as lovely as my Lisabet, though. Our turn up the access track towards the stone circle. Our excitement builds. And here we are, Duddo Stone Circle. Much more impressive than we had first anticipated, actually! The stone circle is \u0026ldquo;officially\u0026rdquo; known as Duddo Five Stones because, well, there\u0026rsquo;s five stones. It was previously known as Duddo Four Stones, or just Four Stones, until 1903, when the fifth stone was re-erected to improve the skyline. The evidence, though, indicates that there were originally seven. The stones are made of local sandstone and are deeply fissured due to weathering, making these incredible shapes. The best guess is that they were erected in the Early Bronze Age, so around 4,000 years ago! Which is crazy to think of. Duddo Five Stones is located on a small hill north of the village of Duddo, and thus they offer panoramic views of the Cheviot Hills to the south and the Lammermuir Hills to the north. In view in this composition are the Cheviot Hills. After soaking in the atmosphere of this mystical place, we eventually trundled our way back the same route to the car, drinking in the panoramic views as we did. A humbling place.\nAnother 4-minutes south of Duddo is the one-street village of Etal! Featured here is Northumberland\u0026rsquo;s only thatched-roof pub, The Black Bull . The whole village, in fact, was just impossibly idyllic and so very English. We paused for lunch at Etal\u0026rsquo;s tearooms, enjoying the peace and all the little birds flitting about. A perfect Summer\u0026rsquo;s day in England. Just a few doors down the street from The Black Bull is another cottage with a thatched roof. And a ridiculously pretty front garden. Our destination at Etal was the castle, Etal Castle, which is what the village is centred around. Like Norham, Etal Castle is managed by English Heritage, only here you normally have to pay. On this occasion, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the visitor centre was not staffed so access to the site was free. Similar to Norham Castle, the castle here at Etal saw a lot of conflict between the English and the Scots. It was built around 1341 AD by Robert Manners and after 200-years of cross-border conflict it was recaptured by the English Crown in 1547 AD. In 1603 AD it was abandoned as a military fortification, and eventually fell into ruin as the Union of Great Britain meant its original purpose was redundant. What survives of the site these days is this gatehouse, a corner tower, and the residential tower, all of it constructed from local sandstone.\nAnother 5-minutes southeast of Etal is its \u0026ldquo;sister\u0026rdquo; village, Ford. It\u0026rsquo;s name could come from the shallow crossing of the River Till (known as a ford) that monks and nuns would use to navigate between the Iona and Lindisfarne monasteries. One of Ford\u0026rsquo;s most famous residents was Lady Louisa Beresford, Marchioness of Waterford. She was a gifted amateur watercolorist and had enormous compassion and welfare for the tenants in her estate. She had a school built in the village and, between 1860 and 1882, decorated it with wall paintings she created of bible scenes featuring local tenants, workers, and children in the scenes. St. Michael \u0026amp; All Angels Church in Ford enjoys wonderful views towards the Cheviot Hills. There\u0026rsquo;s been a house of worship on this site since the 13th-century. The imposing entrance to Ford Castle, built in 1287 to protect the manor of Ford from the battles between England and Scotland. Lady Waterford\u0026rsquo;s grave. It was designed in 1891 by esteemed British painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts, and the slab was done by Watts\u0026rsquo;s wife Mary Seton Watts. In 1513, James IV of Scotland made Ford Castle here his base just before the Battle of Flodden, the largest battle between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland. He lost his life in the battle along with 9,000 of his men. Nowadays the castle is owned by the Joicey family, but has been leased to Northumberland County Council since 1956 as a Young Person\u0026rsquo;s Residential Centre.\nAt this point of the day we realised that conditions were much better on the coast of Northumberland than we had anticipated. Deciding to keep in the theme of history, we checked tide times and crossed the tidal causeway to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. The imposing castle of Lindisfarne, built in the 16th-century, perched atop a mound of whinsill rock known as Beblowe Craig. Turned out to be a glorious day indeed! As the tide was out, Lisabet and I quickly made our way to the bay west of Lindisfarne Castle known as The Ouse. I remembered a bunch of magnificently-shaped boulders along the coast from our last time here, way back in 2013. Time to get the 9mm ultra-wide lens out for some near-far compositions of these boulders and Lindisfarne Castle! Though Holy Island is tidal and largely made of mudflats, sand dunes, and salt marshes, there\u0026rsquo;s also a good chunk of volcanic rock, especially around the southeastern part of the island. Well this was a lovely find on the way to Lindisfarne Castle! A vibrant crop of common mallow ( Malva sylvestris) , providing wonderful foreground interest in this composition of Lindisfarne Castle. We\u0026rsquo;d never explored much of Holy Island on previous visits, preferring to focus on the castle, priory and village. This time, with newfound fitness, we went much further and followed the eastern shoreline towards the northeastern point of the island. Emmanuel Head, the northeastern edge of England. The strange structure here isn\u0026rsquo;t a weird lighthouse but rather a daymark for maritime navigation. Standing 35 ft high, it was built in 1810 and is probably Britain\u0026rsquo;s earliest daymark. On our trek back to the car, I snapped one final look up at the mighty Lindisfarne Castle. What a day.\n","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/castles-circles-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"This might be a bit of a mish-mash of a post, so bear with me.\nOne morning, whilst perusing our favourite weather apps and services, we could see that we needed to stay away from the coast if we wanted to avoid the rain and thunder. Being more in-land would be a better deal. So we began looking at our “wishlist” of Northumberland in-land locations and realised that quite a few of them were fair clustered together.\n","title":"Castles \u0026amp; Circles, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cheviot-hills/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cheviot Hills","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/etal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Etal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/etal-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Etal Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ford/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ford","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ford-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ford Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lindisfarne/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lindisfarne","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lindisfarne-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lindisfarne Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/norham/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Norham","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/norham-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Norham Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"15 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/prehistoric/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Prehistoric","type":"tags"},{"content":"Despite being in peak summer, it wasn\u0026rsquo;t all glorious sunshine during our week in Northumberland.\nOn this particular day I poured over the various weather apps and services I check to ascertain temperatures, chances of rain, atmospheric conditions and more. From what I could see, if we stayed near the coast of Northumberland around Bamburgh we could probably avoid a lot of storms that were moving southwards.\nAfter a beautiful morning of sunshine wandering around the beaches of Bamburgh and Budle, another glance at the weather services indicated a storm moving in over the area. This was also self-evident as the clouds above the beach and castle of Bamburgh were getting dark and foreboding. Lisabet and I nipped into a pub for lunch and decided on another beach further north that we hadn\u0026rsquo;t explored before: Cheswick Sands.\nThankfully, this was the correct decision. Not only did the rain fall as soon as we arrived at the pub (thank you, Lord Crewe Hotel), but the conditions at Cheswick Sands were blessedly dry. More than that, Cheswick Sands is beautiful. The area features extensive dunes, soft beaches, and fantastical sandstone formations to play around with photographically.\nI made perhaps some of the finest seascape compositions I\u0026rsquo;ve ever done.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images were made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits and corrections after in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nAn early start meant we were able to park freely in Bamburgh and wander around the village with few people around. Pretty much no matter where you are in Bamburgh, the castle is sure to dominate the skyline. The grounds around Bamburgh Castle were looking particularly lush and verdant. Not something I expected, or wanted, to see when clambering around Harkess Rocks on Bamburgh beach. A dead Northern Gannet ( Morus bassanus ). You tend to see these beautiful birds more around cliffs and isolated rocky islands, so I\u0026rsquo;m not sure why this one was found near the beach. My first aim of the morning at Bamburgh beach was to head to Harkess Rocks, which separates Bamburgh beach from Budle Bay. Here one can find a painted deer. Is it prehistoric? A recent piece of art? No-one\u0026rsquo;s quite sure. One story says that it was painted because a white stag jumped into the sea to escape hunters. Another story reckons it was painted by Italian prisoners of war during World War 2. Harkess Rocks and Blackrock Point features a prehistoric fault line and a confusing jumbled mass of ancient volcanic rock. Compositionally, I think this area is better to shoot when the tide is in, allowing the water to better separate the shapes of the rocks. Above Harkess Rocks is Bamburgh Moor, where Lisabet alerted me to a field full of these beautiful flowers ( Phacelia tanacetifolia or Purple Tansy ). You can read about the farmers who manage this field and why they sow the flowers here . You\u0026rsquo;ve gotta admit, it\u0026rsquo;s a pretty stunning scene. More of the layering of the scene is involved in this composition as the day started to brighten up. North of Bamburgh Lighthouse, around Blackrocks Point, we found this open rock pool surrounded by these tessellating structures of volcanic rock. Made for a lovely, if challenging, composition. Back from the main rock pool, I spotted another smaller rock pool filled with vivid lime green sea moss. I lined up a composition to create a kind of Figure-of-8 shape in the middle of the frame, surrounded by the dark volcanic rocks of Blackrocks Point. North west of Blackrocks Point and Bamburgh beach, the sands open out into Budle Bay and its vast expanse of golden sand. One reason on this day not to venture into the sea for a paddle or a swim: jellyfish. No thanks. A minimalistic composition involving the vast virgin sands of Budle Bay. Heading back south towards Bamburgh, the day brightened up and people had arrived to soak up the sun. In the distance, you can make out one of the Farne Islands, an important wildlife habitat. The hulking might of Bamburgh Castle, standing protectively over the coastline and sea. At around midday the beach was quickly filling up with people. I nabbed this quick composition of Bamburgh Castle in the distance with the edge of Harkess Rocks closer to the viewer. This was where we decided to exit the beach and devise an alternative plan to avoid the approaching storm. Foreboding indeed. The approaching storm made for some dramatic clouds above Bamburgh Castle, though. Seemingly oblivious to the approaching storm about to drench them in rain, a group of friends enjoy a game of croquet in the fields next to Bamburgh Castle. Bamburgh\u0026rsquo;s a proper bonny village. After escaping the rains falling over Bamburgh and inland Northumberland, we drove north to visit a relatively little-known beach called Cheswick Sands. I snapped the rather dramatic skyline from the car park. Good job we weren\u0026rsquo;t under that. Access to Cheswick Sands involves clambering up and down the soft sands of Cheswick\u0026rsquo;s dunes. From the top of one, I made this composition of the undulating dunes, the North Sea, and the dark storm in the distance. As we gently wandered north along the gloriously empty beach of Cheswick Sands, we came across a band of exposed sandstone known as Cheswick Black Rocks. They featured some wonderfully sculptured and bizarre rock formations, shaped over the eons by wind and sea. I had lots of fun making compositions of them. It\u0026rsquo;s not very often I get to keep my ultra-wide 9mm lens on and play around with strange rock shapes and near-far photographic compositions. Loads of fun! Probably my favourite composition of the whole day. The northernmost parts of Cheswick Black Rocks were still covered in slippery seaweed and moss, which made for great colours. Sculpted rocks, sand dunes, the North Sea, and a stormy sky. Love it. I managed to climb on top of some of the higher rocks to grab this more unusual curving shape, accentuated courtesy of my 9mm lens. Another fantastical rock formation, seemingly made of \u0026ldquo;scales\u0026rdquo; of discs folding over each other. Curving flowing lines and pure untouched sand with a dramatic sky above. As the sun came out to play a bit more, I found this beautiful boulder that I had to make a composition of before we returned to the car. Miles of rippled wet sand and a long pool reflecting the dramatic sky above. What a quality day.\n","date":"12 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bamburgh-budle-cheswick-sands-northumberland-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Despite being in peak summer, it wasn’t all glorious sunshine during our week in Northumberland.\nOn this particular day I poured over the various weather apps and services I check to ascertain temperatures, chances of rain, atmospheric conditions and more. From what I could see, if we stayed near the coast of Northumberland around Bamburgh we could probably avoid a lot of storms that were moving southwards.\n","title":"Bamburgh, Budle \u0026amp; Cheswick Sands, Northumberland, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/blackrocks-point/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Blackrocks Point","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/budle-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Budle Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-abbs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Abbs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st-abbs-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St Abbs Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m back from a week away! How\u0026rsquo;s everyone been?\nLisabet and I took a week\u0026rsquo;s summer break, based in a small farm cottage not too far from Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. We enjoyed lots of hiking this holiday, and as this is Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, that meant plenty of coastal action, beaches, cliffs, the lot.\nFirst, welcome to St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head in the Scottish Borders. A 30-minute drive from Berwick-upon-Tweed in England, the coastline of the Scottish Borders can often be missed or ignored by the bigger pull of the likes of Edinburgh and East Lothian. However, the coastline and cliffs of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head are world class and demand a solid exploration and inspection.\nSt. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head is a headland of cliffs, steep gullies, and sea stacks lying north of the village of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s. The rock here is of volcanic origin, compared to the surrounding area\u0026rsquo;s softer sandstone. With eons of pummelling from wind and sea, this has left a coastline of twisted and contorted rocks, sheer 200ft cliff faces, and isolated islands and sea stacks.\nAll of this also makes the area perfect for seabirds. St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head is home to a seabird colony of 60,000, essentially making the whole area a City of Birds. Here one can find guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, shags, herring gulls, and puffins. At times, the noise from all the birds is deafening.\nWe could not have asked for better conditions to hike St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head. After days of either rain or sea haars, it was refreshing to have a clear atmosphere, soft summer light, and a gentle breeze.\nPlease enjoy my photos of some of Scotland\u0026rsquo;s most epic coastline.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lenses. All images were made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nJust up the road from the National Trust for Scotland car park, the land above St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s head is perfect for arable farming. This scene immediately put me in mind of the famous Windows XP wallpaper , so I made an attempt at a homage to that iconic image. The footpath away from the village quickly gains height, and the views back to St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s immediately open up. The sun broke through the clouds briefly, highlighting the cliffs of the village and rendering this scene with an almost improbable painterly quality. A more… unusual composition of the village. Here I nestled next to the cliff edge to get these flowers in the bottom of the photo, followed by the sheer cliff face known as White Heugh, then the village in the distance. I then waited for any of the sea birds to fly into view before pressing the shutter. Although I\u0026rsquo;ve been to St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head a few times now, I\u0026rsquo;ve never visited in the peak of summer. What I didn\u0026rsquo;t expect was the sheer variety and colour of all the flora around the cliffs. Astounding! Here\u0026rsquo;s the view looking straight down from above Wuddy Rocks towards White Heugh cliff and the distant village of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s. Onward from Wuddy Rocks, we aim towards the main headland of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head itself. The shadows of clouds glide across the golden farmland below. At Horsecastle Bay, this scene presents itself to us. In fact, as it came into view, Lisabet heard me mutter, \u0026ldquo;Oh, fuck off!\u0026rdquo; Wildflowers adorn the cliff edge, framing the various rocks in the bay and the curious boot-shaped red sea stack. Further around Horsecastle Bay, Lisabet follows a solitary spur, which slightly spooks the birds nesting below. A pick my composition and wait for all the elements to align. The southeastern cliffs of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head is known as Kirk Hill, and features a variety of geological \u0026ldquo;uncomformities\u0026rdquo;; that is, layers of rock from vastly different ages in history, lying next to each other. As we climb up St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head, the lighthouse comes into view. We hang around the cliff edges above Clafferts Rock for some compositions involving the lighthouse. Beyond the lighthouse, the cliffs get steeper and more vertical. Lisabet follows one spur alone. Click/tap the image for a bigger view; you may well be able to point out the hundreds of birds on the cliffs to the left. I clambered down the cliffs beneath the lighthouse for a view looking back towards it. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to do justice to the sheer scale of these cliffs and how far they drop to the North Sea below. Also, not pictured, is the deafening sound of thousands of seabirds shouting at each other. The cliff edges were covered in a wide variety of summer flora. Other hikers follow the cliff edge trail, and as I line up a composition of the cliffs of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head, I deliberately include the people to help provide a sense of scale. With my ultra-wide 9mm lens, I was able to capture images looking almost vertically down to the sea from the cliff edges as well as the horizon. A scene of pure drama, with sheer cliffs and finned sea stacks covered in guano. Lisabet and I find a grassy opening framed by two towers that provides me with this wonderful composition of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head and the North Sea beyond. Further northeast along St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head, I follow a spur out near the ruins of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Nunnery, which enables me to view this open panorama of the sheer cliffs and St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Lighthouse. Lisabet and I get more adventurous and follow this particular spur all the way down and out towards the edge. I lay down and nab this composition looking back up to the sea stacks, the cliffs, and the lighthouse, all in one. Towards West Hurker the geology gets even more insane, if that\u0026rsquo;s at all possible. In the distance we can start to see the cliffs of Uilystrand Brae. The cliff edges here get more erratic, now featuring individual towers and pillars that provide small openings and sheer drops to the sea below. Don\u0026rsquo;t look down… Towards the edge of West Hurker, the northwestern part of St. Abb\u0026rsquo;s Head, the path becomes gentler as the cliffs of Uilystrand Brae grow in stature. To get a better view of the Uilystrand Brae cliffs, we elect to follow the steep grassy path down to Pettico Wick Bay, with the views getting more epic along the way. Check out the wee little hikers in the bottom-left of the frame! And there it is. Pettico Wick Bay and the twisted cliffs of Uilystrand Brae on a perfect summer\u0026rsquo;s day.\n","date":"9 July 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/st-abbs-head-scottish-borders-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":"I’m back from a week away! How’s everyone been?\nLisabet and I took a week’s summer break, based in a small farm cottage not too far from Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. We enjoyed lots of hiking this holiday, and as this is Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, that meant plenty of coastal action, beaches, cliffs, the lot.\n","title":"St. Abbs Head, Scottish Borders, Scotland","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"30 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ard-crags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ard Crags","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lingholm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lingholm","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lingholm-estate/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lingholm Estate","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/little-town/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Little Town","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/newlands/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Newlands","type":"tags"},{"content":"On the Sunday following the Saturday, we threw caution to the wind and visited the Lake District for a solid hike.\nSigns were looking good that, for a Sunday morning, the Lake District wasn\u0026rsquo;t looking too busy (use Safer Lakes to check the busyness of Lake District car parks). We drove to Keswick and plotted a hiking route from the town onto the Cumbria Way towards the Lingholm Estate, where we\u0026rsquo;d pause for refreshment. Then we\u0026rsquo;d continue on the Cumbria Way towards the foot of Catbells, and break off into the Newlands Valley, terminating at Little Town and circling back all the way to Keswick.\nAll in all, about 16 km and 25,000 steps. Pretty good.\nIt was a stupendously beautiful day in the Lake District, and the Newlands Valley in particular was looking absolutely incredible.\nPlease enjoy these photos.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens. Images were made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nCrossing the Greta Bridge here signifies the start of our walk onto the Cumbria Way. Given the weather we\u0026rsquo;d had, the river was looking very low. The Cumbria Way bisects an open field, with clear views towards the Newlands fells one way and the Skiddaw range the other. Pure Lake District. Mountains above, Herdwick sheep below. Hot Herdwick ewes and their lamb find shade wherever they can. They\u0026rsquo;re about ready for clipping (shearing) I reckon. Just south of the village of Portinscale, you enter a heavily wooded area. This is all part of the Lingholm Estate , the centre of which is a Victorian mansion built in the 1870s by Alfred Waterhouse. The grounds of Lingholm Estate, and especially the Walled Gardens and Kitchen, are beautifully maintained. Beatrix Potter made sketches of the octagonal kitchen garden and referred to it as her original inspiration for Mr McGregor\u0026rsquo;s garden in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Rhododendrons and foxglove. Pretty colour contrasts. Everything was looking so lush in the gardens. A brief window of light penetrates the woodland canopy, illuminating this uprooted tree. After popping out of Overside Wood you enter what is simply known as The Park, and are greeted with the northern ridge of Catbells (451 m/1,480 ft), one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s most famous mountains. Our journey that day did not involve Catbells, especially with the veritable train of people following the path up to the fell\u0026rsquo;s summit. Instead we took the minor road around the mountain\u0026rsquo;s western shoulder, heading towards the Newlands Valley. Already, the views look wonderful. One of Keswick\u0026rsquo;s more familiar sights is the knobbly profile of Causey Pike (637 m/2,090 ft). Rowling End (433 m/1,421 ft) slightly obscuring Causey Pike with Birkrigg Farm below. Looking back the way we came, with the massive Skiddaw range looming above Keswick. My lovely Lisabet looking, well, lovely! Following the minor road around Catbells\u0026rsquo; western shoulder, the views open up more and more, giving us extensive panoramas of the Newlands fells. An ultra-wide perspective of our way forward as the Newlands valley opens up. The fell in the centre that looks like it\u0026rsquo;s had a massive bite taken out of it is Robinson (737 m/2,418 ft). The name might seem unusual, given most fell and place names in Cumbria have Old Norse origins. Apparently the land that included the fell was purchased by a Richard Robinson centuries ago. The fell, at the time unnamed, became known as Robinson\u0026rsquo;s Fell, and eventually shortened to Robinson. I suspect this minor road was once a miner\u0026rsquo;s road (see what I did there?). According to the OS Map, ahead of us at Yewthwaite was some disused old mining works beneath Maiden Moor (576 m/1,890 ft). We followed the trail through the old mines and onward towards Little Town. Ahead of us, Ard Crags\u0026rsquo; (581 m/1,906 ft) pointy profile is revealed. But what I\u0026rsquo;m looking for is just around the corner of High Crags… And there it is. In my mind, one of the best views in all of Lakeland. Dale Head (753 m/2,470 ft) on the left, Hindscarth (727 m/2,385 ft) in the middle, and Robinson on the right. Looking back the other way, we are treated to another gorgeous Lakeland summer scene. Herdwick sheep in the valley bottom, the Skiddaw range above. We stopped for refreshment and delicious ice cream at Catbells Café in Little Town. Ard Crags, like a toddler amongst the grown-ups, still very much demanded our attention. Not a bad spot for refreshments, eh? After pausing at Little Town we circled back and followed the trail all the way back towards the Cumbria Way and Keswick. This part of the trail is closer to the valley bottom and more open, giving us different views entirely. A pleasing composition of ancient trees, farm fence and gate, and the Skiddaw range. Lots of the standalone trees around this part of the Newlands Valley I suspect are rather old, and remnants from when this valley was cleared of woodland by Viking settlers. It also means you find strange and unusual trees, such as this beauty. Ever seen a tree trunk like it?! From one field into another, following an ancient lane back towards Skiddaw. One final look back at the Newlands fells, with groups of Texel sheep and lambs dotted about. Back on the minor road underneath Catbells. Lisabet grabs a rare selfie, with Blencathra looking mighty in the distance. Stormwater Bridge, a suspended footbridge, indicates our approach is near Keswick. The Skiddaw range looms ever closer. Herdwick lambs seeking shade from the warm day. They are born jet black, save for tufts of white around their ears. As they age, their face and legs turn white and their fleece becomes a dark, chocolatey brown. It\u0026rsquo;s not until they\u0026rsquo;re 2-3 years of age that they get their first clip (shear), which reveals the characteristic grey Herdwick fleece underneath. Zen Cow is contemplating existence… Keswick town was busy . Time to navigate through the crowds in order to get back to the car. What a wonderful day it was.\n","date":"30 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/newlands-valley-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"On the Sunday following the Saturday, we threw caution to the wind and visited the Lake District for a solid hike.\nSigns were looking good that, for a Sunday morning, the Lake District wasn’t looking too busy (use Safer Lakes to check the busyness of Lake District car parks). We drove to Keswick and plotted a hiking route from the town onto the Cumbria Way towards the Lingholm Estate, where we’d pause for refreshment. Then we’d continue on the Cumbria Way towards the foot of Catbells, and break off into the Newlands Valley, terminating at Little Town and circling back all the way to Keswick.\n","title":"Newlands Valley, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barbon/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barbon","type":"tags"},{"content":"With the summer heat increasing once again, it was time to revisit a favourite of ours: Barbondale.\nThe last time we hiked around the area was May last year (2020). One year and a month on, tree felling operations in the area are still very much in action. I wonder why a lot of the woodland in the valley is being cut down and replanted? It is quite sad to see.\nWe decided to slightly extend our usual walk from Barbon village to the valley clearing by following the trail up the gill between Barbon Low and High Fell. This lands you at Bullpot, home to the Red Rose Cave \u0026amp; Pothole Club. There are a myriad of caves and potholes here that give access to the area\u0026rsquo;s famous Easegill cave system.\nMy experience of the hike was unfortunately somewhat marred. As the temperatures are rising again, I decided to go hiking in shorts rather than a pair of trousers. This was a mistake as Barbondale was busy with activity from Deer Flies, a few of which decided to persistently attack my calves for that delicious blood fuel.\nLesson learned: don\u0026rsquo;t wear shorts when hiking in the summer.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Images were 80% made in-camera using a \u0026ldquo;Nostalgic Negative\u0026rdquo; recipe, with minor edits later in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nThe Churchmouse at Barbon, a lovely little café and cheese shop in Barbon village. Not bad views if you live in Barbon. Barbon is proper lovely, and though technically in Cumbria it very much feels like a rural Yorkshire village. St. Bartholomew\u0026rsquo;s church. The present structure dates from the early 19th century, located slightly south of an earlier chapel built in the 1600s. Machinery at rest is now dotted about the area of Barbondale woods. I\u0026rsquo;m sure there are pertinent reasons to cut down so many trees, but it\u0026rsquo;s still saddening. The peak of Barbon Low Fell, set against what remains of Barbondale woods and some summer wildflowers. The lack of trees in Barbondale has revealed at one thing to me, though: there are a lot of Foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea ) in the valley. Steadily making our way towards Barbondale head and its clearing. The view that greets you once you pop out of what\u0026rsquo;s left of Barbondale woods. The weather was… interesting. It was warm, but with gusts of alternating cold and hot air, interspersed with gentle sprays of rain from a distant cloud burst. You can see the cloud burst above Crag Hill in the distance. After stopping for lunch by Barbon Beck, we took the trail up the gill between Barbon Low and High Fell, clearly signposted for Bullpot. The deer flies were ravenous. The views looking back down to Barbondale started to open up as we climbed higher. A beam of light scans across Barbondale and its highest fell, Calf Top. Red Rose Cave \u0026amp; Pothole Club at the top of Bullpot, formerly the home of Bullpot Farm. We could\u0026rsquo;ve continued the hike around the head of this tiny valley to explore Easegill, but the flies had pissed me off enough so we made our way back to the car. The top of the trail between Bullpot and Barbondale. Damp, fecund, and full of flies. A curious Swaledale ewe pauses her meal to ensure I\u0026rsquo;m not a threat. The road back to Barbon village. High in Barbondale woods to the right, you can spot Barbon Manor. Arriving back at Barbon village, complete with relief from getting away from all the flies and guilt for letting them annoy me so much.\n","date":"28 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/barbondale-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"With the summer heat increasing once again, it was time to revisit a favourite of ours: Barbondale.\nThe last time we hiked around the area was May last year (2020). One year and a month on, tree felling operations in the area are still very much in action. I wonder why a lot of the woodland in the valley is being cut down and replanted? It is quite sad to see.\n","title":"Barbondale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dales/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dales","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"28 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/nostalgic-negative/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nostalgic Negative","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bowscale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bowscale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bowscale-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bowscale Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":"We kicked off Father\u0026rsquo;s Day weekend by revisiting the Mosedale valley in the Northern Fells of the Lake District.\nThe last time we hiked Mosedale was back in March of this year, during a visit to my Dad\u0026rsquo;s. It was our first time in this quiet valley and we were floored with the sights and views. The nice weather probably helped.\nThis time we endeavoured to hike the public bridleway up Mosedale\u0026rsquo;s southern side. Following this takes you all the way to Bowscale Tarn and, if you want, onwards up to Bowscale Fell (702 m/2,303 ft). Adventurous fell walkers can then extend this hike by venturing further south to summit Blencathra itself (868 m/2,848 ft).\nWe decided not to summit Bowscale Fell this time round; the humidity was proving quite draining. Nevertheless, Bowscale Tarn was delightful. It\u0026rsquo;s flanked on all sides except the north by sheer walls of crag. The tarn is reportedly 60 ft deep and—so the legend goes—is home to a pair of talking, immortal fish.\nThe more you know!\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images 80% developed in-camera using a customised Provia film simulation, with minor finishing edits in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nAfter parking up at the small car park, generously provided by the Quaker Meeting Hall, I had to quickly snap this photo. It\u0026rsquo;s such an English Lake District village scene. Tiny Mosedale village, nestled underneath Carrock Fell (661 m/2,169 ft). Onto the public bridleway near Bowscale hamlet and up we go! We certainly weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones on this trail, and nor should we expect to be given it\u0026rsquo;s summer in the Lake District. Nevertheless, this part of the national park definitely sees fewer visitors. The flat-bottomed floor of Mosedale, perfectly sculpted by historical glaciers. Looking back, I spot Lisabet nabbing a photo of a bee on some thistle. The cloudy conditions increased the humidity of the day, and soon we were rather damp in sweat. Plenty of Swaledale ewes about in Mosedale, with their spring lambs getting to know the valley and the fells. Around this part of the bridleway, the gradient starts to increase as we near Bowscale Tarn. I paused to catch me breath briefly, and looked back to shoot the light scanning across the shoulder of Bowscale Fell. Bowscale Tarn is near. The bridleway skirts around this moraine \u0026ldquo;lip\u0026rdquo; that keeps the water where it is. Ahead is the wall known sensibly as Tarn Crags. We made it to the tarn, preceded by fellow hikers and families enjoying the delights of nature. An unnamed gill cuts through the crags of Bowscale Fell and drops into the deep and dark water of Bowscale Tarn. Near the outflow of the tarn, which drops to the valley floor as Tarn Sikes, one can find some impressive boulders offering compositional interest. A wider view of Bowscale Tarn, surrounded by Tarn Crags. The summit of Bowscale Fell is just up and to the left. Lisabet and I gingerly navigated around the shore of the tarn, picking out photos along the way. Underneath Tarn Crags, I looked back to the outflow of the tarn and made this composition incorporating the distant summit of Carrock Fell. Even on the steep slopes of Tarn Crags, you\u0026rsquo;ll find ewes and their lambs. This part of the shoreline marks the end of our way around the tarn. A brief opening in the clouds above softly illuminates the scene. There were plenty of kids hopping, skipping, and jumping around the rocks and boulders of the tarn. After pausing for lunch, it was time to head back down. I equipped my 55mm lens for some longer perspectives, including this one of Lisabet and the northern side of Mosedale. Salutations to the splendour of nature? Or stretching her shoulders and back out? After following the clear, yet admittedly steep, path directly back down to the valley floor, we paused at the footbridge to admire this view all the way back up Mosedale. Roundhouse Farm marks the point where we join the path on the northern side of Mosedale and head back east to the car. The earliest parts of the farm date back to 1702 AD. Swaledales were being smart and sought shelter from the sun underneath the trees and in the shade of the drystone walls. They look about ready for a good clipping (shearing). Behold! Some blue sky at last! The full extent of Mosedale from near the village. What a crackin\u0026rsquo; day.\n","date":"21 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bowscale-tarn-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"We kicked off Father’s Day weekend by revisiting the Mosedale valley in the Northern Fells of the Lake District.\nThe last time we hiked Mosedale was back in March of this year, during a visit to my Dad’s. It was our first time in this quiet valley and we were floored with the sights and views. The nice weather probably helped.\n","title":"Bowscale Tarn, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/mosedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mosedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Sometimes, as an Englishman, you just need to have a proper English Countryside experience.\nFor one reason or another, I\u0026rsquo;ve not been feeling 100% mentally and emotionally this week. Saturday arrived as a glorious summer\u0026rsquo;s day. We knew the Lake District would be absolutely heaving with people. Instead, we opted for a local 9km walk around the Cunswick Fell area.\nIt was just the tonic. The sun was warm, but a gentle cool breeze made things comfortable. The fields and meadows were bursting with tall grasses and wildflowers. The atmosphere was crisp and the distant fells were clear as a bell. One of the those hikes where you can\u0026rsquo;t take a bad photo and makes you feel truly grateful.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images were 80% made in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nAfter leaving the Cumbria Wildlife Trust HQ, where we parked, we took the trail off the road and through the fields. Immediately, scenes like this greeted us. Just pure bucolic perfection. Buttercups everywhere, and the Kentmere fells so clear you could almost reach out and touch them. Lisabet snapping as happily as I was. Near Halhead Hall Farm, a trail through the woods underneath Cunswick Fell takes you 60 m up towards the fell. Up on Cunswick Fell, the views soon start to open up. Here is the view looking east towards the Howgills . The Lake District fells across the Lyth Valley from Cunswick Fell. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t get a lot better than this. We scanned around the western shoulder of Cunswick Fell, looking for the trail down Scar Wood towards Cunswick Tarn. This is the limestone woods of Scar Wood, underneath Cunswick Scar. It takes you down to the Lyth Valley. The trail then leads through the edge of Ash Spring Wood, filled with wild garlic. And then you pop out of Ash Spring Wood to be greeted with endless fields of tall grass and the Coniston Fells. Over the wall near us, this gorgeous Holstein Friesian was inching closer, being as inquisitive as cows are. The way to Cunswick Hall, which is where we join the ancient country road Gamblesmire Lane back towards Cunswick Fell. Happy cows, basking in the sun. Just ridiculous views, no matter which way you look. Looking back down Gamblesmire Lane, the Lake District fells looking crisp as ever even with the extra cloud cover. A Hawthorn-lined track that leads back to the summit of Cunswick Fell. My lovely little Lisabet, leading the way back down the woods towards our car. Just one of those perfect English countryside summer days.\n","date":"6 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cunswick-fell-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Sometimes, as an Englishman, you just need to have a proper English Countryside experience.\nFor one reason or another, I’ve not been feeling 100% mentally and emotionally this week. Saturday arrived as a glorious summer’s day. We knew the Lake District would be absolutely heaving with people. Instead, we opted for a local 9km walk around the Cunswick Fell area.\n","title":"Cunswick Fell, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/aspava/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Aspava","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bassenthwaite-lake/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bassenthwaite Lake","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cockermouth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cockermouth","type":"tags"},{"content":"Let\u0026rsquo;s move away a little from the landscapes and nature.\nLisabet and I recently had occasion to enjoy an outdoor swimming session with esteemed outdoor and wild swimming guide Suzanna Cruickshank. Not only was Suzanna a total delight, with the patience and compassion of a saint, but the weather couldn\u0026rsquo;t have been better with clear skies and 20+ degree sun. We were guided on a swim in Bassenthwaite Lake, which thankfully allows for a gentle drop into the water unlike most other lakes in the Lake District. The experience was exhilarating, fun, and freeing.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re ever in Cumbria, and want a pair of safe hands to guide you through swimming in the lakes of the Lake District, I can wholeheartedly recommend Suzanna.\nAfter our session, Lisabet and I decided to have summer\u0026rsquo;s day wander around Cockermouth, one of our favourite Cumbrian towns. We had a late birthday meal to catch up on, so booked a table at the beautiful Aspava for some of the finest Turkish cuisine around.\nAll in all, it were a top notch day, and of course I took some photos of it. I hope you enjoy these photo memories of mine as much as I enjoyed creating them.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Images made 80% in-camera using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation, then minor edits applied after in Lightroom and Affinity Photo. The photo of me and Lisabet swimming in the lake is provided by kind courtesy of Suzanna Cruickshank.\nLisabet and I, swimming in Bassenthwaite Lake! Photo courtesy of Suzanna Cruickshank . Making our way into Cockermouth town centre. \u0026ldquo;Shampoochies\u0026rdquo; is an excellent name for a dog grooming business. Cockermouth is such a bonny town, especially in the summer. The marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, MP for Cockermouth between 1857-68. A famous resident of the town. He was assassinated in 1872 whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India A good way to start off a Turkish meal, with Turkish draft beer. Delightfully hoppy and refreshing. Part way through our starter, comprising of hummus, cacık (a bit like Greek tzatziki ), patlıcan ezme (a Turkish aubergine salad), Kısır (spiced bulgar wheat salad), Mücver (deep fried courgette fritter), and Patates Kavurma (boiled potatoes with onion, parsley and chilli). A selection of grilled spiced meats with rice and salad. Nobody does meat better than the Turkish. Baklava , one of the world\u0026rsquo;s most famous desserts. Layered filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with honey. Kopper\u0026rsquo;s Café and Bar, named as such as the building was the old Police Station. The outdoor seating area of The Honest Lawyer, nicely decorated with hanging flowers alongside the River Cocker. One of my favourite aspects of Cockermouth town centre is how colourful the buildings are. See? Super pretty.\nThe Jennings Brewery, which started life in 1828 in the nearby village of Lorton. The brewery is now owned by Marston\u0026rsquo;s PLC, itself part of Carlsberg UK. All the ale and beer barrels. We crossed the bridge and made our merry way through the Memorial Gardens, snapping idyllic scenes along the way. Couple of young lads, deep in discussion. Summer in Cumbria is one glorious vista after another. A bit of old-school advertising on the side of this building. An indicator, too, as to the importance the brewery once had in Cockermouth. A partially-masked man pauses in the street to reply to someone on his phone. More traditional signage on the side of the Bridge Gallery building. I love this side of Cockermouth, Market Place, with all the colourful buildings. More of this in Cumbria, please.\n","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/cockermouth-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":"Let’s move away a little from the landscapes and nature.\nLisabet and I recently had occasion to enjoy an outdoor swimming session with esteemed outdoor and wild swimming guide Suzanna Cruickshank. Not only was Suzanna a total delight, with the patience and compassion of a saint, but the weather couldn’t have been better with clear skies and 20+ degree sun. We were guided on a swim in Bassenthwaite Lake, which thankfully allows for a gentle drop into the water unlike most other lakes in the Lake District. The experience was exhilarating, fun, and freeing.\n","title":"Cockermouth, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/outdoor-swimming/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Outdoor Swimming","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/suzanna-cruickshank/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Suzanna Cruickshank","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/suzanna-swims/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Suzanna Swims","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/turkish-restaurant/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Turkish Restaurant","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wild-swimming/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wild Swimming","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/attermire-scar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Attermire Scar","type":"tags"},{"content":"Summer has well and truly arrived.\nFollowing on from our little hike around Stenkrith Park and the Lune Gorge, Sunday greeted with us with clear blue skies and 20+ degree sunshine. That\u0026rsquo;ll do, nicely.\nEndeavouring to stay away from our home county Cumbria and the Lake District, we ventured east towards the bonny Yorkshire Dales town of Settle. We fancied a repeat of 2020\u0026rsquo;s discovery in this area: Stockdale and the Attermire Scar. Hiking up High Hill Lane towards Scalebar Force from Settle, a common and popular walk, you\u0026rsquo;d have no idea of the limestone cliffs and crags in the valley to the north.\nBranching off from High Hill Lane, a bridleway sign points out Attermire Scar. Following this route takes you into the Stockdale valley, where you can gawp at the incredible caves, cliffs, and limestone crags of Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts. Some of the best limestone karst scenery in all of the Yorkshire Dales.\nAnd incredible weather to boot.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Photos 80% made in-camera using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation, with minor edits later in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t think this typographic mural has been on display in Settle all that long. Certainly wasn\u0026rsquo;t here when we last visited in 2020. Very nice work indeed, and lots of folk were taking pictures of it. Swaledale ewe and lamb, basking in the day\u0026rsquo;s warmth up the fellside from High Hill Lane. A scar in the fellside of High Hill with a remarkable likeness of some sort of prehistoric dinosaur footprint. As we hike up Stockdale Lane, the views towards the limestone karst landscape start to open up and my excitement levels rise. This collection of crags and scree is known as Warrendale Knotts, which tops out at 440 m/1,443 ft. The Holstein Friesians seemed content in the warm fields of Stockdale. Nearing the top of Stockdale Lane with Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts getting ever closer. After nervously navigating past a field of young bullocks, and getting muddy boots in the process, a turn back for a shot of my lovely Lisabet. She cute. The way to Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts. Already we could pick out fellow hikers below the scars as well as rock climbers high up the crags, testing their skills and might. The east face of Warrendale Knotts, with some hikers ascending up the channel between this fell and Attermire Scar. I shot this primarily for the zigzagging lines towards the crags of Attermire Scar. Another Swaledale ewe and lamb, chilling beneath Warrendale Knotts. The transitions between scree and grass create a repeating diagonal pattern that my eye enjoys. So I shot the photo. The western aspect of Warrendale Knotts as it slopes back down towards Settle. Well… you should know what I\u0026rsquo;m like with drystone walls by now. See that cave, middle-left? That\u0026rsquo;s where we rested for lunch. The view back to Attermire Scar from our lunch spot, and probably my favourite shot from the day. Again, a series of connecting lines around the photo that gives your eye something to wander around with. Coming back down from the fells into Upper Settle, with its proper old-school Yorkshire vibe. Settle is a popular meeting and rest destination for bikers. Before heading home, we stopped off at the gardens of Settle Victoria Hall for light refreshment, and to give them our support. A proper English summer fair vibe.\n","date":"2 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stockdale-settle-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Summer has well and truly arrived.\nFollowing on from our little hike around Stenkrith Park and the Lune Gorge, Sunday greeted with us with clear blue skies and 20+ degree sunshine. That’ll do, nicely.\n","title":"Stockdale, Settle, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 June 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/warrendale-knotts/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Warrendale Knotts","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lune/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lune","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lune-gorge/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lune Gorge","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/northern-viaduct-trail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Northern Viaduct Trail","type":"tags"},{"content":"Woohoo, Spring Bank Holiday weekend!\nOn the first day of our 3-day weekend, we ventured northeast towards the bonny Cumbrian town of Kirkby Stephen. Aware of the rush of people heading into the Lake District, we\u0026rsquo;ve decided to largely stay out of Cumbria for this Bank Holiday. Near Kirkby Stephen is Stenkrith Park, which I\u0026rsquo;ve written about before. Here one can enjoy the incredible sights of the River Eden and the limestone gorge it\u0026rsquo;s created, then follow the Viaduct Trail for more glorious views and scenes.\nFortuitously, the weather\u0026rsquo;s decided to perk up just as the Bank Holiday arrived. Although hazy, the sun was warm and conditions were uplifting. Summer is finally coming.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens. Image made 80% in-camera using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation, the minor edits afterward in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nThe \u0026ldquo;Devil\u0026rsquo;s Grinding Mill\u0026rdquo; viewed from the Millenium Bridge. This is where the River Eden has carved out a gorge deep into a collapsed cave system. With the viaduct serving as a frame, it makes a wonderful scene. Lovely to see families out enjoying the trail, too. Around here, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to tell that this trail was once a railway line. A lovely cluster of dock leaves, or Rumex obtusifolius. You can often find these growing near stinging nettles. Folklore states that if you\u0026rsquo;re stung by stinging nettles, rubbing the affected area with some dock leaves soothes the pain. Unfortunately, there\u0026rsquo;s no evidence this actually works. Looking straight down at Pod Gill from high up Podgill Viaduct. A seriously gorgeous day. Nowt like wandering amongst the fruiting vegetation and breathing in the summery fragrances. A couple of Swaledale ewes and their lambs nibbling away at the hedges. In the far distance to the right is the unmistakeable peak of Wild Boar Fell. The way back into Kirkby Stephen, over Frank\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, a 17th-century Grade II listed stone foot bridge. Kirkby Stephen is an old town, with records dating back at least to the Domesday Book of 1086, where the town was recorded as \u0026ldquo;Cherkaby Stephen\u0026rdquo;. This door belongs to Mitre House, dating back to 1663. I took a shot of this statue mostly for my own reference. She\u0026rsquo;s located in the town centre and there\u0026rsquo;s no plaque or stone indicating who she is. Turns out it\u0026rsquo;s Lady Anne Clifford, unveiled in September 2020. Lady Anne improved and expanded lots of her family\u0026rsquo;s properties around Westmorland, as well as restoring churches in the area. Pubs, cafes, and restaurants are all quickly filling up once again. It very much seems that life is starting to return to \u0026ldquo;normal\u0026rdquo;, whatever that is. Did you know there\u0026rsquo;s a Clock Museum in Kirkby Stephen? I didn\u0026rsquo;t. Making our way back to Stenkrith Park, the trail runs alongside the River Eden, which we had fun exploring. There\u0026rsquo;s loads of beautifully carved limestone and rushing cascades to photograph. This child was not happy that we were standing on \u0026ldquo;his\u0026rdquo; rock. A lovely series of cascades. One of the ledges in the river features this hollowed out hole with the river running underneath it. Trying to get as close to some of the bigger cascades as I could. Plenty of flowering wild garlic in the woods of Stenkrith Park, too. On this day, this was close as we could get to the Devil\u0026rsquo;s Grinding Mill, the main drop of the River Eden. Nevertheless, it was lovely to shoot the soft light and textures in the gorge. All the wild garlic, plus an inscribed poem for your viewing pleasure.\nBonus: the Lune Gorge near Tebay # For an added extra, we stopped off near Tebay on our way home to clamber down into the Lune Gorge for some more photos. Plenty of water in the Lune meant incredible sights and sounds.\nMy lovely Lisabet doing what she does best: getting close to the action. My turn for a view underneath the bridge. The powerful cascades of the Lune Gorge. The view of the Lune Gorge downstream. The Lune Gorge from high up the river\u0026rsquo;s banks.\n","date":"30 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stenkrith-park-kirkby-stephen-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Woohoo, Spring Bank Holiday weekend!\nOn the first day of our 3-day weekend, we ventured northeast towards the bonny Cumbrian town of Kirkby Stephen. Aware of the rush of people heading into the Lake District, we’ve decided to largely stay out of Cumbria for this Bank Holiday. Near Kirkby Stephen is Stenkrith Park, which I’ve written about before. Here one can enjoy the incredible sights of the River Eden and the limestone gorge it’s created, then follow the Viaduct Trail for more glorious views and scenes.\n","title":"Stenkrith Park, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"30 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tebay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tebay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/forces-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Forces Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shap/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shap","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"23 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/swindale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Swindale","type":"tags"},{"content":"We finally got the opportunity to explore one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;hidden\u0026rdquo; valleys.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve had Swindale bookmarked in my Pinterest for years now. What drew me to the area was looking at maps of the valley\u0026rsquo;s head, appropriately called Swindale Head. Here you can find a series of cascades and waterfalls dropping down 300 ft of crag, known as Forces Falls.\nReality, thankfully, was much better than any map or Google Image Search.\nSwindale is not the easiest valley to find, and I suspect most people near the area venture either to Ullswater or Haweswater. Certainly, driving up the A6 through Shap, you\u0026rsquo;d have no idea of Swindale\u0026rsquo;s existence, especially as the valley is well obscured by Rosgill Moor and Ralfland Forest.\nThe valley is part of RSPB Haweswater and aspects of it are being \u0026ldquo;restored\u0026rdquo; to more natural features ever since 2012. In 2016, the beck running through the valley was \u0026ldquo;rewiggled\u0026rdquo;; previously, the beck had been straightened a couple of hundred years ago to prevent the flooding of hay meadows. This had knock-on effects—as man\u0026rsquo;s meddling in nature does—primarily with salmon and trout that were no longer able to spawn in the straightened and now-fast flowing river. Once the beck had been rewiggled, salmon returned to spawn, and the diversity of the beck\u0026rsquo;s flora and fauna continues to improve.\nAfter negotiating the myriad of minor country roads, we arrived near Swindale Foot Farm to park at the small lay-by. Then it was a simple task to follow the road, which increasingly became a gravely lane, all the way into the valley towards Forces Falls at the head of the valley.\nPhotographically, conditions were challenging. The weather was changeable, with frequent waves of misty drizzle washing over us from the fells. This meant I had to keep getting the camera in and out of the bag; the camera body can take the rain fine, but none of my lenses are weather sealed.\nI\u0026rsquo;m happy, nevertheless, with what I did manage to capture, but I\u0026rsquo;m eager to explore the valley further once again, when conditions are more favourable. Swindale is remote, silent, and so very beautiful.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. The images were made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits afterwards in Lightroom and Affinity Photo\nSwindale has its fair share of small roadside stone barns, which I always find to be rather photogenic. Further down the valley, the views start to open up revealing Gouther Crag on the left and Selside in the distance. Probably my favourite tree in the whole valley. Overhead, another wave of misty drizzle starts to sweep in. Past Truss Gap, on our way down the valley towards Swindale Head Farm, the views across Swindale completely open up, revealing our first glimpse of this beautiful gash in the fellside. It\u0026rsquo;s name? Hobgrumble Gill . What a brilliant name. The \u0026ldquo;road\u0026rdquo; here gradually transforms into a proper country lane, lined with trees, mosses, lichens, and flowers of all kinds. A gorgeous little beck running down the side of the valley. Believe me when I say I had to reduce the saturation in this photo. The top of the little beck on the other side of the lane. This is near Swindale Head Farm. Now the lane becomes loose pitch and stone as we make our down to the valley bottom, turning south. We weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones in the valley. Resting at the bottom of Forces Falls were a small group of hikers on their 3-day Fell Pony Trek . Nice scene, isn\u0026rsquo;t it? My main disappoint with this hike into Swindale was not being able to get better compositions of the various waterfalls of Forces Falls. That\u0026rsquo;s because the rain had saturated the grass and rocks alongside the falls, making them all super slippy, so I couldn\u0026rsquo;t get close enough to get the type of composition I wanted. These two compositions of the falls will have to do for now. Next time, I\u0026rsquo;ll think about maybe bringing my wellies to get into the various pools for better waterfall shots. A tighter crop of the beautifully named Hobgrumble Gill, which tumbles 170 m down the side of Selside, carving out this gash as it does. And, just as we start to head back out of the valley, the rain stops and the sun makes an appearance. Never mind. The crag of Ewe Close, catching a little bit of the light that was emerging from the thinning clouds. Gouther Crag, from behind the trees. The flood plains of Swindale, now able to flood naturally as the river\u0026rsquo;s been rewiggled. The twin crags of Gouther Crag on the left and Outlaw Crag on the right. Though perhaps the majority of people don\u0026rsquo;t know Swindale, enthusiast rock and boulder climbers know of the valley purely for these crags. As more light breaks through the clouds it highlights the contours of the valley floor as well as Hobgrumble Gill. Sometimes you just have to wait and watch as the light moves and changes. Swear Gill, lined with bright yellow gorse, and the crag of Trussgap Brow.\n","date":"23 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/swindale-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"We finally got the opportunity to explore one of the Lake District’s “hidden” valleys.\nI’ve had Swindale bookmarked in my Pinterest for years now. What drew me to the area was looking at maps of the valley’s head, appropriately called Swindale Head. Here you can find a series of cascades and waterfalls dropping down 300 ft of crag, known as Forces Falls.\n","title":"Swindale, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/beckmickle-ing/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beckmickle Ing","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s taken a little longer, but the bluebells have finally arrived.\nAfter work recently, Lisabet and I hopped into the car and drove just a few miles up the A591 to Staveley, a Lake District village near Kendal. We had been recommended a walk near the village from my boss, due to the woodlands of bluebells in the area.\nIt did not disappoint.\nThe trail starts near the junction with the A591, a wooden sign points the way off the road towards the Dales Way. Just a few hundred metres down the path you enter a beautiful country lane, flanked either side by moss-covered drystone walls, with old trees providing shade to a beautiful carpet of bluebells.\nFurther around the hike, after crossing the footbridge near Cowan Head, you can explore arguably the showstopper of the walk: Beckmickle Ing woods (great name, btw). This wood provided Lisabet and I with one of the greatest displays of bluebells I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen, never mind all the additional flowers such as the Wood Anemone (Anemonoides nemorosa) and finally some Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum).\nFor a quieter, away-from-the-crowds walk (especially in the spring), I can heartily recommend this one.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. The images are 85% SOOC (straight out of camera) using a customised Velvia film simulation, with some minor curve and saturation finishes in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nThe start of the trail, and a crackin\u0026rsquo; evening to look forward. Wonderful scenes across the valley. Into this beautiful country lane we go, the small patch of bluebells below a signifier of things to come. Towards the exit of this lane you\u0026rsquo;re greeted with a shock of purple below the trees. Bluebells everywhere. Approaching Cowan Head, the light really starts to get golden. A true spring Lakeland scene: this year\u0026rsquo;s lambs grazing underneath some crags on a hill. After following the River Kent upstream and crossing the footbridge at Hagg Foot, we enter Beckmickle Ing woods. Already, the colours are getting considerably more verdant. You\u0026rsquo;re always bound to fine at least one oddity in a British woodland. A jaw-dropping scene, and Velvia did a wonderful job capturing all of colours and tones. One of the finest displays of bluebells I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen. Just stupendous. A veritable carpet or sea of bluebells. After popping out of Beckmickle Ing woods we followed this minor road back towards the general direction of Staveley. Another nearby woodland showed that, finally, wild garlic and its delicate white flowers were starting to bloom. A much older tree, catching some sunset side light. I loved how intense the sunset glow was on these leaves. Back on the footpath to Staveley, a fleeting moment of strong golden light illuminates some distant trees and a barn.\n","date":"13 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/beckmickle-ing-staveley-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s taken a little longer, but the bluebells have finally arrived.\nAfter work recently, Lisabet and I hopped into the car and drove just a few miles up the A591 to Staveley, a Lake District village near Kendal. We had been recommended a walk near the village from my boss, due to the woodlands of bluebells in the area.\n","title":"Beckmickle Ing, Staveley, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/flowers/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Flowers","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wild-flowers/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wild Flowers","type":"tags"},{"content":"Everything is starting to look proper lush.\nAfter a completely washed out Saturday, today looked significantly more promising. Lisabet had found a 7.5-mile circular hike around the Lowther Estate that utilises a section of the Ullswater Way, so that\u0026rsquo;s what we did.\nThe walk starts at Lowther Castle and heads southwest down to the River Lowther, skirting around the tiny village of Helton and hiking west up Askham Fell. Near the summit you turn northeast and down to Askham village, over the river again, and back up the castle. Nowt particularly gruelling but a good variety of scenery, historical interest, and views for miles and miles.\nWe managed to avoid the rain, too.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images are largely straight-out-of-camera using Fuji X Weekly\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Ektachrome 100SW\u0026rdquo; recipe, with a couple of minor tweaks in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.\nThis is Lowther Castle. The roof has been removed and much of the stonework demolished, leaving the \u0026ldquo;shell\u0026rdquo; of the castle—technically a country house—intact with lots of plants and vegetation allowed to grow within. Some of the gatehouses have been left alone, offering this interesting composition involving the castle ruins. Just a shame about the gate. We crossed the River Lowther here, heading vaguely in the direction of Helton. In the far distance are the \u0026ldquo;backends\u0026rdquo; of the eastern Ullswater fells. This gorgeous lane takes you up and through the fields towards Helton. Hemmed in with dry stone walls and lined with old trees and plenty of flowering plants. A seriously pretty lane. It may well have been used, in times gone by, to guide livestock between fields for grazing. On the outskirts of Helton, a cute pony had zero interest in our offers of friendship. Fair enough. Helton village towards the left. A scene of English rural idyll. A rather fine solitary tree that I head to feature in a composition, especially with the dry stone walls as leading lines. Heading west, this is the track heading up to Askham Fell (323 m/1,059 ft), lined with drystone walls. My lovely Lisabet, with the expansive view behind. This is the Cop Stone, a standing stone located near the Moor Divock stone circle on Askham Fell. A prehistoric monument, it\u0026rsquo;s reason for being lost in time. In the distance is the unmistakeable wall of the Northern Pennines. Heading back down Askham Fell. Askham village ahead, with the shadows of Northern Pennines looming above in the distance. The village is rather beautiful, and features a large share of houses and buildings many centuries old. A rather beautiful old barn. Just one of many houses in Askham that are many centuries. It kinda blows my mind that this house was built before the founding of the United States of America. The woods underneath Lowther Castle contains a variety of rather unusual looking trees.\n","date":"9 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/askham-fell-lowther-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Everything is starting to look proper lush.\nAfter a completely washed out Saturday, today looked significantly more promising. Lisabet had found a 7.5-mile circular hike around the Lowther Estate that utilises a section of the Ullswater Way, so that’s what we did.\n","title":"Askham Fell, Lowther, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"9 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ektachrome-100sw/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ektachrome 100sw","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fuji-x-weekly/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fuji X Weekly","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lowther/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lowther","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/derwenwater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Derwenwater","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dodd-woods/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dodd Woods","type":"tags"},{"content":"After an unusually dry and cold April 2021, the rain has returned.\nThis Bank Holiday Lisabet and I planned on a long hike through the Mallerstang valley in the Yorkshire Dales, a favourite of ours. However, reading all the weather radars and forecasts indicated a lot of rain was on its way through South Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales. By contrast, the northern Lake District looked pretty good. So we changed plans and embarked on a hike up Dodd (502 m/1,647 ft), a small fell that came highly recommended by a friend of mine.\nDodd is part of the Skiddaw range, a massive bulk of fells to the north of Keswick, which tops out at Skiddaw itself at 931 m/3,054 ft asl. Most of the fell is covered in trees as it\u0026rsquo;s owned by the Forestry Commission but the summit is bald, allowing for extensive views towards either Derwentwater and the Newland Fells or Bassenthwaite Lake and out towards the Solway Firth.\nDespite changeable conditions, the car park was extremely busy and we were lucky to get parked where we did. Thankfully there is plenty of signage around Dodd Woods and we simply followed Dodd Summit Trail, snapping happily along the way. There is a lot to be said for roaming around dense woods and the quality of light you get, not to mention the incredulous views you get from around the summit of Dodd.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using two of my prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nThe clarity of light was superb. Lots of families wandering around Dodd Woods, enjoying the scenery and crisp sun. I had to line up a composition involving this unusual tree, which had formed a sort of natural arch over the footpath. Skill Beck, like a lot of rivers in the Lake District at the moment, was very dry and barely a trickle, as it tumbled through the woods. I love the soft transitions of light and shadow you get in the woods. We continue upwards, following the Dodd Summit Trail. About three quarters of the way through the hike, the tree cover starts to open up, letting in more light. I quickly snapped this photo of my lovely Lisabet as she entered a zone of open light. Underneath Dodd summit I spotted this wonderful crag marked with flecks of vivid orange and red. I wonder if there\u0026rsquo;s iron ore in the rock around here? Our first glimpse of the views that Dodd offers. And we weren\u0026rsquo;t even at the top yet! Absolutely immaculate. Showing Derwentwater and its fells, with the bonny town of Keswick to left. The Newland Valley and its fells, with the Dodd Summit exit trail below. Again with that soft woodland light… I have to remind myself, when I\u0026rsquo;ve got my head down hiking up a fell, to always look back. Had I not done so, I would\u0026rsquo;ve missed this! The view all the way back towards the Helvellyn range, and you can even clearly see the Helvellyn (950 m/3,118 ft) summit itself, catching some highlighting! Bassenthwaite Lake framed by two trees; famously cited as the only \u0026ldquo;lake\u0026rdquo; in the Lake District (that is, the only lake with the word \u0026ldquo;lake\u0026rdquo; in its name). The atmosphere was so clear you could also make out the Solway Firth and the Galloway mountains in Scotland. And we reach the summit. Some of the best views of the Northern Lake District I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen. The Lorton Fells and Grisedale Pike. Little hovering spots of light scan across the land. My lovely Lisabet at the summit, getting those views. I popped on my 55mm lens to zoom in further and pick out specific scenes from the vast panorama available from the summit of Dodd. The Newland valley and fells, in particular, were looking absolutely splendid. Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat (552 m/1,811 ft) from across Bassenthwaite Lake. Honestly, I could\u0026rsquo;ve taken thousands of shots from the summit of Dodd… Grisedale Pike (791 m/2,595 ft) catching some lovely light above the Whinlatter Forest. Following the narrow trail back down the slopes of Dodd As we climb down the wooded fell slopes, the landscape changed from craggy to mossy and grassy. Lovely light catching the trees and footpath. Heading our way back down to the car, soft afternoon light blooming through the woods. I liked the tree on the right, looks like a tuning fork.\n","date":"3 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dodd-woods-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"After an unusually dry and cold April 2021, the rain has returned.\nThis Bank Holiday Lisabet and I planned on a long hike through the Mallerstang valley in the Yorkshire Dales, a favourite of ours. However, reading all the weather radars and forecasts indicated a lot of rain was on its way through South Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales. By contrast, the northern Lake District looked pretty good. So we changed plans and embarked on a hike up Dodd (502 m/1,647 ft), a small fell that came highly recommended by a friend of mine.\n","title":"Dodd Woods, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/forestry-commission/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Forestry Commission","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 May 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whinlatter-forest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whinlatter Forest","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/e100g/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"E100g","type":"tags"},{"content":"Grisedale has to be in my top 3 favourite Lake District valleys.\nI have a fairly troubled history with this place. The last time both Lisabet and I visited it was the middle of summer on a clear and hot day. We hiked all the way from the foot of the valley to Grisedale Tarn and back down. About 7 miles and 1,300 ft of ascent. In mid-20s heat, with no wind or clouds. Whilst being 23/24 stone. I suffered on that walk, and stumbled a lot on the way back down, which angered me.\nNow I\u0026rsquo;m 7-stone lighter, much fitter, and mentally better. It was time to revisit this gorgeous valley, especially as it\u0026rsquo;s my birthday weekend (38 years on this planet, goodness).\nGrisedale is a tributary valley of Patterdale, located in the north-eastern Lake District. Not to be confused with Grizedale Forest, which I\u0026rsquo;ve also been to. There\u0026rsquo;s quite a few Grisedale in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and the etymology is the same: Old Norse gris meaning \u0026ldquo;pig\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;boar\u0026rdquo;, and Old Norse dalr meaning \u0026ldquo;valley\u0026rdquo;, giving us \u0026ldquo;valley of the boars\u0026rdquo;.\nMost people access Grisedale for the purposes of summitting Helvellyn via Striding Edge, one of the \u0026ldquo;classic\u0026rdquo; Lakeland fells for thrill-seekers. But Grisedale itself has so much to offer, especially the views toward the head of the valley, featuring the craggy faces of Nethermost Pike (891 m/2,923 ft) and Dollywaggon Pike (858 m/2,815 ft), both ultimately subsidiary tops of Helvellyn itself (950 m/3,118 ft).\nWe arrived good and early, pre-8am. By the time we returned to the car, the car park was full as well as all the lay-bys and roads around Ullswater.\nThis summer is going to be insanely busy.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s E100G film profile.\nLacing up. As soon as you pop out of Waterfall Woods, this is the view that greets you. Look at it. One of the best valley backdrops in all of Lakeland. Lambing is in full flow in the Lake District now. There are plenty of Herdwicks in Patterdale, but in Grisedale there are more Swaledales. Heading through Elmhow Plantation, when an old stone barn catches our eye for a composition. Especially lovely as we were sitting in the shadow and the morning sun was starting to catch the Helvellyn fells. Heading through Crossing Plantation as we get closer to the head of Grisedale. Dollywaggon Pike glows like a beacon in the morning sun. Exiting Crossing Plantation, with the sheer slopes of St Sunday Crag (841 m/2,759 ft) rising to our left. My lovely Lisabet looking tiny underneath Dollywaggon Pike. The interesting little crag to the left underneath the fell is referred to on OS maps simply as \u0026ldquo;Post\u0026rdquo;. The more you know. Looking back down Grisedale from whence we came. In the distance is the hulking mass of Place Fell (657 m/2,156 ft). After reaching the head of Grisedale we crossed the tiny footbridge and started our way back down the north-eastern side of the valley. We stopped at Nethermostcove Beck to shoot some compositions looking towards Eagle Crag, as well as for refreshment. One of the finest scenes in Grisedale. As we neared the foot of Grisedale, several gates offered some lovely compositions involving the full expanse of the valley. St. Sunday Crag to the left, and the Helvellyn fells to the right. An older gate, still in use. Back at the valley bottom, near Waterfall Woods, I attach my 9mm ultra wide lens to use the trees as a frame for this scene.\n","date":"25 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grisedale-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Grisedale has to be in my top 3 favourite Lake District valleys.\nI have a fairly troubled history with this place. The last time both Lisabet and I visited it was the middle of summer on a clear and hot day. We hiked all the way from the foot of the valley to Grisedale Tarn and back down. About 7 miles and 1,300 ft of ascent. In mid-20s heat, with no wind or clouds. Whilst being 23/24 stone. I suffered on that walk, and stumbled a lot on the way back down, which angered me.\n","title":"Grisedale, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/roudsea-bogs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Roudsea Bogs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/roudsea-moss/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Roudsea Moss","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/roudsea-wood/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Roudsea Wood","type":"tags"},{"content":"Time for somewhere a little different.\nCumbria being what it is, a sparsely-populated county full of nature, there\u0026rsquo;s a fair few Nature Reserves never mind the actual Lake District National Park. We\u0026rsquo;ve explored a few of them previously, for example Foulshaw Moss and Watchtree. This time we ventured south of Windermere and Newby Bridge, beyond the pretty village of Haverthwaite.\nThis is Roudsea Wood \u0026amp; Mosses Nature Reserve.\nThe Reserve is located on the eastern side of the Levens Estuary, west of Cartmel. Roudsea Wood is one of Britain\u0026rsquo;s most important woodland sites, combining varied geology (limestone and slate) with alluvial soils and fens. This has created a woodland full of bio- and geodiversity. Just east of the woods are the bogs of Roudsea Moss, an important area of peat and wildlife, especially Ospreys.\nFurther west of the Nature Reserve one can hike the Cumbria Coast Way towards the Levens Estuary itself, an extension of the humongous mudflats and sands of Morecambe Bay.\nRoudsea: a place of bog, woodland, and sea.\nDefinitely one for Lisabet and I to keep coming back to.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nAround Roudsea Mosses, the bogs are home to isolated clusters of Scots Pines, making for rather minimalist compositions. Pleasing to the eye, especially the sense of distance. The bogs of Roudsea Moss are thankfully easy to navigate courtesy of these boardwalks. They also enable compositions by offering a leading line. Back into the woods we go. Delightful tree textures to photograph. Upon entering the Woodland Trail the geography quickly changes from open bog to a limestone woodland. Lisabet and I spotted this otherworldly scene consisting of tree branches snaking around a limestone outcrop. There were barely any clouds on our outing, allowing for the sun to penetrate through the canopy of the woodland. More snake-like tree trunks and branches, with the addition of fungi, which Lisabet was happy to find. This part of Roudsea Woods was a lot more green, and we were happy to see the beginnings of bluebells appearing on the woodland floor. Just a moment, when the light caught only this tree. Flora blossoming everywhere. An early Bluebell. We\u0026rsquo;ll be seeing more of these in the various woods around Cumbria within the next fortnight or so. A weird configuration of a limestone outcrop with a tree root system slowly enveloping it. Tendrils of wood everywhere, gorgeous textures abound. After completing the Woodland Trail, we joined the Cumbria Coast Way west towards the Levens Estuary. I knew there would be sand and mudflats ahoy as the estuary is linked to Morecambe Baby, but I had no idea there were these rocky outcrops along the coast. I was transfixed when I saw these rocks and their beautiful lines, textures, and patterns. I had to come get some compositions in. We were blessed with a rather beautiful, if hazy, day to be exploring this area of South Cumbria. Looking back across Levens Estuary towards How Barrow and the Cartmel fells. An almost impossibly perfect composition that I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist on our way back to the car.\n","date":"17 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/roudsea-wood-mosses-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Time for somewhere a little different.\nCumbria being what it is, a sparsely-populated county full of nature, there’s a fair few Nature Reserves never mind the actual Lake District National Park. We’ve explored a few of them previously, for example Foulshaw Moss and Watchtree. This time we ventured south of Windermere and Newby Bridge, beyond the pretty village of Haverthwaite.\n","title":"Roudsea Wood \u0026amp; Mosses, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/roudsea-wood-and-mosses/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Roudsea Wood and Mosses","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/farleton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Farleton","type":"tags"},{"content":"Today was a little more low key.\nThe last time Lisabet and I walked the \u0026ldquo;Northern Reaches\u0026rdquo; of Lancaster Canal was back in May/June of 2020. You should check those posts out for more of the history of Lancaster Canal, with greater detail about the Northern Reaches.\nAfter a day around Grizedale Forest, we felt a simple walk alongside some of the Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal was in order. In particular, the section from Millness to Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, with Farleton Knott in plain sight, is stupendously pretty. And the weather didn\u0026rsquo;t disappoint either.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens with a Marumi Super DHG circular polariser attached. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nIf you ever want to take a boat to explore some of the abandoned Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal, this is where you do it. Glorious spring light bleeding through the trees. It\u0026rsquo;s lovely to see all the leaves on the trees starting to sprout. Looking back the way we came. Popping out of the more wooded section of Lancaster Canal reveals the unmistakeable presence of Farleton Knott (265 m/869 ft). Whilst certainly not a large hill, it is nevertheless a striking silhouette. Closer to Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, with some cyclists ahead enjoying the day. Just… a lovely little scene. Farleton Turnpike Bridge (Nº 156) just before Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, which signals the end of this section of the canal (and the path). Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Bridge, (Nº 157). At Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge the canal opens out into a mooring/turn point area, allowing for some reflections of Farleton Knott. Looking back all the way down the Canal path from near it\u0026rsquo;s terminus. Off-photo to my right, a pair of swans were busy building a rather comfortable-looking nest. I can heartily recommend walking the Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal for a non-taxing yet visually pleasing wander.\n","date":"11 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lancaster-canal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Today was a little more low key.\nThe last time Lisabet and I walked the “Northern Reaches” of Lancaster Canal was back in May/June of 2020. You should check those posts out for more of the history of Lancaster Canal, with greater detail about the Northern Reaches.\n","title":"Lancaster Canal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carron-crag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carron Crag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grizedale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grizedale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grizedale-forest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grizedale Forest","type":"tags"},{"content":"Welcome to Grizedale Forest.\nAfter a morning of joint optician appointments, the day was looking fine and ripe for some hiking. Where would we go? Lisabet suggested Grizedale Forest, which I immediately leapt on. She\u0026rsquo;s never been to the area, and the last I visited was so long ago that I cannot summon any memories of the place.\nGrizedale Forest can be found south of the famous Lakeland village of Hawkshead, in between the lakes of Windermere and Coniston Water. If you\u0026rsquo;re curious about the name it originates from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings. \u0026ldquo;Grize\u0026rdquo; comes the Old Norse gris, meaning a \u0026ldquo;boar\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;pig\u0026rdquo;, and \u0026ldquo;dale\u0026rdquo;—from the Old Norse dalr—means \u0026ldquo;valley\u0026rdquo;, giving us \u0026ldquo;valley of the pigs\u0026rdquo;. The area stretches over 24 km² and features a number of trails for walkers and cyclists, small tarns and fells, and a fully-featured visitor centre.\nWe parked some distance away at Moor Top, hiked into Grizedale village, and hopped onto the Carron Crag Trail, with the aim of reaching the summit of Carron Crag at 314 m (1,030 ft).\nThe hike vastly exceeded our expectations and the views from the summit of Carron Crag were outstanding. The Coniston fells looked incredible and we could even make out a highly localised hailstorm falling over Seat Sandal!\nAnother crackin\u0026rsquo; day.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nThe way down to Grizedale village. On the trail we quickly gain height via the clearly-marked finger posts. Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s eagle eye spots some interesting minute details and goes in for some snaps. Some of the trees near Carron Crag were covered in thick sheets of moss, which I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist making some photos of. Wonderful shapes and textures of all the trees and their branches absolutely coated in moss. A side trail heading deep into the dark forest… Just one of the many incredible views from the summit of Carron Crag! We could see a highly localised hailstorm drenching Seat Sandal above Grasmere. The Old Man of Coniston (802 m/2,632 ft) from the summit of Carron Crag, clear as a bell. More of the Coniston fells, catching some dappled light through the increasing cloud cover. A wider panorama of the Coniston fells from Carron Crag, with the Old Man on the left. Coming down the other side of the summit, Lisabet finds one of many sculptures dotted about the forest. The way back down into the woods, with the Kentmere fells clearly visible. There\u0026rsquo;s something unique and magical about woodland light. Some interesting contraptions that mountain bikers can investigate on their woodland trails. A gentle Ent, standing guard at the entrance of the Milwood Trail.\n","date":"10 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/grizedale-forest-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Welcome to Grizedale Forest.\nAfter a morning of joint optician appointments, the day was looking fine and ripe for some hiking. Where would we go? Lisabet suggested Grizedale Forest, which I immediately leapt on. She’s never been to the area, and the last I visited was so long ago that I cannot summon any memories of the place.\n","title":"Grizedale Forest, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bardsea/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bardsea","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s time to say goodbye to our extended Easter break.\nNot including everyday walks to and from local shops, we\u0026rsquo;ve managed to clock up nearly 39 miles or 62 km of hiking.\nToday was slower. After shopping for food supplies and a quick coffee break, I made and put a ragù on the slow cooker, and then we ventured towards the Furness peninsula for a waltz around Bardsea beach.\nBardsea beach offers extensive views of the Cartmel peninsula from its position at the outflow of the Levens Estuary, which ultimately joins Morecambe Bay. Much like Morecambe Bay, the coast of Bardsea is largely expansive sand and mudflats with seemingly unending panoramas. On our visit, conditions were clear enough to easily make out the Southern Lake District fells 22 km away and even Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales, 43 km away as the crow flies.\nThroughout much of its history, Bardsea was a small farming and fishing village, accessible only by carefully crossing the sands of Morecambe Bay. The village also has historical ties with the Quaker movement as founder George Fox married the local landowner Margaret Fell.\nOverall, a lovely way to cap off our extended Easter break.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Fuji Fortia SP film profile.\nAs a contrast to the consistently clear skies we\u0026rsquo;ve enjoyed this past week, today was overcast and deliciously moody. The Southern Fells of the Lake District and the endless expanse of sand at the Levens Estuary. Even in overcast conditions, you could clearly see Ingleborough (723 m/2,372 ft) from the beach, 43 km away in the Yorkshire Dales. When the industrialisation of the Furness peninsula developed in the 19th-century, Bardsea became an important sea port. The remnants of all this activity now lies in ruins along the beach front. I enjoyed the layering of this composition. A small child, running freely across the sands of Bardsea beach. When the tide is out, one can follow the many channels cut into the Levens Estuary. Daffodils and other spring follows bloom in the small woods just off the beach. Testament to Bardsea\u0026rsquo;s short-lived but intense period of serving the Furness peninsula as a sea port.\n","date":"7 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/bardsea-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s time to say goodbye to our extended Easter break.\nNot including everyday walks to and from local shops, we’ve managed to clock up nearly 39 miles or 62 km of hiking.\n","title":"Bardsea, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cartmel-peninsula/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cartmel Peninsula","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fuji-fortia-sp/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fuji Fortia Sp","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"6 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/google-pixel-3xl/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Google Pixel 3xl","type":"tags"},{"content":"Spring conditions are somewhat changeable at the moment.\nLisabet and I have been somewhat fortunate with this week-long extended Easter break. The first few days were relatively balmy for Cumbria, peaking at around 15°C. By Good Friday an \u0026ldquo;arctic blast\u0026rdquo; was arriving from the north, and temperatures quickly dropped by around 10°C or so. Despite the swing in climate conditions, the sky has remained consistently free of clouds.\nThis changed today and forecasts were warning of intermittent, and possibly heavy, snow squalls drifting through the county. We had originally planned for a hike around one of our favourite valleys, Mallerstang, but a sudden rush of inspiration from Lisabet meant heading up and over Kirkstone Pass towards Ullswater.\nWe quickly charted a route above the epic Aira Force, stopping to pay a quick visit to High Force, then out of the woods beyond High Cascades and up onto the shoulder of Gowbarrow Fell (481 m/1,578 ft). Then we would summit at Airy Crag, observe the Ullswater Way all the way around the eastern shoulder of the fell, and follow the track down the hill\u0026rsquo;s southern face, with sweeping views of Ullswater and the Helvellyn fells all the way.\nWhat followed was an experience that ranked in our top three fell walks of all time. Absolutely glorious.\nThe only downside is that not long after starting the ascent up Gowbarrow Fell, my camera ran out of battery charge. I very much assumed I had enough charge, but temperatures barely above freezing point quickly saw to that. Thankfully my Google Pixel 3XL can shoot RAW files, which I relied on for the rest of the hike.\nThis is a fell we will definitely be revisiting, especially in late-summer when all the lovely pink heather will be blooming.\nPhotos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2, using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens, as well as my Google Pixel 3XL. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nWe parked in a National Trust lay-by not too far from Glencoyne Bay. I had a quick wander down towards the shore of Ullswater, knowing that at this time of year there\u0026rsquo;d be daffodils aplenty nearby. I weren\u0026rsquo;t wrong. It was a gusty day, with the thermometer rarely reaching above 4°C. The wind chill factor pushed that number below freezing, feeling very raw on the face. Fortunately it made light conditions very changeable, which I always really enjoy. I adore watching the light scan and caress the fells. In the woods of the Aira Force gorge, with one of my favourite trees in view. It puts me in mind of a pair of tights sagging down to the ankles. Understandably the footpath around Aira Force woods is one way, which we made short work of. From the small stone bridge above the waterfall, my 9mm ultra wide lens allows an expansive and unique view of the drop down to the plunge pool and beyond. The usual viewing area below the waterfall is currently blocked off, as the National Trust who own the land here are currently working on a new and stronger viewing platform. Beyond the main show that is Aira Force, one can take a quick detour off the main footpath to get this view of High Force. This photo marks the change from my Fujifilm X-T2 to my Google Pixel 3XL. As we ascended up the western shoulder of Gowbarrow Fell, it became increasingly difficult to stop looking back at the evolving panorama behind us. Ullswater, and the Patterdale and Helvellyn fells. Not only that, the higher we climbed the more we could see of the Northern Fells. Here I utilised the wooden marker as a compositional aid, pointing towards Blencathra (868 m/2,848 ft). And eventually… summit! This is Airy Crag, the peak of Gowbarrow Fell. The views are expansive and exceptional; from here it\u0026rsquo;s easy to pick out not just the northern fells of the Lake District but also right across the Eden valley to the Northern Pennines. That also meant we could see the dark clouds steadily moving towards us. The view from the summit towards the Helvellyn massif. And the northern fells of Blencathra and Skiddaw. As we started to round Gowbarrow\u0026rsquo;s eastern shoulder, the snow squalls came thick and fast. But whenever a snow squall did pass, we were immediately rewarded with a burst of sun light. Near Collier Hagg we found a nice crag to sit on and eat some lunch whilst admiring the views. Looking east across the Eden valley, it was easy to make out the North Pennines getting absolutely hammered by the rain and snow. As we started to make our way towards the southern face of Gowbarrow, near the Memorial Seat, this view opened up that quite literally made me shout an expletive! A moment Lisabet and I will never forget. I had to take a vertical composition as well. We came off the Ullswater Way to admire the views down Ullswater towards the Patterdale and Helvellyn fells. Truly incredible scenes. My poor Pixel\u0026rsquo;s attempt at a \u0026ldquo;zoom\u0026rdquo; photo. It\u0026rsquo;ll do.\n","date":"6 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/gowbarrow-fell-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Spring conditions are somewhat changeable at the moment.\nLisabet and I have been somewhat fortunate with this week-long extended Easter break. The first few days were relatively balmy for Cumbria, peaking at around 15°C. By Good Friday an “arctic blast” was arriving from the north, and temperatures quickly dropped by around 10°C or so. Despite the swing in climate conditions, the sky has remained consistently free of clouds.\n","title":"Gowbarrow Fell, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"6 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ullswater-way/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ullswater Way","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/agfacolour-xps/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Agfacolour Xps","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/caldbeck/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Caldbeck","type":"tags"},{"content":"Happy Easter, everyone.\nI hope everyone has had/is having a safe and enjoyable Easter. It\u0026rsquo;s certainly helped that most of the country has experienced relatively dry, bright, and clear conditions during the Easter break.\nLisabet and I ventured north to hang out with my Dad for Easter Sunday. After prepping a good hunk of silverside beef in the slow cooker, we nipped to the nearby village of Caldbeck for a simple hike around The Howk and Priest Mill. Nowt particularly \u0026ldquo;epic\u0026rdquo;, but after Saturday\u0026rsquo;s 20km hike, our bodies were ready for something a little easier on the knees and thighs.\nCaldbeck is a beautiful village situated right on the northern edge of the Lake District National Park. It is an old village, with houses still standing—and in use—since the 1600s. West of the village one can enjoy a lovely little stroll into a small wooded gorge, which once housed a Bobbin Mill, now in ruins. This area is known as The Howk, and features several small yet powerful waterfalls as they slowly, yet ceaselessly, carve out the gorge. East of the village is Priest\u0026rsquo;s Mill, where one can find another series of delightful cascades.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens. This was also the first opportunity I had to try out my new Marumi Super DHG Circular Polariser for my Samyang lens. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Agfacolour XPS film profiles.\nThis is the old Bobbin Mill near the entrance of the limestone gorge known as the Howk. Bobbin Mills in Cumbria, such as this, once accounted for half of all bobbins produced in Britain. A \u0026ldquo;bobbin\u0026rdquo; is a \u0026ldquo;spindle or cylinder on which wire, yarn, thread, or film is wound\u0026rdquo; (thanks, Wikipedia). This is one of the main waterfalls around the Howk as it plunges through the limestone gorge. My 9mm ultra wide lens never ceases to amaze me at how much of a scene it captures. A shot from the other side of the bridge. I\u0026rsquo;d never realised quite how much wild garlic grows in the Howk. Soon this gorge will be filled with tiny white flowers. One of the main reasons why I bought a polariser: I love how it cuts the glare from water and vegetation. It really deepens the colours in a scene. Looking back at the footpath through the woods, carpeted on either side in wild garlic. I love how Agfacolour XPS renders the greens. This is the first drop of the Howk, which ultimately creates the gorge. Further upstream the beck is largely calm. One last look back into the woods before we ventured further upstream and out into the fields outside Caldbeck. The rolling fields around Caldbeck. Back near the village green I snapped this quick shot of a couple of ducks diving in a pond. They don\u0026rsquo;t half look funny. This area is one of the oldest parts of Caldbeck, featuring houses built into the 1650s. Caldbeck is ridiculously pretty. A proper quintessentially British rural idyll. We took the beckside path east to head to Priest\u0026rsquo;s Mill. Et voila! A beautiful waterfall near Priest\u0026rsquo;s Mill.\n","date":"5 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/caldbeck-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Happy Easter, everyone.\nI hope everyone has had/is having a safe and enjoyable Easter. It’s certainly helped that most of the country has experienced relatively dry, bright, and clear conditions during the Easter break.\n","title":"Caldbeck, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/easter/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Easter","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-howk/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Howk","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sring/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sring","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;ve neglected the Howgills for too long.\nOn this Good Friday we elected to stay away from the Lake District, expecting visitor numbers to sharply increase. We did want to stay within the same council area, though. So we ventured east over the M6 and into Sedbergh, the beautiful bookish town at the foot of the Howgills.\nIt might be reasonable to state that the Howgills as a landscape tends to get overlooked, or even ignored, in favour of nearby neighbours such as the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. Lisabet and I have certainly been guilty of this assumption. But the Howgills has a lot of beautiful wandering to offer, and we\u0026rsquo;ve barely scratched the surface.\nWe exited the town onto Joss Lane, which leads onto the Dales High Way. Then it was a simple matter of following this footpath and its incredible views of Settlebeck Gill all the way onto the plateau, before turning back sharply to reach the summit of Winder (473 m/1,552 ft).\nA glorious spring\u0026rsquo;s day was in full effect, with clear and deep blue skies all around.\nAnd there are many more of the Howgills to check out.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nSedbergh is a beautiful little town. After exiting Joss Lane we merged onto the Dales High Way, soaking in the beautiful spring sun as we did. There were plenty of others out and about on the Howgills too, and on such a beautiful day I don\u0026rsquo;t blame them. Looking back the way we came. A well-positioned bench offers walkers a rest and a view of the Dentdale fells. We were keen to stay on the main footpath, but others elected to ascend the Winder summit as quickly as possible. With every step the panorama opened up more and more. It was hard to maintain a forward momentum up the fell path when these views commanded our attention behind us all the time. The way forward. Nary a cloud int\u0026rsquo; sky. Here we\u0026rsquo;re nearing the first main plateau of the Dales High Way, which also signalled us to take a sharp left in order to reach the summit of Winder. One last look back down, with the full extent of Settlebeck Gill below, the Sedbergh countryside in the middle distance, and the Dentdale fells of the Yorkshire Dales in the background. Fell ponies grazing peacefully on the flanks of Green Mea. What a sight . The Dales High Way carries on around the flank of Arant Haw (605 m/1,985 ft), a beautifully sculpted fell with a precipitous southwestern face. Our destination meant turning away from the Dales High Way, back to the southwest towards Winder. Along the way I keep snapping the views over to the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Across Settlebeck Gill is Winder\u0026rsquo;s easterly neighbour, Crook (461 m/1,513 ft). Far in the distance are the Mallerstang fells. And… summit. On a clear day, such as we enjoyed, the views take in the Lake District fells and even Morecambe Bay, 32 km away. After a flapjack and some water whilst sheltered underneath the trig point from the wind, we followed the track back down the southwestern shoulder of Winder. Layers upon layers of hills and valleys in the Howgills. In fact, that\u0026rsquo;s where the Howgills get their name from. \u0026ldquo;How\u0026rdquo; comes from the Old Norse haugr meaning \u0026ldquo;hill\u0026rdquo;, and \u0026ldquo;gill\u0026rdquo; comes from the Old Norse gil meaning a \u0026ldquo;narrow valley\u0026rdquo;. The winding track back to Sedbergh via Lockbank Farm. The round mound in the distance is Aye Gill Pike (556 m/1,824 ft). Ostensibly looking back at the way we came, but more than I shot this composition for the winding drystone wall. That\u0026rsquo;s right. So many lambs around. Always a wonderful sight to see and sound to hear. Swaledale lambs, being adorably playful. My lovely Lisabet, enjoying a drop of Sherry in her friend\u0026rsquo;s garden post-walk.\n","date":"2 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/winder-howgills-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’ve neglected the Howgills for too long.\nOn this Good Friday we elected to stay away from the Lake District, expecting visitor numbers to sharply increase. We did want to stay within the same council area, though. So we ventured east over the M6 and into Sedbergh, the beautiful bookish town at the foot of the Howgills.\n","title":"Winder, Howgills, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s been quite a few years since we\u0026rsquo;ve been to Easedale.\nIn fact, looking through my archives, it\u0026rsquo;s been four years and a month. Today, Lisabet and I decided we were due for a revisit.\nEasedale is a small valley to the northwest of Grasmere village. There are one or two country houses, plus a couple of farms, but arguably its main feature is the waterfall at its head: Sourmilk Gill. This waterfall drops 70-metres as several cascades in between the two towers of Brinhow Crag and Elton Crag. From a distance, with the brilliant white water set against the dark rocks, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to see why the waterfall has been named such.\nBeyond Sourmilk Gill one can extend the walk further to the source of the gill, Easdale Tarn, a picturesque mountain lake dominated by the looming face of Tarn Crag.\nWe took the standard \u0026ldquo;tourist\u0026rdquo; route through Easedale and up alongside Sourmilk Gill towards Easedale Tarn. After a snack, we crossed the gill and followed the boggy path to Stythwaite Steps, the entrance to the floor of the Far Easdale valley. I\u0026rsquo;d personally never been here before and was delighted by the sights. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to ignore the bold face of Horn Crag rising above the valley. We then followed the track southwest, rejoining Easedale and back into Grasmere.\nAll in all a beautiful walk, helped with another lovely day of weather.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nPicturesque Grasmere village. I never tire of the scene looking down Broadgate towards Heron Pike (612 m/2,008 ft). Only in the countryside… You bet we bought some of Maisie\u0026rsquo;s flapjacks. Delicious they were, too. Thank you, Maisie! As we climb up the path towards Sourmilk Gill, the views over to the Fairfield fells reveal themselves. The milky-white waters of Sourmilk Gill, with Elton Crag looming above like a giant knuckly first punching defiantly into the sky. Getting as close to the plunge pool as I dare, with my lovely Lisabet above. One of my favourite scenes around Grasmere, following the milky-white waters as they tumble down towards Easedale. Beyond the falls we followed the path up to Easdale Tarn. And though the tarn is pretty, the views back towards Helm Crag and the Fairfield fells is equally wonderful. The upper section of Sourmilk Gill as it gently meanders to where it will ultimately tumble down to Easedale. Easedale Tarn, with Tarn Crag\u0026rsquo;s (551 m/1,808 ft) rounded face high above. A rather beautiful wind-swept tree leaning away from the waters of Easdale Tarn and Tarn Crag above. After writing off venturing further towards another tarn above, known as Coledale Tarn, we head back towards the outflow of Easedale Tarn and cross the gill. One last look back at the bulky head of Tarn Crag. After carefully navigating the boggy path on the northern side of Sourmilk Gill, we follow the steps down to Far Easedale, known as Stythwaite Steps. At the floor of the Far Easedale valley, I located a couple of massive boulders I found interesting. I lined up some compositions involving their wonderful colours, textures, and patterns. Far Easedale. A beautiful valley, with Horn Crag demanding your attention. \u0026ldquo;Ian, look! A winding drystone wall.\u0026rdquo; Lisabet knows me too well. Brimmer Head Farm. This is referenced on the OS Map in an old-style Blackletter typeface, indicating historical interest. Turns out that there\u0026rsquo;s a building in the farm that dates back to 1574, reputedly the oldest house in Grasmere. Another look back at Sourmilk Gill as the path out of Far Easedale rejoins Easedale near the Lancrigg Hotel. Lisabet taking in the sights before we head down the lane. Towards the end of our hike the cloud base had lifted off the higher fells above Grasmere, revealing their comely shapes. Heron Pike above the village, catching some rays. Sheep peacefully graze in the common alongside Broadgate. A day that makes you feel truly grateful.\n","date":"2 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/easedale-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s been quite a few years since we’ve been to Easedale.\nIn fact, looking through my archives, it’s been four years and a month. Today, Lisabet and I decided we were due for a revisit.\n","title":"Easedale, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 April 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/grasmere-village/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Grasmere Village","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loughrigg/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loughrigg","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loughrigg-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loughrigg Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"Step 1 of the UK Government\u0026rsquo;s Spring 2021 COVID-19 plan has been completed.\nFrom Monday 29th, more people can now meet outside, outdoor recreation activities are permitted again, and the \u0026ldquo;Stay at home\u0026rdquo; ruling has relaxed to \u0026ldquo;Stay local\u0026rdquo;.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve taken some time off work before and after the Easter weekend in order to recuperate. I\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling burned out for quite a while now. So what did we do on our first full day off?\nWe woke up at 5am for a sunrise hike up Loughrigg Fell (335 m/1,099 ft).\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve only ever been up Loughrigg once before, again for sunrise, back at the tail end of summer 2020. The fell really isn\u0026rsquo;t that tall in Lake District terms, but it covers a decently large area, which opens up a wide variety of views to shoot.\nOn this hike, we were greeted with the remnants of a temperature inversion clinging to the waters of Grasmere as well some of the valley bottoms. We only saw three other people around the fell; in fact, there were more sheep! Couldn\u0026rsquo;t have asked for better conditions.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Photos developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nThe calm waters of Grasmere, reflecting Helm Crag (405 m/1,329 ft) and Seat Sandal (736 m/2,415 ft). The remnants of a temperature inversion lent a beautiful misty atmosphere. We wound our way up through Deerbolts Wood to find the main footpath up Loughrigg Fell. As we began ascending the main footpath up Loughrigg Fell the views quickly opened up. From Loughrigg Terrace the temperature inversion was more visible, and I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist this composition of the mist clinging to the valley, with Nab Scar (455 m/1,493 ft) looming above. Although the sun had risen, from our location it was still trapped behind a low bank of cloud. By this point of the hike up Loughrigg, the sun was beginning to peek above the clouds, its light glowing through this solitary tree resolutely rooted to the fellside. More sunrise light as the sun rose above the cloud base. We passed this occupied tent on our way up. A nice spot, for sure, but technically they\u0026rsquo;re not allowed to wild camp. Beautiful Wetherlam (763 m/2,502 ft) finally receiving some of the sunrise light, as the mist in the valleys starts to burn off. Nearly at the summit of Loughrigg, we look back to this cracking view of Grasmere, its namesake village, and the Central Fells. The summit of Loughrigg Fell. With the sun clearly above the clouds, beautiful golden light drenched across the rolling folds of the fell. A Herdwick ewe, enjoying the morning light. Not a bad view to chill out whilst chewing the cud, eh? Another Herdwick ewe, lower down the slope. It\u0026rsquo;s a sheep\u0026rsquo;s life in the Lake District. This Herdwick ewe, closer to us, was much more vocal. Probably warning the others about our presence. The summit of Loughrigg is wonderfully craggy. My ultra-wide 9mm lens was able to fill the frame with this crag and also take in the extensive view towards Windermere. We carefully picked our way back down the wet northern slopes of Loughrigg, stopping for the occasional photo along the way. This area of the fell was extensively mined for slate in the Victorian era, now long abandoned. Its remnants make for interesting compositions towards Nab Scar and Rydal Water. This is Rydal Cave, formerly Loughrigg Quarry, and completely man-made. You can often find ducks and fish milling about in the shallow pools of the cave. It\u0026rsquo;s not often one gets Rydal Cave all to oneself, so we ventured in for some photos. Now back onto Loughrigg Terrace, the going is much easier as we saunter gently back towards the car through White Moss Woods. This particular aspect of Loughrigg Fell is called Ewe Crag. An old barn, long fallen into disrepair and nature quickly reclaiming it. Into White Moss Woods with gorgeous golden morning light streaming in. Still a fair bit of colour in the woods. Soon, White Moss Woods will be absolutely full of bluebells. Give it a month or so.\n","date":"31 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/loughrigg-fell-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Step 1 of the UK Government’s Spring 2021 COVID-19 plan has been completed.\nFrom Monday 29th, more people can now meet outside, outdoor recreation activities are permitted again, and the “Stay at home” ruling has relaxed to “Stay local”.\n","title":"Loughrigg Fell, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"31 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rydal-cave/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rydal Cave","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/white-moss-woods/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"White Moss Woods","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/pandemic-peregrinations/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"21 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pandemic-peregrinations/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations","type":"tags"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;ve often gazed longingly at Whitbarrow Scar from afar.\nFinally we decided to clamber around it.\nWhitbarrow (215m/705ft) is a limestone hill, much like its neighbour Scout Scar, with whom I\u0026rsquo;m much more familiar with. Whitbarrow is further west of Scout Scar across the Lyth Valley, but covers a much larger area. When viewed from the A590 south of the fell, Whitbarrow presents some sheer and imposing cliff faces that I instantly fell in love the first time I saw them. I resolved to one day wander around the contours of Whitbarrow. Today was that day.\nWhitbarrow is definitely not as easy to access as Scout Scar. Whereas Scout Scar can be reached with ease from the tiny car park near its northern edge (or walked to directly from Kendal), Whitbarrow has no official car park nearby and is surrounded only by tiny villages and hamlets. We elected to park in one of the laybys off the A5074, then walk into the village of The Row to find the footpaths up onto Whitbarrow.\nWe spent a good 2-3 hours around Whitbarrow and quickly got the distinct impression that this was a fell that we could return to time and time again, and still not see all of that. The fell is quite vast and varied. Its western flank drops down steeply to the valley floor at Whitbarrow Scar, but does so more smoothly compared to Scout Scar\u0026rsquo;s vertical cliffs. The eastern part of Whitbarrow is a protected Nature Reserve, featuring limestone shelves, limestone pavements full of clints and grikes, and lots of woodland.\nWe managed to summit the fell at Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat and made a small loop back towards The Row. There is still a lot to more explore of Whitbarrow, and I look forward to returning again.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and a converted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nAs we started to ascend out of The Row, the views across the Lyth Valley towards the Far Eastern Lake District fells quickly opened up. We were blessed with another lovely day of weather. There is considerably more woodland on and around Whitbarrow compared to Scout Scar. From the woodland near The Row known as the Township Plantation, we branched off west towards the cliffs of Whitbarrow Scar. We wanted to see what the views towards the Lake District fells were like. The way forward, with some runners up ahead. The sky was a lot more dramatic today, but still thankfully dry. Now that\u0026rsquo;s a view. The Langdale Pikes towards the right, Wetherlam and the Coniston fells towards the left. Dappled light everywhere. Glorious scenes. The cliffs north of Whitbarrow Scar with the Eastern Lake District fells in the distance. Just amazing views of the Kentmere and Longsleddale fells. Near Bell Rake the land drops away sharply, exposing these silver birch to the consistent westerly winds. One of many glacial erratics around Whitbarrow, physical testament to the fell\u0026rsquo;s ice age history. After summiting at Lord\u0026rsquo;s Seat we followed the \u0026ldquo;spine\u0026rdquo; south from the summit, taking in the views towards Morecambe Bay along the way. Getting closer to the precipitous drop of Whitbarrow Scar. A wall prevents you from getting near the edge, lest you tumble towards the valley floor. Wind-blasted trees give an indication of what the conditions can be like on the fell. More wind-blasted silver birch with moody skies. Just one example of the almost impossibly perfect wall-like structure of the limestone pavements found near the Whitbarrow Nature Reserve. Whitbarrow Nature Reserve is a limestone woodland, featuring all manner of flora that survives in the acidic soil conditions and changeable weather. My ultra-wide 9mm lens had some fun following various tree trunks and branches for more unusual compositions. We found this weird tree that appeared to have a separate tentacle-like trunk growing out of it. I got close and low with my 9mm lens to follow the line of this trunk. A rather unusual tree, to my experience; the trunk is almost tendon-like in its structure. Google thinks this is Hesperocyparis macrocarpa , a Monterey cypress tree. The way back to The Row through the Township Plantation. We\u0026rsquo;ll be back, Whitbarrow…\n","date":"21 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-whitbarrow-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"I’ve often gazed longingly at Whitbarrow Scar from afar.\nFinally we decided to clamber around it.\nWhitbarrow (215m/705ft) is a limestone hill, much like its neighbour Scout Scar, with whom I’m much more familiar with. Whitbarrow is further west of Scout Scar across the Lyth Valley, but covers a much larger area. When viewed from the A590 south of the fell, Whitbarrow presents some sheer and imposing cliff faces that I instantly fell in love the first time I saw them. I resolved to one day wander around the contours of Whitbarrow. Today was that day.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Whitbarrow, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"Spring has sprung.\nAfter a relatively dry and bright week, we were very much hoping for similar if not better for the weekend. Saturday came around and we were grateful. A proper spring day.\nWe took the opportunity to get some shopping in by hiking from the front door to Plumgarths Farm Shop via Helsfell Nab. Then, after acquiring the necessary meat, bread, and tasty beverage, we hiked up Cunswick Scar and back towards Kendal Fell into the town.\nAll in all, another solid 16,000+ steps or so.\nThere were so many birds singing, dappled light scanned across the land, the grass is getting green, people were out and about with smiles on their faces… a change is coming.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and a Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nI can rarely resist taking a photo of this house whenever I walk by. I believe the date stone on it says 1669 AD, making it around 350-years old. Crazy. Hiking up towards Helsfell Nab, you pass some of these allotments that enjoy tremendous views towards the Far Eastern Fells. Plenty of people on their plots busy working away. Another favourite composition of mine I can rarely resist. Give me dry stone walls, an open gate, and an all-encompassing view. Just before we reached the track directly underneath Helsfell Nab, I stopped for this quick shot as I noticed the sun scanning light across the rolling fields above Kendal. Large disused barns that mark the point where the footpath turns sharply and ascends up and around Helsfell Nab. What a dream it would be to own and convert these into housing. Imagine the views. Over the bridge that crosses the A591, another photo that I just have to stop and shoot. To get to Plumgarths you have to come off the footpath towards Cunswick Scar and make your way through Helsfell Farm. These beauties will be let out onto the fields any day now. Our primary destination: Plumgarth\u0026rsquo;s Farm Shop. Lisabet nipped inside whilst I waited. We\u0026rsquo;re fortunate to be able to afford, and have access to, local produce here in Cumbria. We also nabbed ourselves a couple of flat whites and nipped across the road into the gardens of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust to enjoy. The entrance to the Trust features these magnificent trees. After shopping and hot beverage refreshments, we took the footpath beyond Plumgarth\u0026rsquo;s up Cunswick Scar via this steep wooded track. It\u0026rsquo;s usually quite muddy, and thus slippy, but thankfully a lot of the mud had dried out enough for ample traction. Looking back the way we came. Can\u0026rsquo;t wait for this to start looking a lot greener. After reaching the top of Cunswick Scar, we were not prepared for what we saw across the Lyth Valley… Check that out. Not only was the atmosphere clear enough to get a good glimpse of the Lake District fells, but the remnants of a temperature inversion had caused these \u0026ldquo;waterfalls\u0026rdquo; of clouds to spill over and around the fells. Absolutely incredible scenes. And we weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones enjoy this Spring Equinox epicness. Cumbria being what it is, there\u0026rsquo;s always plenty of fell runners about. Up on Kendal Fell we pause to look back and gawp once again at the incredible conditions playing out on the Lakeland fells. Making our way back down Kendal Fell, with sprawling views across the town to enjoy. You know what I\u0026rsquo;m like with winding drystone walls… An absolutely beautiful day. Benson Knott high above Kendal, getting more verdant by the day. A lovely display of flowers high up one of the walls down Beast Banks. Google thinks this is Aubrieta deltoidea, sometimes known as lilacbush, purple rock cress, or rainbow rock cress. Always gotta get a shot in of the Kendal Town Hall clock tower.\n","date":"20 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-kendal-fell-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"Spring has sprung.\nAfter a relatively dry and bright week, we were very much hoping for similar if not better for the weekend. Saturday came around and we were grateful. A proper spring day.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Kendal Fell, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/plumgarths-farm-shop/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Plumgarths Farm Shop","type":"tags"},{"content":"Step 1 of the government\u0026rsquo;s Spring COVID-19 Response Plan is in action.\nStudents have gone back to school and in theory by the 29th of March people will be allowed to meet outdoors in bigger groups.\nThe UK has also recently passed the vaccine milestone of 25 million people.\nThere is a… careful optimism in the air. The weather appears to be brightening and drying up, and the days are getting longer.\nI know, personally, that I\u0026rsquo;m feeling a growing urge to be in the outdoors and for longer.\nThankfully, and fortunately, Lisabet and I have been able to plan some holidaying and exploring within the UK for 2021 (finger\u0026rsquo;s crossed). We\u0026rsquo;re looking at the Northumberland coast in the summer, and two areas of Scotland in the autumn.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s hope all goes well with the vaccination programme and easing of restrictions.\nIn the meantime, here\u0026rsquo;s some photos of a recent post-work wander Lisabet and I enjoyed, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Serpentine Woods, above Kendal. Can\u0026rsquo;t wait until this place is filled with wild garlic blossom.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nThis bookshop hasn\u0026rsquo;t been in operation here since 2013, but this wonderful signage is still attached to the building. Heading up Finkle Street with the setting sun creating a lovely warm glow on the horizon. The name of the street comes from the Old Norse vinkl , meaning \u0026ldquo;elbow\u0026rdquo;. Appropriate. As we start to head up Beast Banks, I look back for a shot of Kendal Town Hall as it catches some golden light. Part way up Beast Banks, I took another look back down for one of my favourite views in Kendal. Kendal has proper lovely buildings. On the entrance to Serpentine Woods we found this lovely patch of flowers in the shade and thought, \u0026ldquo;Bluebells? Already?!\u0026rdquo; Turns out, probably not. Google thinks they\u0026rsquo;re alpine squill, Scilla bifolia . There was a time when I was overly concerned with achieving maximum exposure in my photos, attempting to capture as much highlight and shadow information as possible. Then later, a variety of complex editing and blending methods would be used to eke out as much dynamic range in an image as possible. These days, I\u0026rsquo;m much content to let a blown out highlight remain so, especially when shooting right into the sun. It\u0026rsquo;s the sun, of course it\u0026rsquo;s bright. Serpentine Woods is filled with charming little scenes like this. I love that soft light you get in the woods, especially when the last of the day\u0026rsquo;s light is dipping below the horizon. One of my favourite little spots in Serpentine Woods: the Unnecessary Gate. One of the aforementioned sculptures: a ladybird on the edge of a bench. Once you pop out of the top of Serpentine Woods, an old bench invites you to rest and take in the view across Kendal towards the Eastern Lake District fells. Lisabet happily did so. Vines weaving over a tree trunk like a novice knitter. Not entirely sure what this sculpture is supposed to represent…\nA lovely little sculpture of a rat perched on some limestone as we leave Serpentine Woods. Back out the woods, we branch off Beast Banks towards Garth Row, passing by this view of Kendal near Castle Howe. It\u0026rsquo;ll be a fine day when the Brewery Arts Centre is back open again.\n","date":"17 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-serpentine-woods-spring-cumbria/","section":"Posts","summary":"Step 1 of the government’s Spring COVID-19 Response Plan is in action.\nStudents have gone back to school and in theory by the 29th of March people will be allowed to meet outdoors in bigger groups.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Serpentine Woods, Spring, Cumbria","type":"posts"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;ve definitely had better light conditions recently.\nNevertheless, Lisabet and I embarked on a solid 15 km hike today. From the front door, down the A6, through Helsington Laithes up to Scout Scar, south towards Helsington Church, through Berry Holme Farm, across the A591 to Hawes Bridge, and back north through the fields to Kendal.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a good day when you get 20,000+ steps in and lots of photos.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 using my three lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nCatkins belonging to the common hazel tree, or Corylus avellana. Always good to see these, a sign of spring. Here\u0026rsquo;s a thing: did you know there\u0026rsquo;s such a job/profession as Lichenologist? Isn\u0026rsquo;t that wonderful? And such a crucial organism, too. An appeasing group of common yew, Taxus baccata. Most parts of the tree is poisonous… just so you know. Some structure we found when wandering south through Helsington Barrows. Potential apocalypse shelter? Lisabet drinking in the views south from Helsington Barrows. It was a rather hazy day. The way towards Helsington Church. A rather beautiful tree. The textures of a particularly gorgeous and large oak in the grounds of Berry Holme Farm. Holstein cows happily munching away. Won\u0026rsquo;t be long until they\u0026rsquo;re let out onto the fields. The lane back down the valley. This is where we cross the A591 and heads towards Hawes Bridge. Hawes Bridge. Never get sick of this place. Thankfully the limestone around the gorge was dry enough to get close to the falls. The point where the River Kent is forced through a narrow limestone passage, gouging out a mini-gorge in the process. The water was super clear. Don\u0026rsquo;t get too close to the ledges… The other side of Hawes Bridge. This is was also our spot for a brief rest and an apple. Further up the River Kent, where conditions are more calm. Plenty of sheep around too, and we\u0026rsquo;re starting to see lambs appear in the fields around here. The way forward. Nearly back at Kendal. Near Scroggs Wood there were plenty of Mallard ducks and swans milling about the river shore. My first sighting of cherry blossom this year.\n","date":"6 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-helsington-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"We’ve definitely had better light conditions recently.\nNevertheless, Lisabet and I embarked on a solid 15 km hike today. From the front door, down the A6, through Helsington Laithes up to Scout Scar, south towards Helsington Church, through Berry Holme Farm, across the A591 to Hawes Bridge, and back north through the fields to Kendal.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Helsington, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"My Dad\u0026rsquo;s been vaccinated.\nThis is a relief for me as Dad\u0026rsquo;s a Type II Diabetic and thus Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.\nAs he\u0026rsquo;s in our Support Bubble we went to check in on him this weekend, spending a large part of the day in the valleys of the Northern Fells near where he lives.\nThe Northern Fells is an area of the Lake District Lisabet and I have barely touched but we\u0026rsquo;re still starting to get round to it. South of Carrock Fell and Caldbeck Common, on Blencathra\u0026rsquo;s eastern flank, one can find two valleys ripe for hiking. On this occasion we picked Mosedale, and what a beautiful valley it is.\nMosedale is a west-east valley that begins life underneath Knott (710 m/2,330 ft) and its subsidiary top Coomb Height. Here the two rivers Grainsgill Beck and Blackhazel Beck join together underneath Knott and flow eastward, which has historically gouged out a steep valley with a flat floor.\nThe main path through the valley is on its southern flank, which gently ascends before reaching Bowscale Tarn. We chose the northern track through the valley this time, just to check out the scope of Mosedale. I think Lisabet and I will definitely return to hike the southern path.\nThe sun was out, white fluffy clouds were in the sky, a very light wind caressed our faces… it was a glorious day for a Lake District spring hike.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and a Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nI agree that this photo isn\u0026rsquo;t all that interesting, but I largely shot it to record probably Britain\u0026rsquo;s smallest footpath sign. Barely knee height! Dad, with his own Fujifilm camera setup, enjoying the glorious sights and wonderful light conditions. Our first real sight of the full extent of the Mosedale valley. Absolutely beautiful. A composition shot across the valley towards Mosedale\u0026rsquo;s southern flank. Hidden by the \u0026ldquo;lip\u0026rdquo; near top-centre is Bowscale Tarn. At Roundhouse, roughly halfway along Mosedale. Here the valley starts to pinch as we near the head towards Coomb Height, the fell in the distance on the right. There\u0026rsquo;s quite a bit of scree around the head of Mosedale, including some sizeable boulders. This one caught my eye for the unusual patch of heather growing out of it. I went for wee scramble off the track to nab a composition of some of the scree and vegetation. As the valley pinches tighter the track runs right alongside the river, allowing for compositions straight down the cascades towards Coomb Height. We found a particularly powerful section of the river as it gets forced between several large boulders. I went scrambling into the river to line up some compositions featuring Coomb Height, the river, and the textures of these gorgeous boulders. A bit more precariously close to the fast rapids but arguably a better shot as a result. One of those moments where it feels great to be out in nature. Here we\u0026rsquo;d reached the head of the Mosedale, where Grainsgill Beck and Blackhazel Beck meet. This is Grainsgill Beck, which cuts out a gill on the northern side of Coomb Height. The fell to the right is Milton Hill. Grainsgill Beck saw a lot of mining activity in the 19th and 20th century. Lisabet went seeking for the perfection composition of a particularly powerful cascade on Grainsgill Beck. Back at the foot of the valley is Mosedale village, which is rather idyllic and a true Cumbrian rural paradise. Mosedale village is almost impossibly quaint, complete with a red phone booth and a GR-era post box. The long back to the car, crossing Mosedale Common and entering Caldbeck Common. Lisabet pulling way ahead, leaving me and Dad flagging behind. She\u0026rsquo;s got a proper good stride on her.\n","date":"1 March 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-mosedale-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"My Dad’s been vaccinated.\nThis is a relief for me as Dad’s a Type II Diabetic and thus Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.\nAs he’s in our Support Bubble we went to check in on him this weekend, spending a large part of the day in the valleys of the Northern Fells near where he lives.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Mosedale, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lower-borrowdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lower Borrowdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"The Four Step Plan to \u0026ldquo;normality\u0026rdquo; has been announced by the government.\nFrom the 8th March 2021 students will return to schools, colleges, and universities, and there will be a small loosening of social contact restrictions. Then from 29th March 2021 there is a further easing of social contact restrictions, primarily around meeting people outside. Outdoor sporting recreation will be allowed again, and you can start to travel within the country.\nStep 2 from the 12th April 2021 sees non-essential business opening once again.\nBy 17th May 2021, Step 3 reduces even more restrictions on social contact, with most legal restrictions on outdoor meetings being lifted (except for gatherings of over 30 people).\nAnd finally, by 21st June, all social contact restrictions will be lifted and all remaining businesses will be free to trade again.\nAt least, that\u0026rsquo;s the plan. Apparently guided by \u0026ldquo;data not dates\u0026rdquo;. Let\u0026rsquo;s see what happens.\nIn the meantime, Lisabet and I drove 9-miles north for a wander down the lovely Lower Borrowdale valley. We had intended to ford the river and take the public bridleway up and over Borrowdale Edge into Bretherdale, a valley we\u0026rsquo;ve never explored before. In any case, that didn\u0026rsquo;t happen; the stepping stones to ford the river had a sizeable gap right in the middle, and there was no way we were jumping across.\nInstead, we simply enjoyed a valley bottom walk, all the way from the head of Lower Borrowdale to where it joins the Lune Gorge and the M6 motorway that runs through it.\nAll in all, about a 16 km hike, 24,000+ steps.\nAnd lots of photos.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2, Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and my new Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0 lens (a vintage lens from the 70s that my Dad recently got me). All developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nOur arrival at Lower Borrowdale saw misty fells, with cloud cover clinging to the fell tops. Fortunately these conditions didn\u0026rsquo;t last long and the sun soon started to burn away the morning mist. A local farmer making his way back out of the valley after feeding some his flock up on Borrowdale Edge. The way down to the bottom of Lower Borrowdale. The rather vertiginous looking fell in the distance is Greenside Crag (485 m/1,591 ft). Plenty of Swaledales about, giving us The Look. Looking back at Greenside Crag as the sun finally breaches the cloud cover and strikes across the face of the fell. Still plenty of water about in the valley, with lots of puddles giving me an opportunity to snap some reflections. Here\u0026rsquo;s one of Winterscleugh (464 m/1,523 ft). After an unsuccessful attempt to find a way to the Bretherdale public bridleway via the northern side of Lower Borrowdale, we decide instead to simply walk the valley all the way to its exit at the Lune Gorge. At least the smaller becks were full of water. A dilapidated old barn next to trees covered in unusually bright lichen. Swaledales wearily guarding their food. The sweet summery scent of hay was wonderful. Swaledale higher up the fellside. There were some wonderfully gnarly trees up the fellside of Lower Borrowdale. These two trees had some wonderful shapes to my eye, so I got my ultra wide 9mm lens out for a more unusual composition. A dead tree providing some wonderful textures. Down the green lonnin (lane) to the Lower Borrowdale farm. Glorious sunshine. Plenty of chickens about at Lower Borrowdale farm. Very friendly and inquisitive creatures. A farm \u0026ldquo;shop\u0026rdquo;. A male mallard and his harem head back to the safety of Lower Borrowdale farm. That\u0026rsquo;s right. A curving drystone wall. I can\u0026rsquo;t resist. Up the wooded lane where the Lower Borrowdale valley exits out into the Lune Gorge. The Howgills in the distance finally make an appearance, our signal to turn back. A pretty bridge with the Whinfell Common fells in the distance. A proper idyllic farmyard scene. Probably my favourite shot of the bunch. Swaledales enjoying the hay feed, my lovely Lisabet striding ahead, and the fells beyond. Lovely. Spring is coming.\n","date":"28 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-lower-borrowdale-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":"The Four Step Plan to “normality” has been announced by the government.\nFrom the 8th March 2021 students will return to schools, colleges, and universities, and there will be a small loosening of social contact restrictions. Then from 29th March 2021 there is a further easing of social contact restrictions, primarily around meeting people outside. Outdoor sporting recreation will be allowed again, and you can start to travel within the country.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Lower Borrowdale, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/westmorland-borrowdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Westmorland Borrowdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"Today, it really felt like spring is on its way.\nThis week has been extremely wet, Saturday in particular, so it was a veritable relief when Sunday emerged with blue skies and bright sun. We quickly took the opportunity to get outside for a solid wander towards, and around, Scout Scar, clocking up nearly 8-miles of hiking all in all.\nLisabet\u0026rsquo;s research had identified a slightly different route up Scout Scar than the one we usually took, and it was rather beautiful.\nBirds were singing their little lungs out, snowdrops and crocuses were blooming, and we even saw some erect shoots of daffodils. Spring is coming.\nWe completed the day with a tasty reward from Joey\u0026rsquo;s Café.\nIt felt great to get out in a Blue Sky day.\nPhotos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens. Developed using a variety of RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nThe Ring o\u0026rsquo; Bells pub in Kendal, definitely seen better days. It\u0026rsquo;s one of the few pubs in Britain that\u0026rsquo;s built on Consecrated ground. You can find this sculpture alongside the A6 in Hawesmead Park. Created by Andy Levy, it symbolises racial equality and friendship. Romney\u0026rsquo;s pub in Kendal. Said to be haunted by a ghost called Agnes; the rumour goes that she\u0026rsquo;s the great great aunt of US Senator Mitt Romney. We had to stop and take photos of this wonderful tree proudly displayed in someone\u0026rsquo;s front garden. No idea what type it is, looks like some sort of eucalyptus. Any ideas? We came off the A6 onto the small country lane towards Helsington Laithes. This gorgeous Listed cottage featured a beautiful garden; so pleasantly English and idyllic that I had to stop for a photo. Beyond Helsington Laithes we crossed the fields near Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Woods and made our way through Helsington Barrows towards the cliffs of Scout Scar. A beautifully constructed drystone wall with a small aperture that caught my eye. Up onto the cliffs of Scout Scar, where I first fell in love with Cumbria. I spotted this wee little tree making a life of its own down the steep cliffs of Scout Scar. The cliffs of Scout Scar south of Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap are some of the most dramatic in this landscape. I wanted to emphasise the sheer drop towards the valley floor. Like a giant has taken a good ol\u0026rsquo; bite out of the landscape. Moving north towards Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap. I waited for some fellow morning hikers to enter the frame in order to provide perspective of Scout Scar\u0026rsquo;s cliffs. I love the way limestone geology can provide some of the most dramatic landscapes. Near Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap the cliffs break up more, but are no less precipitous. Looking back the way we came, once we\u0026rsquo;d reached Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap. The day was clear enough to be able to make out the Kent Estuary as it flows out into Morecambe Bay. A panoramic perspective of our cliff top walk. A challenge I enjoy doing on Scout Scar is finding interesting compositions involving the fell\u0026rsquo;s naked ash trees. Heading back down Brigsteer Road there\u0026rsquo;s a line of trees I love taking photos of, totally covered in moss and vines. See? Gorgeous trees. Lisabet queued up at Joey\u0026rsquo;s Café to get some tasty treats, so I went wandering around the area looking for compositions with my ultra wide 9mm lens. Up on Stricklandgate Bridge I saw this elderly gentleman enjoying some time with the local birds and feeding them. One of Kendal\u0026rsquo;s largest stores, Beales, fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was already doing poorly in any case; the pandemic was just the straw that broke the camel\u0026rsquo;s back. At least the open windows showing a depressingly empty department store have been covered up with some creativity. The Shakespeare Pub, next door to the Master\u0026rsquo;s House Tea Room. Through the yard is the Shakespeare Centre, a meeting hall. Formerly the Shakespeare Theatre, it was Kendal\u0026rsquo;s first purpose built theatre in 1829.\n","date":"21 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/095nr2ngc06nu8iiioombm99sibgqh/","section":"Posts","summary":"Today, it really felt like spring is on its way.\nThis week has been extremely wet, Saturday in particular, so it was a veritable relief when Sunday emerged with blue skies and bright sun. We quickly took the opportunity to get outside for a solid wander towards, and around, Scout Scar, clocking up nearly 8-miles of hiking all in all.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Scout Scar, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/arran/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Arran","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cir-mhor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cir Mhor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/corrie/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Corrie","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/firth-of-clyde/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Firth of Clyde","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/isle-of-arran/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Isle of Arran","type":"tags"},{"content":"Here\u0026rsquo;s one from the archives.\nBack in September/October 2017, Lisabet and I took a 2-week holiday and split it into two. The first week was spent around the coast of the Scottish Borders, centred around Cove Harbour. The second week we crossed Scotland east to west and took a ferry over to the Isle of Arran.\nIt was our first, and only, time on this island, and we instantly fell in love.\nArran is often referred to in literature as \u0026ldquo;Scotland in miniature\u0026rdquo;, as the island can be split into the lowlands and highlands, much like mainland Scotland.\nThe Isle of Arran is well-known for many things. Of note, it\u0026rsquo;s home to one of the most recognisable mountains in Scotland, Cir Mhòr (799 m/2,621 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;the big comb\u0026rdquo;). Arran was also where, in 1787, geologist James Hutton found his first \u0026ldquo;unconformity\u0026rdquo;. This provided evidence for his Plutonist geological theories and gave him a better idea about the age of the Earth.\nWe spent a solid week exploring and getting to know as much of the island as possible. I know personally I\u0026rsquo;d love to go back.\nAll photos shot on my camera at the time, which was a Sigma dp0 Quattro with built-in 14mm f/4.0 lens. I utilised a variety of graduated neutral density filters plus a polariser to control exposures. Developed using one of RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nOn the first afternoon/evening on the island after crossing via the ferry, we went for a wander around Merkland Point, near Corrie on the east coast of Arran. I had previously learned about the weird and wonderful geology and rock formations on this piece of coastline, and I was not disappointed. I loved the maze of patterns created by the grass and rock pools at Merkland Point. I framed this composition to fully fill up the frame with these patterns, set against Holy Island in the distance. We enjoyed a gentle sunset that evening, full of pastel pinks. Some of the boulders around Merkland Point were covered in the most vivid moss and lichen I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen. Truly otherworldly. A closer composition of some of the moss and lichen found on the boulders around Merkland Point. The next day we explored Arran\u0026rsquo;s southern coastline around Kildonan. This is another area you should check out if you\u0026rsquo;re into strange rocks (and are a bit of geek, like me). In the distance you can just make out Pladda, an uninhabited island south of Arran with its own automated lighthouse. Even further behind you might barely be able to see the pointy profile of Ailsa Crag, another uninhabited island in the Firth of Clyde. I remember it was an incredibly blustery day. These were the days when I shot on a tripod all the time, and I remember having to brace myself against the tripod in order to hold it still enough for these exposures. When we ventured back northwards along the southeastern coast of Arran, we stopped at Whiting Bay. There was a walk we knew of that took you to see a rather splendid waterfall. After a fairly strenuous hike, we finally arrived at the viewing point and were absolutely floored by the sight of one of the largest British waterfalls I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen. This is Glenashdale Falls, dropping in two stages by around 140 ft. Even with a 14mm lens, I had to shoot three landscape images and stitch them top to bottom in order to fully show the scale of waterfall. Crazy. We did have to contend with a full day, maybe two, of non-stop rain. But we ventured whenever we could spot gaps in the downpour. This is a composition from the spit of land that protrudes into Loch Ranza, northwest Arran. The hill featured in the centre is Tòrr Nead an Eoin (325 m/1,066 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;crag of birds nests\u0026rdquo;) One of the finest compositions I managed to nail in my time on the island. This is North Glen Sannox, looking towards the back of Cir Mhòr and Caisteal Abhail (859 m/2,818 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;stronghold of the ptarmigan\u0026rdquo;). Our hike up this valley was frequently interrupted by passing squalls, but it was so windy that we knew we just had to wait it out and the rain would quickly move on. Further down the foot of North Glen Sannox I nabbed this simple composition of the cascades of North Sannox Burn, with Sail an Im (508 m/1,666 ft) rising in the distance. Near the start of the walk I took this composition which showcased some of the cascades and vivid rocks of North Sannox Burn. Another location on our Arran \u0026ldquo;bucket list\u0026rdquo; was the Machrie Moor Stone Circles. These are a collection of six prehistoric stone circles; some made from boulders, others from tall sandstone pillars. They\u0026rsquo;ve been carbon dated to around 2030 BCE, making them around 4,000-years old. When we arrived some stormy clouds moved over the moorland in front us. This unfortunately blocked our view of the mountains, but more than made up for it with some incredibly vivid rainbows! I reached an emotional state of 50% panic and 50% ecstasy, running around the stone circles trying to shoot as many meaningful compositions as possible whilst the rainbow was still visible. One of the last days of our week on Arran, conditions stayed dry enough to attempt a circuit around Glen Rosa, one of the main valleys in Arran. I had researched locations and compositions in this valley for years, looking for shots towards the iconic Cir Mhòr . Ultimately, I didn\u0026rsquo;t get the actual photos I was after, especially because the valley was ridiculously muddy and difficult to walk. But this photo is OK. Another attempt at a composition featuring Cir Mhòr and some of the gorgeous cascades and pools of Glenrosa Water.\nI consider my work of Arran unfinished, and very much look forward to revisiting the island once again with better eyes, better gear, and a fitter body.\n","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/isle-of-arran-scotland-autumn-2017/","section":"Posts","summary":"Here’s one from the archives.\nBack in September/October 2017, Lisabet and I took a 2-week holiday and split it into two. The first week was spent around the coast of the Scottish Borders, centred around Cove Harbour. The second week we crossed Scotland east to west and took a ferry over to the Isle of Arran.\n","title":"Isle of Arran, Scotland, Autumn 2017","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kildonan/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kildonan","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lochranza/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lochranza","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/machrie-moor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Machrie Moor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"3 February 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/pladda/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pladda","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/carrock-beck/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Carrock Beck","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"31 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hike","type":"tags"},{"content":"Today it was time for something a little different.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s been about a month since I last saw my Dad, and during that time a 3rd National Lockdown came into effect. My Dad\u0026rsquo;s in his 60s, lives alone, and has Type II Diabetes, so he\u0026rsquo;s in our \u0026ldquo;bubble\u0026rdquo;. So we thought it we were overdue for a visit, and zipped up to North Cumbria to check in on him, and get some exercise in whilst there.\nDad took us to Caldbeck Common, an area northeast of the northern Lake District fells. We hiked up alongside Carrock Beck and followed the old miner\u0026rsquo;s track towards High Pike (658 m/2,159 ft), snapping plenty of photos along the way.\nTemperatures were around -3°C and there was a strong wind about, so it were pretty raw on the face. Refreshing and invigorating, though. More importantly, we got to hang out with my Dad, which is always a pleasure.\nMost photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. The horse photos were taken on my Google Pixel 3XL. All developed using one of RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nMy lovely Lisabet, shooting some water action. This is Carrock Beck, which begins life from the eastern slopes of High Pike. The beck actually flows over the road here, so vehicles habitually have to ford the river. Dad and Lisabet, nattering away, getting whipped by the cold winds. We saw lots of delightful icicle formations by the side of the miner\u0026rsquo;s track. Miniature worlds of their own. Looking back the way we came. In the far distance is the snow-capped escarpment known as the North Pennines. It peaks at Cross Fell (893 m/2,930 ft), which is the highest summit in England outside of the Lake District. Managed to snap this candid shot of Dad, with Carrock Fell (661 m/2,169 ft) behind. I think Dad\u0026rsquo;s face is testament to the sub-zero temperatures blowing right into our faces. Carrock Fell from the miner\u0026rsquo;s track. The fell is fairly unique in England as it\u0026rsquo;s largely made from Gabbro, a rough igneous rock that\u0026rsquo;s normally found on the Isle of Skye. Rock climbers like as it\u0026rsquo;s quite \u0026ldquo;grippy\u0026rdquo;. The head of the Carrock Beck valley, which summits at High Pike. Still a bit of snow around. Looking back at the Carrock Beck valley from further down. Plenty of gorse ( Ulex europaeus ) around here, but not yet in flower. As we started driving out of Caldbeck Common we stopped the car to let a herd of fell horses through. I wound down the window to snap some phone photos when one gorgeous member of the herd stopped and poked through the window for a sniff. Didn\u0026rsquo;t have any tasty carrots or apples on me, I\u0026rsquo;m afraid. Beautiful creatures.\n","date":"31 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-caldbeck-common-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Today it was time for something a little different.\nIt’s been about a month since I last saw my Dad, and during that time a 3rd National Lockdown came into effect. My Dad’s in his 60s, lives alone, and has Type II Diabetes, so he’s in our “bubble”. So we thought it we were overdue for a visit, and zipped up to North Cumbria to check in on him, and get some exercise in whilst there.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Caldbeck Common, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/frost/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Frost","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/helstington-barrows/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Helstington Barrows","type":"tags"},{"content":"It\u0026rsquo;s amazing the difference 24-hours can make.\nYesterday we were hiking through mist and fog with a landscape covered in frost and snow.\nToday a lot of the frost has melted, the sun was out, and the atmosphere was crystal clear.\nSo this time we did one of our favourite local hikes. From the front door, up Captain French Lane and onto Brigsteer Road, then follow the road up towards Helsington Barrows. Here we came off the road to explore a new discovery of ours, Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Wood. We\u0026rsquo;ve mentally bookmarked this area for spring and summer, but we thought we\u0026rsquo;d have a wander through the woods now. It were really quite pretty.\nPopping back out of the woods we crossed the road onto Helsington Barrows and began the long ascent up to Scout Scar. And it was at the summit that we were simply floored by the spectacle of the Lake District fells covered in snow. Not only were they beautifully coated in the white stuff, but the atmosphere was so crystal clear you felt you could reach out and touch the fells. Incredible.\nI hope you manage to get a sense of the awe and wonder we experienced through these photos.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. Developed using one of RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nBerries have been replaced with flowers made of ice. The road through Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Woods. You can see the stile on the left; this is the way into the woods on foot. Had to snap this moss-covered tree with some sort of vine crawling up it. Another interesting sight. Is it five separate trees, sharing the same root system? Or one tree that\u0026rsquo;s split into five? I couldn\u0026rsquo;t say, but I know I\u0026rsquo;ve never seen owt like it. Here\u0026rsquo;s a photo of me climbing into the bowl of the trees. Same tree, different angle. Still some nice pops of colour about in Warriner\u0026rsquo;s Wood. Out of the woods we cross the road and up onto Helsington Barrows, following the trail up to Scout Scar. The views open up the higher we climb. Looking back at the way we came, I frame this shot of Lisabet with the wonderful snow-covered shapes of the Howgills in the distance. This was the view that made both me and Lisabet cuss in awe. Probably the clearest I\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen the Lake District fells from Scout Scar. Life… finds a way. Once we arrived at the cairn we followed the edge of Scout Scar northwards towards Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap, snapping happily along the way. I whipped out my 9mm ultra-wide lens for some vast and expansive compositions. Probably my favourite shot from the day: a little tree growing out of the limestone crags of Scout Scar, still with some frosting on its branches. Near Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Leap with a sheer drop down to the Lyth Valley below. Looking back the way we came. The atmosphere was so clear we could see all the way out to Morecambe Bay, which seemed to be experiencing a more overcast day. Heading back into Kendal, down my favourite road: Beast Banks. If I\u0026rsquo;ve got my 9mm ultra-wide lens with me I rarely resist a composition of Kendal town hall.\n","date":"24 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-helsington-barrows-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"It’s amazing the difference 24-hours can make.\nYesterday we were hiking through mist and fog with a landscape covered in frost and snow.\nToday a lot of the frost has melted, the sun was out, and the atmosphere was crystal clear.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Helsington Barrows, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"Welp, despite Storm Christoph\u0026rsquo;s best attempts, snow and ice have returned.\nThe rain finally left Britain, with parts of North England and the Midlands getting flooded. It filled us with trepidation, having experienced our home being flooded during December 2015\u0026rsquo;s Storm Desmond. Thankfully, though the River Kent did get high, no serious flooding was reported in Cumbria this time.\nToday we saw temperatures plunge once again, bringing overnight snow and frost into the county. As we\u0026rsquo;re still in a National Lockdown due to the global COVID-19 Pandemic, we retraced a familiar local favourite of ours: from the front to door to Old Sedbergh Road and up the fellside onto Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane. Then you follow the lane and exit back down to Kendal Jenkin\u0026rsquo;s Cragg Farm. You get a solid 10,000 steps doing it.\nThe going was dry and ice-free underfoot and the cloud base level was very low; it didn\u0026rsquo;t take us long stomping up Old Sedbergh Road to get into the cloud base and have our views completely washed out in fog. Never mind. Still got some lovely photos, I reckon.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Developed using one of RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nThe water level at the River Kent has dropped rather rapidly after Storm Christoph departed. Kendal looks rather magical with a covering of frost. We briefly came off Castle Street to explore the grounds of Castle Street Cemetery. It was like stepping back in time. The cemetery opened in 1843. The burial ground is now full and the chapel is disused. Further up Sedbergh Road, near the allotments, our favourite local horses were having a proper feast on some sweet-smelling hay. Up Old Sedbergh Road we go, as the road gets steeper each step. The higher we climbed, the more the views disappeared into the winter fog. A little spider web hammock. This is the approach to the junction of Old Sedbergh Road and Paddy Lane, where Greyhound Farm sits. Really fogging up now. With these kinds of conditions, you can snap some rather minimalist compositions. Up on Paddy Lane. Trees and flora covered in corns of ice and frost. High Jenkincrag Farm. Don\u0026rsquo;t know if it\u0026rsquo;s inhabited or not. The route back to Kendal means you have to follow the Public Bridleway through Jenkin Crag Farm. And that means… cows! All well fed and keeping warm, by the look of things. The Castle Dairy. This is Kendal\u0026rsquo;s oldest inhabited building, built in the early 14th century and with some of those original features still in place. One might have assumptions based on the property\u0026rsquo;s name, but it seems it\u0026rsquo;s actually a corruption of Castle Dowery , a dower house for widows of the Barony. The Bridge pub. Not sure what\u0026rsquo;s happening with this place; it\u0026rsquo;d been disused and on the market for years before news got out that it had been acquired in 2018. Still not open. Not sure it ever will be again. Back up into Kendal town centre via Finkle Street. The name comes from the Old Norse word vinkle or vinkel , meaning \u0026ldquo;elbow\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;angle\u0026rdquo;. Accurate. Heading past the New Shambles lane. Please do not feed the pigeons (people do, anyway). New Shambles lane follows the route of an ancient path, Watt Lane; this went through property owned by the Trustees of the Market Place Chapel, back in the 18th century. It was redeveloped as the New Shambles in 1804 as 12 butchers\u0026rsquo; shops. This lane became known as Stinking Lane as there weren\u0026rsquo;t any drains from the slaughter houses here (even though the owners paid \u0026ldquo;2/6\u0026rdquo;—two shillings and sixpence—a week to have the lane cleaned).\n","date":"23 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-kendal-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"Welp, despite Storm Christoph’s best attempts, snow and ice have returned.\nThe rain finally left Britain, with parts of North England and the Midlands getting flooded. It filled us with trepidation, having experienced our home being flooded during December 2015’s Storm Desmond. Thankfully, though the River Kent did get high, no serious flooding was reported in Cumbria this time.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Kendal, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"19 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/natland/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Natland","type":"tags"},{"content":" After the recent wonderful wintery scenes of snow in and around Kendal, things have somewhat changed.\nStorm Christoph has arrived over the British Isles, as well as all the flood warnings. Whilst we\u0026rsquo;re not expecting Storm Desmond-levels of rain, there will be enough to induce mild panic and anxiety within us Desmond-survivors.\nThankfully, before the storm arrived, we had a clear day on the 17th so Lisabet and I gleefully utilised it by enjoying a 12 km hike.\nWe took the quiet country lanes from near the Westmorland General towards the delightfully idyllic village of Natland. Then we carried on towards the River Kent, crossing it at Hawes Bridge (and stopping for photos of the gorge, of course), carried on over the A591 and back up the fellside towards Brigsteer.\nThis was a part of the local area we\u0026rsquo;ve nearly properly looked at before and we were happily surprised. We essentially tracked the road that scanned northwards alongside the back of Scout Scar, with some beautiful scenes along the way. We mentally bookmarked this area for when spring and summer finally arrives.\nI hope you enjoy this walk too.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Developed using one of RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profiles.\nI always enjoy this view down Kirkland from Highgate in Kendal, and rarely resist an opportunity for a photo. The scene almost has a timeless quality to it. Some yarn bombing alongside the River Kent has definitely seen better days. All in a row… Arriving at Natland we slowed down for photos of the idyllic village and its old buildings. This big old building was once Natland Hall Farm, a relatively large farmhouse. Riders and their horses near Hawes Bridge enjoy the lack of rain. The River Kent was full and raging at Hawes Bridge, where it turns on its side and gouges out this little limestone gorge. As we ascended the fell side towards Brigsteer and the back of Scout Scar, we passed through Low House Farm and snapped a few photos. I saw this old barn door and pondered the passage of time. Once we ascended Whetstone Lane we joined Brigsteer Road and followed it northwards back towards Kendal. Here the views really opened up, including this scene of the winding dry stone wall. And you know what I\u0026rsquo;m like we a good dry stone wall… Another variation of the above composition, picking out some of the flora in the hedgerows. A beautifully wooded lane. One to come back to in spring and summer. Following along the back of Scout Scar we came across these rather noisy cows, bellowing at each other. I love her hair… Heading back into Kendal. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to make out in the photo but in the distance we could see the snowy tops of the Kentmere fells. Another one of my favourite Kendal scenes, heading down the steep Beast Banks back into Kendal town centre. Kendal clock tower, still being repaired and thus still stuck at 12pm.\n","date":"19 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-brigsteer-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":" After the recent wonderful wintery scenes of snow in and around Kendal, things have somewhat changed.\nStorm Christoph has arrived over the British Isles, as well as all the flood warnings. Whilst we’re not expecting Storm Desmond-levels of rain, there will be enough to induce mild panic and anxiety within us Desmond-survivors.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Brigsteer, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":" The Pandemic Peregrinations are back.\nOn the 4th of January 2021 the UK entered its 3rd National Lockdown due to rising COVID-19 cases and a new—more infectious—variant ravaging its way through the nation.\nThe British public are being urged to stay home at all times, save for one lot of exercise a day and essential shopping. I\u0026rsquo;m back working remotely from home again, and we\u0026rsquo;re only heading out to get some manner of exercise in, plus occasionally shopping for food.\nWinter has well and truly arrived.\nWe decided to combine both an essential food shop with our day\u0026rsquo;s exercise today, so we hiked up Kendal Fell via Helsfell Nab, aiming towards the wonderful Plumgarths Farm Shop.\nDespite the lockdown plenty of people were enjoying sledging in the somewhat slushy and frozen snow slopes of Kendal Fell. We carefully dodged the kids and adults alike whizzing passed us in their sleds, and continued on an occasionally perilously slippy walk to Plumgarths and back.\nLots of sheep about, too.\nIn other news—as of Saturday 9th January 2021—3,017,409 people in the UK tested positive with the virus, with 82,624 recorded deaths.\nStay safe and warm, everyone.\nAll photos shot with a Fujifilm X-T2 using my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Developed using RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profile.\nFresh snow everywhere. Winter has well and truly arrived. We made friends with this gorgeous girl, who was exploring the winter landscape. We really had to watch our footing on most of the walk. Most of the snow had either frozen over or was heavily compacted, making it all rather slippery. A wintery Kendal town. There were plenty of sheep around the lower slopes of Kendal Fell. Not sure of the breeds, probably a lot of North England Mules. You\u0026rsquo;re never far from the countryside in Kendal. I love the quizzical expressions sheep give you. Managed to snap this young lass as she sped down the slopes of Kendal Fell. Our way forward. It was nice to see families out enjoying the \u0026ldquo;snow\u0026rdquo;. My lovely Lisabet keeping up, despite slippery conditions. Navigating through the woodland below Helsfell Nab. As we gain height the views open up and the cloud shelf lowers. We skirt around the lower slopes of Cunswick Fell to head towards Plumgarths Farm Shop. A beautiful Cumbrian winter scene. The lonely track towards High Helsfell Farm. Our destination for the day: Plumgarths Farm Shop. It\u0026rsquo;s a small place, so Lisabet went in to get supplies and I stayed out.\n","date":"9 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-helsfell-nab-kendal-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":" The Pandemic Peregrinations are back.\nOn the 4th of January 2021 the UK entered its 3rd National Lockdown due to rising COVID-19 cases and a new—more infectious—variant ravaging its way through the nation.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Helsfell Nab, Kendal, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dalton-crags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dalton Crags","type":"tags"},{"content":" Before the current cold snap arrived, Christmas was looking rather wet and miserable.\nSo on post-Boxing Day (is that a thing?) Lisabet and I decided to throw caution to the wind and attempt a hike up and around Dalton Crags.\nYou can find Dalton Crags and its woodland near Hutton Roof Crags, an isolated limestone hill comprising a large portion of Britain\u0026rsquo;s limestone pavement. Dalton Crags features its own limestone pavement amongst the ancient woodland and new plantations.\nWe wandered around the crags shooting photos before venturing up higher towards Hutton Roof Crags. Unfortunately, the weather decided to start hailing on us, which was rather painful, so we made a hasty retreat back into the woodland of Dalton Crags.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. Developed with RNI\u0026rsquo;s Kodachrome film profile.\nBefore we arrived at Dalton Crags we stopped at Beetham Nurseries for a brew, waiting for the squalls to pass. This beautiful Robin was rather brave and inquisitive. Limestone boulders, covered in lichen and moss, cover the forest floor around Dalton Crags. I had fun making compositions of this tree surrounded by the clints and grikes of Dalton Crag\u0026rsquo;s limestone pavements. Life… finds a way… More interesting lines and shapes in this composition. A more abstract composition in a bleak setting. Proper British winter. The main limestone crags of Dalton Crags, with an ancient woodland growing out the top of it. A Lisabet for scale.\n","date":"7 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dalton-crags-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":" Before the current cold snap arrived, Christmas was looking rather wet and miserable.\nSo on post-Boxing Day (is that a thing?) Lisabet and I decided to throw caution to the wind and attempt a hike up and around Dalton Crags.\n","title":"Dalton Crags, Cumbria, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"7 January 2021","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hutton-roof-crags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hutton Roof Crags","type":"tags"},{"content":" It\u0026rsquo;s really starting to feel like winter in the Lake District now.\nAs the weather improved over the Christmas Break, Lisabet and I decided to embark on a hike up a fell we\u0026rsquo;ve never done before: Latrigg.\nLatrigg is a rather unassuming fell, measuring only 368 m/1,207 ft high. But what it lacks in height or stature it more than makes up for with the views it has to offer.\nTechnically Latrigg is part of the main Skiddaw massif, the mountain range that looms above Keswick town, disconnected by a depression that drops to 900+ ft. For those with limited mobility it\u0026rsquo;s possible to reach the summit of Latrigg via a car park near the peak. We decided instead to start in Keswick and hike up the Cumbria Way to the summit.\nWe certainly weren\u0026rsquo;t alone and we could easily see why. The day was ice-cold and clear, with gorgeous low winter light filtering through an atmosphere of ice crystals, resulting in shows of 22° halos around the sun and mist lingering around the fells. Skiddaw, Blencathra, and the Derwentwater fells also had plenty of snow on their peaks, adding to the sense of awe.\nI hope these photos convey the beauty we experienced on this hike.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. A variety of Fuji\u0026rsquo;s film profiles were utilised in the RAW developing.\nAs we ascended up the steep section of the Cumbria Way, the views looking back west and southwest grew more impossible to resist photographing. The sun was too weak to burn away the morning\u0026rsquo;s temperature inversion, leaving floating tufts of mist to meander around the fells. As we broke off the Cumbria Way to take the path up towards the Latrigg summit, and patch of mist floated our way and obscured views back towards Skiddaw (931 m/3,054 ft). I quickly nabbed this 35mm composition of what turned out to be a fleeting moment. We joined, at a distance, other groups of people near the summit of Latrigg, admiring the views and the incredible light show. The halo around the sun is known as a 22° Halo, caused by sunlight refracting through millions of hexagonal ice crystals in the atmosphere. The lake in the distance is Derwentwater. From the summit of Latrigg, looking back towards the Derwentwater and Whinlatter fells as another patch of mist slowly creeps up the shoulders of the fell. Plenty of dogs were enjoying the sights and smells of the fell too. Away from the sun we continued on the summit track back down Latrigg\u0026rsquo;s eastern shoulder, affording us wonderful views of a snow-clad Blencathra (868 m/2,848 ft). More mist streamed in to partially obscure the views of the mighty fell. Following, at a distance, other hikers back down the Cumbria Way, with extraordinary views towards the Whinlatter and Lorton fells.\n","date":"31 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/latrigg-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":" It’s really starting to feel like winter in the Lake District now.\nAs the weather improved over the Christmas Break, Lisabet and I decided to embark on a hike up a fell we’ve never done before: Latrigg.\n","title":"Latrigg, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/falls-of-rha/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Falls of Rha","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/neist-point/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Neist Point","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/talisker/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Talisker","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/talisker-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Talisker Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":" Happy Boxing Day everyone.\nOne of the nice things about editing these photos from Skye is that I get to revisit this wonderful place all over again. I can send my mind right back to October 2020, place my two feet in the scene, and immerse my visual memory in the whole experience.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s also why this post and series of photos saddens me.\nThese are my last lot of photos from our 2-week trip around Skye.\nThis post is a sort of mish-mash of photos from various different parts of Skye that we didn\u0026rsquo;t get an awful lot of time to properly explore. As a result, rather than publishing multiple posts with only 2–3 photos in each, I thought I would combine them all in this Farewell Skye post.\nIn this post you\u0026rsquo;ll find photos from the famous Neist Point, with its remarkable cliffs, coastline, and—in our experience—a dramatic storm system; Talisker bay, including its sea stacks, cliffs, waterfalls and mountains; and assorted shots from around the Sleat peninsula, which we managed to nab before constantly getting drenched.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a couple of little extras too, that I hope you\u0026rsquo;ll like.\nThank you for visiting my website and experiencing my visual memories of Skye with me over the last couple of months.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s to more UK travel if, and when, circumstances allow, in happier times.\nSleat Peninsula # The Sleat peninsula of Skye is arguable one of the least explored places on the island. The peninsula is the southernmost point of Skye and geographically different from much of Skye, which is why it\u0026rsquo;s often referred to as the \u0026ldquo;garden of Skye\u0026rdquo; for its rolling land and rich soil, compared to the rest of the island\u0026rsquo;s jagged peaks, craggy land, and cliffed coastline. Our first stop on Sleat was Tarskavaig Bay at Gillean Beach. A view across the sea allows you to pick out some of the peaks of the Black Cuillins. The drama in this photo is testament to the stormy conditions we experienced on this peninsula. My eye quickly round some rather interesting rock formations around Gillean beach. I endeavoured to make some compositions whilst it was vaguely dry enough to shoot. The hill on the left is Sìthean Beag . Lots of formations of volcanic origin around Gillean Beach. A hint of the Black Cuillins in the distance as a break in the thick cloud cover allows some dramatic spotlighting. Moving further north and east around the Sleat Peninsula, we stop off at another small settlement, Tokavaig. Lots of proper Viking names around here. At Tokavaig one can find what\u0026rsquo;s left of Dùn Scaich castle. This was once a fort belonging to the Clan MacDonald of Sleat, before being wrestled for power many times over the centuries. Clan MacDonald eventually abandoned the castle in the 17th century. It\u0026rsquo;s named after a mythical figure, \u0026ldquo;Scáthach the Shadow\u0026rdquo;, a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher, who trained the hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat.\nTalisker Bay # Further to the northwest of Skye, beyond the Black Cuillins, is Talisker Bay, a favourite of ours. You may be familiar with the name as one of Scotland\u0026rsquo;s well-known whiskies is named after it (in fact, Talisker Whisky is made further inland at Carbost). The northern side of Talisker Bay features sheer cliffs and a delightful waterfall dropping right into the sea. The waterfall is the outflow from a small loch just above the cliffs, Loch an Sgùirr Mhòir . On the southern side of the Bay is the sea stack known as Talisker Point, here catching some morning light. This is the path one takes to reach Talisker Bay from further inland. The remarkable knuckly hill is Preshal More (324 m/1,062 ft).\nNeist Point # We managed a brief visit to Neist Point during a day spent running away from various wet weather systems. The area is known for its views towards the Neist Point cliffs and its lighthouse, but one shouldn\u0026rsquo;t ignore the vast cliffs of Waterstein Head, reaching 882 ft high. With my 9mm ultra-wide Laowa lens I was able to capture this vast panoramic view of Neist Point, its lighthouse, as well as the Ramasaig cliffs. We watched as a weather system approached us from across the sea, absolutely heaving it down into the waters. Another ultra-wide composition, shot vertically, showing Neist Point\u0026rsquo;s cliffs and lighthouse, with the storm quickly approaching us.\nBonus # One of our \u0026ldquo;bookmarks\u0026rdquo; for October 2020\u0026rsquo;s Skye holiday was the Falls of Rha. These are a pair of powerful waterfalls located near Uig, north Skye. The falls are found in a wooded glen—relatively rare on Skye—and are almost disappointingly easy to get to. Nevertheless, they are an impressive site. As we left the Isle of Skye on the final day we hopped back onto mainland Scotland and took a small detour to capture this incredible view. These are the Five Sisters of Kintail, a 5-mile long pointy mountain ridge. They are Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe (1,027 m/3,369 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;Peak of the Black Chest/Coffin\u0026rdquo;), Sgùrr na Càrnach (1,002 m/3,287 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;Peak of the Stony Place\u0026rdquo;), Sgùrr Fhuaran (1,067 m/3,501 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;Peak of wells/fountains\u0026rdquo;), Sgùrr nan Saighead (929m/3,048 ft), and Sgurr na Moraich (875 m/2,873 ft).\n","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-rest-of-skye-amp-beyond-scotland-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Happy Boxing Day everyone.\nOne of the nice things about editing these photos from Skye is that I get to revisit this wonderful place all over again. I can send my mind right back to October 2020, place my two feet in the scene, and immerse my visual memory in the whole experience.\n","title":"The Rest of Skye \u0026amp; Beyond, Scotland, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/torskavaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Torskavaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"26 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/waterstein/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Waterstein","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"12 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glen-coe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glen Coe","type":"tags"},{"content":" Glencoe is a place that fills me with total awe every time I visit.\nWhether we\u0026rsquo;re heading towards the Isle of Skye or venturing further north towards Torridon and beyond, I always appreciate a \u0026ldquo;pit stop\u0026rdquo; around this epic place.\nGlen Coe is an east-west valley of volcanic origin and is perhaps world famous for the Three Sisters of Glencoe. These are the three \u0026ldquo;peaks\u0026rdquo; that rise suddenly from the valley floor, like giant knuckly fists punching the sky.\nIn reality, the peaks are actually spurs jutting out from the main mountain range of the area, which is hidden by the Three Sisters: Bidean nam Bian (pronounced BIT-yan nam BEE-an, meaning \u0026ldquo;peak of the mountains\u0026rdquo;, 1,150 m/3,770 ft). The Three Sisters in question are, from east to west: Beinn Fhada (692 m/2,270 ft), Gearr Aonach (689 m/2,263 ft), and Aonach Dubh (892 m/2,926 ft).\nThere\u0026rsquo;s more to Glencoe than the Three Sisters though. There is, of course, one of Scotland\u0026rsquo;s most famous sights: the \u0026ldquo;Buachaille\u0026rdquo;, or Buachaille Etive Mòr (pronounced BOR-kaleh etiv MOO-or, meaning \u0026ldquo;The Great Herdsman of Etive\u0026rdquo;, 1,021 m/3,351 ft). From the east the mountain presents itself as an almost impossibly perfect pyramid and is an arresting sight on the way to Glencoe.\nGlencoe and the surrounding area is a challenge to portray its mood and scale accurately. I hope I have achieved some semblance of my autumnal experience here.\nAll shots taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. Shot using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nAfter leaving the car and clambering down the valley I found this interesting glacial erratic, which I tried to line up for a composition with two of the Three Sisters: Aonach Dubh (right) and Gearr Aonach (left). A family play by the calm waters of the River Coe. The giant 10 km ridge in the distance is Aonach Eagach , which rises to 967 m/3,175 ft and borders the northern side of the valley. It\u0026rsquo;s possible to clamber right down into the valley bottom of Glencoe, which near its eastern end forms a steep and deep gorge. With my ultra-wide 9mm lens I was able to get a more unusual perspective looking from the gorge towards the top of the Gearr Aonach . A true autumnal scene of Glencoe, looking westwards with Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh on the left and Aonach Eagach on the right. Trying to capture the mosaic of colours on the valley floor, looking centrally towards Gearr Aonach . Previously in my photographic exploits I\u0026rsquo;ve always found it hard to capture all three of the sisters. With my ultrawide 9mm lens, I was astounded to be able to capture this composition. Heading back out of Glencoe and towards Glen Etive, where the River Coupall joins the River Etive, there are a series of wonderful falls and cascades surrounded by seriously vibrant autumnal foliage. One can nab some particularly delicious compositions involving the Buachaille here. A tighter composition of the giant pyramidal peak of the Buachaille, featuring some of the wonderful autumnal foliage around the Coupall/Etive river junction. This peak is Stob a\u0026rsquo; Ghlais Choire (995 m/3266ft), which marks the eastern end of Glen Etive.\n","date":"12 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/glencoe-highlands-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":" Glencoe is a place that fills me with total awe every time I visit.\nWhether we’re heading towards the Isle of Skye or venturing further north towards Torridon and beyond, I always appreciate a “pit stop” around this epic place.\n","title":"Glencoe, Highlands, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":" Winter has arrived.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve been watching as temperatures in Cumbria have steadily dropped from the tens to near freezing point.\nBy around the 3rd December snow started to fall across the high fells of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, followed by some ground level snow on the 4th.\nLisabet and I ventured straight into the Lakes on the Saturday to see if we could get some snowy mountain action whilst the snow was still around.\nA lot of it had melted in the dale bottoms, resulting in some delightful cascades and waterfalls, but we were happy to see a fair bit of snow still clinging to the higher peaks of the Lake District.\nWe hiked into Deepdale, a small tributary valley off Patterdale, just north of Kirkstone Pass. The nice thing about Deepdale is you\u0026rsquo;ll rarely find a lot of people there. The not-so-nice thing is that the hiking can be laborious, as there\u0026rsquo;s not much of a path through the valley and there\u0026rsquo;s a fair bit of bog to navigate.\nBut what awaits you at the head of Deepdale is the magnificent hulking form of Greenhow End, a beautiful fell.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. Photos shot using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nBooting up. Love that anticipation and excitement when you\u0026rsquo;re getting ready for a hike, thinking about what scenes and light awaits you. There were plenty of Herdwicks around the valley bottoms, fattening up for the winter. Probably all now pregnant, too. Deepdale is quite a desolate and featureless valley, save for the wonderful crags at its head. There are a few glacial erratics lying about, though, that you can play with compositionally. I found this large boulder with a clear crack running through it, which I used in this focus-stacked photo to point towards Greenhow End. Another group of rocks and boulders housed this little pool that I framed in another composition towards Greenhow End. A single frame shot at f/22 with my ultra-wide 9mm Laowa lens. A tighter composition of the magnificent Greenhow End, with some gorgeous late-afternoon winter sun light. I found another large boulder with some interesting moss, lichen, and trackline markings. Another boulder I found had this very interesting crack running right through that, from certain angles, sort of reminded me of PacMan… Heading back out of the valley I found more interesting arrangements of boulders to utilise compositionally, also positioning Deepdale Beck as a leading line towards Angletarn Pikes. A tighter 35mm composition of Angletarn Pikes allows me to also features some of the old barns and farm houses of Wall End. My lovely Lisabet, capturing a composition of one of her favourite stone bridges. Herdwicks have such characterful faces.\n","date":"8 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/deepdale-lake-district-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":" Winter has arrived.\nWe’ve been watching as temperatures in Cumbria have steadily dropped from the tens to near freezing point.\nBy around the 3rd December snow started to fall across the high fells of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, followed by some ground level snow on the 4th.\n","title":"Deepdale, Lake District, Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":" At Duntulm one can find the ruins of Duntulm Castle, the 17th century seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat.\nDuntulm (Dùn Thuilm in Scottish Gaelic) was originally a fortress built and inhabited by the Picts, an ancient Gaelic tribe. Then, like much of Great Britain, the Vikings arrived and claimed the site for themselves. Duntulm, and the rest of the Trotternish peninsula, was hotly contested and changed hands frequently until the 16th century when the Lord Of The Isles, Donhall Gorm (\u0026ldquo;Blue Donald\u0026rdquo;) seized the area, and started making improvements to the fort.\nBy 1730, the MacDonalds moved away from Duntulm, setting up a new castle on the Sleat peninsula of Skye. The castle and fortress at Duntulm was left to rot and ruin.\nThe ruins are perched high on the cliffs of Tulm Bay, affording commanding views back south along the coast and out across the sea towards the islands of Lewis and Harris.\nA truly epic place.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. I utilised a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nGaining height as we head towards the ruins of Duntulm Castle, this is a shot looking back to the cliffs of Creag Orril and Creagan Iar . I can see why some benches were placed here. Duntulm Castle, perched on a promontory of basalt rock and easily defendable on all sides. An ultra-wide angle view of the ruins of Duntulm Castle. The coast around Duntulm heavily features these stepping-stone basalt rock formations. My lovely Lisabet, getting close to the sea to grab those views. The rock around here puts me strongly in mind of the Giant\u0026rsquo;s Causeway of Northern Ireland. Stormy conditions as we clambered around the Duntulm coast for compositions. Beyond the promontory of Duntulm Castle the coast branches out into a variety of pools, shelves, platforms, clints and grikes called Ru Meanish . Endless compositions for a weirdo rock formation fan like me.\n","date":"2 December 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/duntulm-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" At Duntulm one can find the ruins of Duntulm Castle, the 17th century seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat.\nDuntulm (Dùn Thuilm in Scottish Gaelic) was originally a fortress built and inhabited by the Picts, an ancient Gaelic tribe. Then, like much of Great Britain, the Vikings arrived and claimed the site for themselves. Duntulm, and the rest of the Trotternish peninsula, was hotly contested and changed hands frequently until the 16th century when the Lord Of The Isles, Donhall Gorm (“Blue Donald”) seized the area, and started making improvements to the fort.\n","title":"Duntulm, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":" The Isle of Skye is, of course, an island, but it\u0026rsquo;s also home to lots of satellite isles in its waters.\nMost of these tiny isles can be found in Loch Bracadale, a sea loch off the coast of Northwestern Skye. It contains isles such as Harlosh Island, Tarner Island, and Wiay. In addition, there is a fourth island that\u0026rsquo;s actually accessible by foot from the mainland of Skye, but only at low tide.\nThis is Oronsay.\nWe ventured to this tidal island from the nearby settlement of Ullinish after a wonderfully hearty Sunday Roast at Bog Myrtle Café. We crossed the shallow gravel bank that links Oronsay to Ullinish at low tide and went exploring this uninhabited island.\nThe eastern part of Oronsay consists of low lying grassland, and there were definitely plenty of sheep around taking advantage of this. The land then rises up towards the southwest, summiting at 74 m/242 ft and dropping as sheer cliffs down into the sea.\nThe hike to and around Oronsay was definitely one of the highlights of this particular stay on Skye.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. Taken using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nPlenty of rust-coloured bracken on the slopes of Ullinish Point, beyond which lies the tidal island of Oronsay. In the distance is the coastline of Fiskavaig Bay. Looking back from Ard nan Gamhain towards the tiny settlement of Ullinish. This is the shallow gravel bank that connects Ullinish Point to Oronsay at low tide. Beyond are the unmistakeable shapes of MacLeod\u0026rsquo;s Tables; a pair of flat-topped hills that are characteristic features of the Duirinish peninsula of Skye. Always remember to look at where you\u0026rsquo;re standing, because I did and found this delightful and somewhat chaotic array of plant life by my feet. I think this might be Rosa pimpinellifolia , the Burnet Rose. Up on Oronsay we make our way straight towards the 200+ ft high cliffs, snagging compositions along the way. My lovely Lisabet at the summit of Oronsay and a sheer 240 ft drop next to her. Incredible scenes. A composition leading towards the southernmost point of Oronsay. To the right, nearest, is Wiay, the largest island in Loch Bracadale. Further, to the right, is Idrigill Point of the Duirinish peninsula of Skye, and you can even just make out the hills on South Uist of the Outer Hebrides, 50 km away. There was plenty of fascinating geology around Oronsay and Ullinish Point to entertain an amateur Rock Nerd like me. I grabbed a composition of this remarkable boulder, which lie roughly halfway between Ullinish Point and Oronsay.\n","date":"29 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/oronsay-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" The Isle of Skye is, of course, an island, but it’s also home to lots of satellite isles in its waters.\nMost of these tiny isles can be found in Loch Bracadale, a sea loch off the coast of Northwestern Skye. It contains isles such as Harlosh Island, Tarner Island, and Wiay. In addition, there is a fourth island that’s actually accessible by foot from the mainland of Skye, but only at low tide.\n","title":"Oronsay, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":" Let\u0026rsquo;s take a break from my recent run of Isle of Skye images.\nDo you know what one of my favourite areas in the Lake District is? It\u0026rsquo;s Great Langdale.\nWe recently invited my Dad over to come stay with us, as he\u0026rsquo;s in our support bubble and lives on his own. On the Saturday I took Dad to explore Great Langdale, which he had never seen before. It\u0026rsquo;s good to know there\u0026rsquo;s still places in the Lake District I can let my Dad experience for the very first time.\nIt is an awe-inspiring place. Great Langdale is a fairly flat-bottomed valley that features a northern wall of some of the finest and most recognisable crags and peaks in the Lake District: the Langdale Pikes.\nJudging from the amount of photos, I think Dad found it inspiring too.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses (with some additional help from Dad\u0026rsquo;s 55-200mm f/3.5–4.8). I used a customised Provia Standard film profile.\nIt was prime tupping season in the valley bottom of Great Langdale. Plenty of Herdwick yows (ewes) around with one or two tups (rams) doing their… duty . We experienced some wonderful play of light streaming across the Langdale Pikes. I borrowed Dad\u0026rsquo;s 55-200mm lens to really zoom on those famous crags. Stickle Ghyll, the series of cascades and falls to the right of the photo, was in full spate. There were plenty of puddles on the trail, which enabled to shot a composition of the Langdale Pikes I\u0026rsquo;ve been after for a long time. More beautiful late afternoon light, picking out the contours and crags of the Langdale Pikes. To the east of the Langdale Pikes is a wall of fells peaking at Broad Crag and Raw Pike, with a beam of light shooting across the face of the wall. The trail closed in on Great Langdale Beck and provided me with a lovely leading line towards the glowing tips of the Langdale Pikes. Nearer the Pikes the swollen beck was reflecting some wonderful light bouncing off the red fells above us. I closed the lens up to get this longer exposure of the flow of the river. Here\u0026rsquo;s something I didn\u0026rsquo;t know about in Great Langdale! Near the Stickle Ghyll Barn Dad and I spotted a small stile that allowed one access over the fence towards these wonderful cascades. I whipped out my 9mm ultra-wide lens for some compositions of these cascades and Whitegill Crag above. It\u0026rsquo;s not the Lake District without some idyllic cottages scattered about the valley. Herdwick sheep are so bloody cute. A final panoramic look back at the Great Langdale valley; Langdale Pikes to right, and Crinkle Crags to the left.\n","date":"25 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/great-langdale-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Let’s take a break from my recent run of Isle of Skye images.\nDo you know what one of my favourite areas in the Lake District is? It’s Great Langdale.\n","title":"Great Langdale, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"25 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/langdal/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Langdal","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"25 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/langdale-pimes/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Langdale Pimes","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/lealt-falls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lealt Falls","type":"tags"},{"content":" For obvious reasons most people focus on the Storr or the Quiraing when it comes to the Isle of Skye\u0026rsquo;s Trotternish Peninsula.\nBut there is so much more to see.\nSouth of the Quiraing and north of the Storr, there is a stretch of coast on the eastern side of the Trotternish peninsula that drops suddenly into the sea. Not only can one explore some fine cliffs and all the views that come with them, there\u0026rsquo;s also a surprising number of waterfalls along this section of the Trotternish coastline.\nJust south of Staffin one can find the famous Kilt Rock, a cliff named for its patterned resemblance to Scottish kilts (Kilt Rock is made from columns of basalt rock, much like at the Giant\u0026rsquo;s Causeway in Northern Ireland). A well-known viewing station here allows for a sheer perspective along the cliffs towards Kilt Rock, with a waterfall plunging straight into the sea too, known as Mealt Falls.\nFurther south of Kilt Rock there\u0026rsquo;s another series of waterfalls called Lealt Falls, which drop in two main stages from the Trotternish landslip. There are incredible views taking in both waterfalls with the otherworldly forms of the Storr high above in the distance.\nCloser to the Storr, you can stop off at Upper Tote for ridiculous views all the way down the Sound of Raasay towards the Red Cuillins, too.\nAll in all, there\u0026rsquo;s so much to see around the Trotternish Peninsula alone.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with both my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses. I used a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nThe clear photo to take at the Kilt Rock Viewing Station is looking north, which features Mealt Falls dropping straight into the sea with Kilt Rock in the distance. It is also, inevitably, busy with people. Instead I made my way to the view south, taking in the wonderful Bhaltos cliff formations. South of Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls there\u0026rsquo;s another viewing platform, with ample parking, at Lealt Falls. The weather was extremely changeable that day, and I managed a 35mm shot of the upper waterfall with some brief sunlight on the land and the Trotternish landslip in the distance. The prominent peak featured is Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhadaidh Ruaidh (pronounced SKOOR ah VAT-tee ROO-ah, meaning \u0026ldquo;Peak of the red fox\u0026rdquo;). My lovely Lisabet, taking in the views around Lealt Falls, with some wonderful sandstone geology behind her. A tighter composition of Lower Lealt Falls, the last of the Lealt Falls before merging into the sea. And now a much wider composition, which manages to capture both of the Lealt Falls with the Trotternish landslip and Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Mhadaidh Ruaidh in the distance. A squall was also closing in on the peaks and started to obscure them. A panoramic view of the gorge that the Lealt Falls have cut, whilst a heavy storm drenches the peaks of the Trotternish landslip. Later, we stopped off further south for this frankly ridiculous and wonderful vistan from Upper Tote, looking all the way down the Sound of Raasay towards the Red and Black Cuillins.\n","date":"18 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/trotternish-coast-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" For obvious reasons most people focus on the Storr or the Quiraing when it comes to the Isle of Skye’s Trotternish Peninsula.\nBut there is so much more to see.\n","title":"Trotternish Coast, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":" One of my favourite places on Skye is Sligachan.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s also a source of frustration for me.\nAt Sligachan one is offered an incredible view of the northern jagged peaks of the Black Cuillins mountain range, particularly the peaks named Sgùrr nan Gilean (966 m/3,170 ft) and Sgùrr a\u0026rsquo; Bhàsteir (900 m/2, 953 ft). Every time I\u0026rsquo;ve been to Skye I\u0026rsquo;ve tried navigating the various rivers and becks that stream off the northern faces of the Black Cuillins, looking for compositions.\nTo this day, I still don\u0026rsquo;t think I\u0026rsquo;ve shot one that I consider to have \u0026ldquo;nailed\u0026rdquo;.\nSo please find a selection of photos from around Sligachan and its various rivers and falls. I think they\u0026rsquo;re OK, personally. One day, I\u0026rsquo;ll be happy with a shot of mine from around this area.\nPhotos taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 with both a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens, using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve talked about, and photographed, the Black Cuillins a lot on Skye, but there is another mountain range located next door to them. They are the Red Cuillins. Whereas the Black Cuillins are jagged and craggy, owing to them primarily being composed of coarse and hard volcanic gabbro rock, the Red Cuillins a made of granite, resulting in smaller and smoother hills. Here I utilised the Old Sligachan Bridge has a leading line towards Glamaig (775 m/2,543 ft). If the river\u0026rsquo;s particularly low it\u0026rsquo;s possible to clamber underneath the arches of the Old Sligachan Bridge. This can lead to interesting compositions involving the Black Cuillins. A more zoomed-in view of the beautiful Black Cuillins. A new statue, unveiled only this year in 2020, features two mountaineers (Prof. Norman Collie, a chemist, and John Mackenzie, a local crofter and mountain guide). They gaze at the Black Cuillins that they famously climbed all the peaks of, mapping out new climbing ascents. Rising up the other side of the new Collie \u0026amp; Mackenzie statue is another member of the Red Cuillins, Marsco (736 m/2,415 ft). We hiked up alongside just one of Sligachan\u0026rsquo;s many rivers, the Allt Dearg Mòr, looking for waterfalls and cascades alongside compositions of the Black and Red Cuillins. Near a private house situated next to the river, Alltdearg House, are a series of cascades I had a go at making compositions with when the light got good. It was good to see there was still some pink heather around the river\u0026rsquo;s edge, which I included in this composition looking towards Marsco of the Red Cuillins. This is a single exposure, shot for the brightest highlights, which I\u0026rsquo;ve then had to recover in post. Above the cascades I nabbed this panoramic view of the Red Cuillins. The sun was very much fighting with the clouds that day, and we were alternately bathed in light then showered on as various weather systems blew across the Cuillins. One of the best shots I got of the Black Cuillins with some waterfall/cascade action. Not bad. But there\u0026rsquo;s definitely better out there.\n","date":"15 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/sligachan-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" One of my favourite places on Skye is Sligachan.\nIt’s also a source of frustration for me.\nAt Sligachan one is offered an incredible view of the northern jagged peaks of the Black Cuillins mountain range, particularly the peaks named Sgùrr nan Gilean (966 m/3,170 ft) and Sgùrr a’ Bhàsteir (900 m/2, 953 ft). Every time I’ve been to Skye I’ve tried navigating the various rivers and becks that stream off the northern faces of the Black Cuillins, looking for compositions.\n","title":"Sligachan, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/camasunary/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Camasunary","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/camasunary-bay/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Camasunary Bay","type":"tags"},{"content":" As well as revisiting old favourites of ours on Skye, we also wanted to check out unfamiliar territory across the island.\nA new, to us, hike we bookmarked was located on the Strathaird peninsula of Skye, perhaps more widely accessed for getting to Elgol. We did revisit Elgol again, but on the way back we stopped at a parking layby near Kirkibost for a hike up and over the Strathaird peninsula towards an isolated little bay called Camasunary.\nThis hike ended up being the best thing we did on the Isle of Skye.\nCamasunary is the Scots form of the Scottish Gaelic Camas Fhionnairigh, which means \u0026ldquo;Bay of the White Shieling\u0026rdquo;. This implies that this bay, in times past, was once used as summer grazing for livestock, when transhumance farming was more common.\nAs we had spent time around Elgol for sunrise, our hike to Camasunary was still early in the morning, which provided us with dazzling displays of light and shadow on some of the most epic scenery we\u0026rsquo;ve ever seen.\nPhotos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 primarily using a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 with occasional backup provided by my Laowa 9mm f/2.8. I used a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nWe couldn\u0026rsquo;t have asked for better conditions as we began our hike from the layby at Kirkibost. Here, a long lenticular cloud hovers above Nead an Fhìor-eòin (334 m/1,095 ft). One of my favourite Skye mountains, Blà Bheinn , is more famously viewed from the shore of Loch Slapin. But from this hike the mountain\u0026rsquo;s fin-like southern ridge is more prominent, and I managed to snap this shot as the peak caught some morning light. As we crested the summit of the trail, views of the Black Cuillins started to open up and our excitement levels shot through the roof. The view of Camasunary Bay from the summit of the trail. Holy moly, what a view! The mountain to the right is Sgurr na Stri (494 m/1,620 ft), definitely one of the smaller peaks on Skye but its position above Loch Coruisk means the view from its summit is perhaps one of the finest in Britain (and one I hope to see myself one day). To the left, catching the morning light, is Gars-bheinn (808 m/2,650 ft). As we began following the trail down to Camasunary Bay we were faced with the massive southern face of Blà Bheinn (928 m/3,044 ft) high above, glowing gold in the morning sun. We also weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones enjoying this hike. Bright slivers of golden light streak across the various faces of the Black Cuillins. In my head, the Lord Of The Rings theme music plays incessantly. A particularly strong burst of light breaks through the low clouds as I shot this view across Loch na Creìtheach . The hill on the left is Sgùrr Hain (420 m/1,377 ft) and the crown-like summit in the distance is Sgùrr nan Gillean (966 m/3,170 ft), one of Skye\u0026rsquo;s most famous peaks. Its name translates from Scottish Gaelic as \u0026ldquo;peak of the young men\u0026rdquo;. We finally arrived at the flat bay of Camasunary. There\u0026rsquo;s three buildings on the bay; two of them are bothys (one old and disused, another freshly constructed). The building pictured, though, is a private house. I\u0026rsquo;m not sure if it\u0026rsquo;s still in use or not; it looked in various states of disrepair. You have to admit, it\u0026rsquo;s a cracking spot for a house. This is the old Bothy, located at the western end of Camasunary Bay, close to the beach, with Sgurr na Stri above. In 2014 it was reclaimed by the private owner of the Bay, and a newer bothy was constructed back at the eastern end of the Bay. If you don\u0026rsquo;t know, a bothy is a basic building or shelter and usually left unlocked, available for anyone to use free of charge. They\u0026rsquo;re quite common in the mountainous areas of Scotland, but you do find them in places like the Lake District too. Heading back up the trail, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist one last look back at this stunning view of Camasunary Bay. As we made our way back to the car at Kirkibost the clouds got angrier and occasional spits of rain signalled the end of our luck with the light and weather this day. However, another burst of light from behind us illuminated this solitary tree, which I lined up with the pyramid peak in the distance that was also catching the light.\n","date":"8 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/camasunary-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" As well as revisiting old favourites of ours on Skye, we also wanted to check out unfamiliar territory across the island.\nA new, to us, hike we bookmarked was located on the Strathaird peninsula of Skye, perhaps more widely accessed for getting to Elgol. We did revisit Elgol again, but on the way back we stopped at a parking layby near Kirkibost for a hike up and over the Strathaird peninsula towards an isolated little bay called Camasunary.\n","title":"Camasunary, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/strathaird/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Strathaird","type":"tags"},{"content":" When you think of Skye, do you think of dinosaur fossils?\nProbably not.\nMuch like Cornwall\u0026rsquo;s famed Jurassic Coast, Skye has its own version at An Corran beach, Staffin, on the Trotternish Peninsula.\nIn 2002 a local couple walking along An Corran spotted a slab of rock with a fossilised footprint embedded. Experts later identified it as originating from a small ornithopod, a bipedal running dinosaur.\nFurther excavation revealed more dinousaur footprints, the largest being around 50 cm long and originally made by a creature similar to a Megalosaurus. They were dated to around 160 million years old, making them the youngest dinosaur remains in Scotland.\nAn Corran is also home to one of the oldest hunter-gatherer sites in Scotland, which dates to around the 7th millennium BC.\nNot only is An Corran home to a treasure trove of history, it also features some weird and fantastical geology, which primarily caught my eye for compositional reasons.\nThese photos were made from two separate visits, which explains the drastically different light conditions.\nShot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nBelow the cliffs of the northwestern point of An Corran, Staffin, one enjoy beautiful views back towards the Quiraing . At Breun Phort, east of the Staffin Slipway, a raised bed of clints and grikes offer seemingly limitless compositions for my wide angle lens to devour. A simple composition showing off the tetris-like structure of the raised rock bed at Breun Phort , looking back towards the 50 ft cliffs that dominate the An Corran coast. Untold millennia of waves have sculpted the layers of rock along An Corran , revealing curved strata and standing boulders behind. Two giant boulders lean on each other. In the distance are the mountains of Torridon and Applecross. A glacial erratic remains perched on the raised bed of rock at An Corran , Staffin. More glacial erratics perched on sculpted formations. In the distance, to the left, are the two cliff faces of Sgeir Bhàn . A reflection of the solitary perched glacial erratic, using the strata beneath it as a leading line. Two separate glacial erratics, which two me almost look like they are in \u0026ldquo;conversation\u0026rdquo; with each other.\n","date":"6 November 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/staffin-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" When you think of Skye, do you think of dinosaur fossils?\nProbably not.\nMuch like Cornwall’s famed Jurassic Coast, Skye has its own version at An Corran beach, Staffin, on the Trotternish Peninsula.\n","title":"Staffin, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"26 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/landscapae/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Landscapae","type":"tags"},{"content":" Alongside the Storr, the Quiraing is one of those places on Skye that ignites your imagination and takes your breath away.\nMuch like the Storr, the Quiraing is part of the Trotternish landslip, the longest such feature in the British Isles. Whilst the Storr marks the highest point of the Trotternish landslip, the Quiraing marks the northernmost summit at Meall na Suiramach (543 m/1,781 ft). The Quiraing is also, unlike the Storr, still slipping; apparently the road at the bottom of the Quiraing near Flodigarry requires repair every year as the land continues to move.\nThe name comes from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings: Kví Rand, which can be translated as \u0026ldquo;round fold\u0026rdquo;. This could refer to the fold just below the summit of Meall na Suiramach, which hides a flat plateau known as The Table (roughly around here), where cattle could be hidden. In fact the Quiraing is home to quite the variety of weird and wonderful rock formations and their characterful names, such as The Needle and The Prison.\nLisabet and I woke up nice and early to get to the Quiraing for sunrise. We knew there\u0026rsquo;d be fewer people, as the Quiraing is quite accessible and very popular, but we were also expecting rain after sunrise. As a result, we were treated to a wonderful light show as the sun rose over the sea, not long followed by a weather system that moved in and completely drenched us.\nWorth it.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with both the Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nBoth being significantly fitter now, we decided upon arrival to start hiking up the southern edge of the Quiraing that leads towards Dùn Dubh (396 m/1,299 ft). Pink pre-dawn light starts to appear in the sky. As dawn breaks the sunrise light show gets better and better. This image is made of 6 landscape photos shot on a 35mm/f1.2 lens, stacked top to bottom and merged into a \u0026ldquo;bokehrama\u0026rdquo;. The hill on the left is called Cleat (336 m/1,102 ft). My lovely Lisabet capturing the wonderful sunrise. As we clamber back down the ridge we cross a meandering little stream, which I use as a leading line towards the northern section of the Quiraing. Those rock formations just don\u0026rsquo;t seem real. Now following the northeastern ridge of the Quiraing, we found a lovely load of heather still largely in bloom. I composed this ultra-wide view of the Quiraing as I liked the way the curving cliff mirrored the curve of the road below. A well-known and famous composition of the Quiraing, yes I admit it. But when I spotted that little tree growing out of the side of the cliff I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist a photo. Also, the light on the Quiraing was so good . At this point of the hike the sunlight was getting stronger and stronger, casting intense golden light on the land. When composing this shot on my Laowa 9mm I noticed that at certain angles the lens would flare quite drastically. Rather than avoiding it, I decided to deliberate include flare for this photo of the path through the Quiraing. The sun had finally escaped above the bank of cloud that clung to the sea, drenching the Quiraing in intense golden light. When I turned back for a composition of the route we had taken, I saw this storm moving in behind the Quiraing… so we decided to turn back and head towards the car. 5 minutes after shooting this photo we promptly got soaked .\nCheck out my Isle of Skye portfolio while you\u0026rsquo;re at it.\n","date":"26 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/quiraing-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Alongside the Storr, the Quiraing is one of those places on Skye that ignites your imagination and takes your breath away.\nMuch like the Storr, the Quiraing is part of the Trotternish landslip, the longest such feature in the British Isles. Whilst the Storr marks the highest point of the Trotternish landslip, the Quiraing marks the northernmost summit at Meall na Suiramach (543 m/1,781 ft). The Quiraing is also, unlike the Storr, still slipping; apparently the road at the bottom of the Quiraing near Flodigarry requires repair every year as the land continues to move.\n","title":"Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eas-mor/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eas Mor","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fairy-pools/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fairy Pools","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/glen-brittle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Glen Brittle","type":"tags"},{"content":" Skye has one or two \u0026ldquo;hotspots\u0026rdquo; that are perhaps vastly more popular for visitors than other areas around the island. The Storr might be considered one of those hotspots.\nAnother would be the Fairy Pools of Glen Brittle.\nThe last time I checked out the Fairy Pools was way back in 2013, when we first explored the Isle of Skye. I was instantly beguiled by the variety of cascades and waterfalls, creating pools of brilliant turquoise as a result of the crystal clear water and reflecting the colours of the rocks.\nAs you climb up the path alongside, the backdrop is increasingly dominated by the jagged skyline of the Black Cuillins, particularly the peak of Sgùrr an Fheadain (689 m/2,260 ft) and the fissure that runs down it known as Waterpipe Gully.\nAfter capturing all kinds of compositions around the Fairy Pools, noting the light changes as the sun rose above the Black Cuillins, we ventured further down Glen Brittle to check out some of the less-visited cascades and falls. In particular, after a short but steep hike, we were floored to discover a sudden gorge dropping beneath our feet and a huge waterfall falling into it, with the Black Cuillins framed above. An absolutely incredible sight.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with both a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nThe shooting started almost immediately after parking up, as we could see the rising sun just starting to peak above Sgùrr an Fheadain , casting beams of light around the mountain. Incredible scenery. As we hiked further up the path the hill fog started to burn off, revealing some of the tops of the Black Cuillins. This peak in particular is Sgùrr Thuilm (meaning \u0026ldquo;Rocky peak of the hillock\u0026rdquo;) and measures 881 m/2,890 ft high. This is one of the bigger waterfalls of the Fairy Pools. The photo is comprised of 6 landscape frames, shot top to bottom, and merged into a single \u0026ldquo;bokehrama\u0026rdquo;. At this point of the river, known as Allt Coir\u0026rsquo; a\u0026rsquo; Tairneilear , the bigger waterfalls give away to a myriad of criss-crossing smaller cascades, each creating their own little pools of brilliant turquoise. The rising sun was getting above the Black Cuillins, casting strong golden light on the carved rock forms of the river. Probably my favourite composition from the whole hike, tracing the winding carved rock through to the falls and the mountains beyond as the sun highlights their forms. One of the last cascades on the Allt Coir\u0026rsquo; a\u0026rsquo; Tairneilear before the river flattens out directly underneath Sgùrr an Fheadain . Beautiful golden light picks out the various ridges and shelves of rock around the river. My lovely Lisabet, on our way back down the valley. The hills that form the western side of the Glen Brittle valley, catching the post-sunrise light. Right to left: Beinn a\u0026rsquo; Bhràghad (459 m/1,505 ft), Beinn Staic (412 m/1,351 ft), and An Cruachan (435 m/1,427 ft). Taking one last look at Sgùrr an Fheadain and the rest of the Black Cuillins as the hill fog clears further. Further down Glen Brittle, towards its terminus as it pours out into Loch Brittle, you can hike up alongside less-visited rivers and their own waterfalls. Near the Glen Brittle Youth Hostel we park for a hike up the river Allt Coire Banachdich , as it pours down from the western flanks of the Black Cuillins. 300+ ft up the river this view suddenly opens up, revealing a deep and sheer gorge that the river has carved, now dropping 150+ ft as the waterfall known as Eas Mòr . A truly awe-inspiring site, especially with the western Black Cuillins above. The last of the season\u0026rsquo;s heather provides a nice colour contrast against all the greens and golds. The top of Eas Mòr catches the light before plunging 154 ft into the gorge. Above, the peak of Sgùrr Dearg (985.8 m/3,234 ft, meaning \u0026ldquo;Red peak\u0026rdquo;) dominates.\n","date":"24 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/glen-brittle-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Skye has one or two “hotspots” that are perhaps vastly more popular for visitors than other areas around the island. The Storr might be considered one of those hotspots.\n","title":"Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/britian/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Britian","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cost/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cost","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/elgol/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Elgol","type":"tags"},{"content":" There\u0026rsquo;s something truly magical about the Elgol coast on Skye.\nFirstly there\u0026rsquo;s the frankly ridiculous view you\u0026rsquo;re treated to as you descend the narrow winding road to the shore, which arguably is what makes most people fall in love with Elgol. I know that\u0026rsquo;s what it did to me, back in 2013, when I first explored this tiny coastal village.\nBut there is so much more to Elgol than the obvious view of the Black Cuillins across the sea. As you explore the coastline northwest, the pebbles give way to smooth boulders the size of a rugby ball, so you need to watch your step. And then the coastline dramatically changes as you\u0026rsquo;re greeted with a cliff that looks like a giant has bitten a chunk from its base.\nThe smooth rugby-ball boulders slide off revealing platforms and shelves and fins and ridges of seemingly impossible rock formations. A veritable playground of photo compositions.\nMy abilities with words can only do so much. Enjoy these sunrise photos of Elgol. I hope they express at least a small modicum of what I experienced here.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with both a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and a Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lens using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nThis is the view one is treated to as you arrive at the main car park near the shore of Elgol. It\u0026rsquo;s just ridiculously stunning. As the sun was rising behind us it cast slivers of golden light, which caressed the Black Cuillins in a dazzling display. I immediately picked my way towards the northwestern shore, looking for compositions featuring some of Elgol\u0026rsquo;s weird and wonderful rock formations. I found this stack of rock shelves, perhaps an Uncomformity , which I used as a leading line towards the glowing Black Cuillins (the particular member of the Black Cuillins pictured is Gars-bheinn , pronounced GAR-vein, meaning \u0026ldquo;rough mountain\u0026rdquo;). On this occasion the tide was low, which exposed more formations for us to explore. Near the sea I found a jumbled mass of blocks haphazardly stacked on top of each other, and covered in barnacles. I found this particularly large rock formation, about the size of a small car, all jagged and seemingly resting on the raised platform. Thousands of years of action from the sea has cut grooves into the raised bed, which I took advantage of for a composition. I carefully circumnavigated this massive boulder that fascinated me, looking for angles and views. The light and atmosphere were so clear that I was actually able to make photos looking west right across the sea towards the mountains on the Isle of Rùm, 20 km away. More light started to hit the Black Cuillins as I took this composition, with the sea intruding and cutting a channel into the raised platforms.\nOur day wasn\u0026rsquo;t finished with this sunrise shoot at Elgol. Stay tuned for more photos of our hike from Kilmarie to the isolated beach of Camasunary Bay!\n","date":"20 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/elgol-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" There’s something truly magical about the Elgol coast on Skye.\nFirstly there’s the frankly ridiculous view you’re treated to as you descend the narrow winding road to the shore, which arguably is what makes most people fall in love with Elgol. I know that’s what it did to me, back in 2013, when I first explored this tiny coastal village.\n","title":"Elgol, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"20 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loch-scavaig/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loch Scavaig","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/old-man-of-storr/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Old Man of Storr","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/storr/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Storr","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sunrirse/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sunrirse","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/the-storr/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"The Storr","type":"tags"},{"content":" Hello, readers! It\u0026rsquo;s been a while.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve just returned from a fortnight around my favourite place on this earth: the Isle of Skye, Scotland.\nThis is the fourth time we\u0026rsquo;ve been to the island now; the last time was in 2019 (last year), which was an… interesting time for us as I was diagnosed and then hospitalised with Type II Diabetes.\nOne year on I\u0026rsquo;ve put my Diabetes into remission, I\u0026rsquo;m off the medication, and I\u0026rsquo;m seven stone lighter.\nHuzzah!\nBack to this year\u0026rsquo;s trip; I managed to shoot about 25 Gb of photos, which has took me the whole afternoon to back up and organise. But I knew, even when organising my catalog of images, that the first ones I wanted to edit was our sunrise hike up to The Storr.\nThe Storr (An Stòr in Scottish Gaelic, meaning \u0026ldquo;the big\u0026rdquo;) is the highest point on the Trotternish Peninsula of Skye (719 m/2,359 ft), featuring gentle slopes on its western flank to the summit and then sheer cliffs and otherworldly rock formations on its eastern flank. It\u0026rsquo;s part of the Trotternish landslip, which is the longest landslip in Great Britain.\nJust below the cliffs of the Storr is an area known as the Sanctuary, which houses incredible towers and pinnacles of rock including the most famous one: the Old Man of Storr, a solitary finger of rock 164 ft high.\nWe woke up before sunrise and began the steep ascent up to the Storr with the sun slowly catching up with us. What followed was a gradual reveal of a temperature inversion below us, spreading out across the sea as we climbed into the Sanctuary above.\nA magical experience I\u0026rsquo;ll never forget.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a combination of my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and new Laowa 9mm f/2.8 lenses, using a customised Pro Negative Standard film profile.\nThe steep ascent up to the Storr. Whilst not technically challenging, it is a short and steep hike; you end up climbing 1,100 ft in less than a mile, about an average of a 33% gradient incline. Phew! Thankfully the infrastructure around the Storr has massively improved over the years and most of the paths are properly pitched and laid out. The view looking back down. As the sun rose a temperature inversion formed, quickly covering the sea and land below us. An absolutely magical moment. Tendrils of fog and mist gently caressed the cliffs of the Storr and burned off just as quickly. Getting closer to the cliffs of the Storr as the fog started to burn off from the rising sunlight. My aim was to take the path down to the left here, so I could get behind all the Sanctuary formations for a composition I had in mind. I got my 35mm/f1.2 out for a closer look up at the sheer cliff faces of the Storr, a little bit of mist clinging to the tops. Above, ravens cawed around the clifftops The composition I was primarily after. Centre-left is the most famous rock formation in the area: the Old Man of Storr, a solitary rock pinnacle measuring 164 ft from base to tip. The rising sun just started to peak over the right-hand side, catching some of the grass and the face of the Old Man. A closer view of the Old Man, shot with my Samyang 35mm. I wish there was a person standing around the base of the Old Man, to provide a sense of scale and context. I clambered around the base of the pinnacles to get this composition of Needle Rock. A clearer view of Needle Rock. I\u0026rsquo;ve recently acquired a Venus Optics \u0026ldquo;Laowa\u0026rdquo; 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens, possibly the widest ultra-wide APS-C prime lens on the market, and it has opened up a whole new world of compositions for me. The more \u0026ldquo;classic\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;traditional\u0026rdquo; view of the Sanctuary rocks below the cliffs of the Storr. The temperature inversion was thickening up, along with the cloud cover, but a bit of sunrise light broke through to illuminate the scene. One of the best compositions I managed to nab from our sunrise hike around the Storr. I was thankful for the conditions, the light, and of course the incredible scenery. A view of the other side of the Old Man of Storr. There\u0026rsquo;s a lot of scree to be dodged around the Sanctuary.\nMore photos to come of some of the other areas we hiked around Skye. Stay tuned!\n","date":"18 October 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-storr-isle-of-skye-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Hello, readers! It’s been a while.\nWe’ve just returned from a fortnight around my favourite place on this earth: the Isle of Skye, Scotland.\nThis is the fourth time we’ve been to the island now; the last time was in 2019 (last year), which was an… interesting time for us as I was diagnosed and then hospitalised with Type II Diabetes.\n","title":"The Storr, Isle of Skye, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hiking/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hiking","type":"tags"},{"content":" Our new jam is sunrise hikes.\nAfter summiting Loughrigg Fell as the sun rose up last weekend, we ventured out for another sunrise hike. This time we started from Yew Tree Tarn near Coniston, and hiked up through the woods in a ravine called Glen Mary to find a delightful succession of waterfalls called the Tom Gill falls. Following the gill, you eventually pop out at Tarn Hows, where we were greeted with crystal-clear reflections and the sun rising up above the surrounding fells.\nWe took the Tarn Hows circular trail anti-clockwise to hitch up onto the crags above the tarn known as the Howgraves crags. Lots of cuddly Herdwick sheep were happily grazing around the crags here. We then rejoined the trail anti-clockwise before exiting at its northwestern junction towards the Cumbria Way. This takes you back towards the A593, north of Yew Tree Tarn, where we followed the path alongside the road before returning to the car.\nIncredible views, peaceful sounds, gorgeous light, and cuddly sheep. What\u0026rsquo;s not to love?\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with my new Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nA fairly still Yew Tree Tarn with the first of the day\u0026rsquo;s light just starting to hit the crags of Holme Fell (317 m/1,040 ft). The last time we saw this tarn was early summer, and it was completely dry. The first of the cascades known as Tom Gill falls. Starting to get some autumn colours in the Lake District now. The main waterfall of the Tom Gill falls, dropping 30 ft. This is a vertorama, or even a \u0026ldquo;bokehrama\u0026rdquo;, comprised of six landscape frames at 35mm/f1.2, stacked top to bottom. Looking back to my lovely Lisabet as we continue up the Glen Mary ravine. Eventually we pop out of the ravine onto Tarn Hows, with crisp reflections and golden sunrise light. Perfect reflections of the south bank of Tarn Hows. Another vertorama comprised of three landscape shots at 35mm/f1.2, stacked top to bottom, showing the glowing woods we came out of. A beautiful Herdwick ewe, giving me that characteristic quizzical and curious look from her perch. As we climb up the crags above Tarn Hows another Herdwick ewe emerges from the bracken, giving me a look . Behind her is the glowing face of Wetherlam (763 m/2,502 ft). One or two people have arrived on the Tarn Hows trail as more sunlight illuminates the fells and woodlands. High above is the Old Man of Coniston or Coniston Old Man (802 m/2,632 ft), the highest of the Coniston fells and once the highest peak in Lancashire before the formation of the county of Cumbria. The Langdale Pikes peep just above the woods around Tarn Hows. This is a 4-shot vertorama, stacked top to bottom, at 35mm/f1.2. Looking down to Tarn Hows from the crags above it. Beyond are the Grasmere Fells. An 8-shot vertorama, highlighting this naked tree as it catches the light. Another flock of Herdwicks grazing in the woods around Tarn Hows, with the rising sun breaking through the canopy. We exit the Tarn Hows circular trail onto the Cumbria Way, which rises gently towards the A593. Along the way we\u0026rsquo;re treated to sweeping views of the Coniston Fells and their autumn colours. This is a 3-shot vertorama, stacked top to bottom, each shot a landscape frame at 35mm/f1.2. Where there\u0026rsquo;s a winding dry stone wall, there I am trying to photo a composition. On the way back home we stop off at Staveley for a bacon butty and a flat white at More? Bakery . She loves a good brew.\n","date":"27 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/tarn-hows-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Our new jam is sunrise hikes.\nAfter summiting Loughrigg Fell as the sun rose up last weekend, we ventured out for another sunrise hike. This time we started from Yew Tree Tarn near Coniston, and hiked up through the woods in a ravine called Glen Mary to find a delightful succession of waterfalls called the Tom Gill falls. Following the gill, you eventually pop out at Tarn Hows, where we were greeted with crystal-clear reflections and the sun rising up above the surrounding fells.\n","title":"Tarn Hows, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/yew-tree-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yew Tree Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":" The River Eden has carved out some wonderful geology.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re a frequent visitor of my website (hello!) you\u0026rsquo;ll have read me writing about the River Eden\u0026rsquo;s geology specifically around Mallerstang and Wetheral.\nThe River Eden begins life high up in the Mallerstang valley—now part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park—where it has carved an impressive gorge known as Hell Gill, before dropping 25 ft as a waterfall called Hellgill Force. The river turns north, carving its way out of Mallerstang into the wider Vale of Eden.\nJust before the river reaches the small Cumbrian town of Kirkby Stephen, it drops through a partially collapsed cave system in Stenkrith Park called \u0026ldquo;The Devil\u0026rsquo;s Grinding Mill\u0026rdquo; (also known as \u0026ldquo;The Devil\u0026rsquo;s Mustard Mill\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Coop Kernan Hole\u0026rdquo;). The scenery here is absolutely fascinating.\nWe took the opportunity for a more gentle walk, starting at Stenkrith Park and following the Northern Viaduct trail to take in the sights of both Pod Gill Viaduct and Merrygill Viaduct. We then circled back into Kirkby Stephen before rejoining the River Eden for some more river photography of the incredible limestone formations.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nThis is \u0026ldquo;The Devil\u0026rsquo;s Grinding Mill\u0026rdquo;, where the River Eden drops into a collapsed cave system. The Millennium Bridge crosses above the gorge for fantastic views. From the bridge we followed the North Viaduct trail east. The trail follows the old South Durham \u0026amp; Lancashire Union Railway, which was setup in the 1850s to transport coke (the fuel kind) to Barrow-in-Furness\u0026rsquo; iron furnaces. The railway was dismantled in the 1970s. We saw plenty of people walking the Northern Viaduct trail, especially with their dogs. If you\u0026rsquo;re in Cumbria, there will be sheep. I managed to surprise this Swaledale. Just south of Coop Kernan Hole the River Eden begins widening out again through a series of beautifully sculpted limestone formations. There was some lovely light filtering through. Autumn\u0026rsquo;s quickly on its way. The red colouration in the water is due to the river carrying peat from the fells above Mallerstang. My lovely Lisabet found a sizeable hole in the one of the rocks, and I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist a photo! Lisabet hopping rocks to get a closer shot of some of the falls. This is the bottom of Coop Kernan\u0026rsquo;s Hole, only really accessible when there\u0026rsquo;s no much water in the river. A little bit of sun managed to break through the canopy, picking out some of the features of this fascinating gorge and its structures.\n","date":"23 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stenkrith-park-cumbria-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" The River Eden has carved out some wonderful geology.\nIf you’re a frequent visitor of my website (hello!) you’ll have read me writing about the River Eden’s geology specifically around Mallerstang and Wetheral.\n","title":"Stenkrith Park, Cumbria, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":" There are several Wainwrights—that is, Lake District peaks written about in Alfred Wainwright\u0026rsquo;s seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells—that are considered key or \u0026ldquo;core\u0026rdquo; Wainwrights.\nThey include the likes of Catbells, Helvellyn, Scafell Pike, and the Old Man of Coniston.\nYou could also argue that Loughrigg Fell should be included as a core Wainwright, too. And in all my years of living in Cumbria I\u0026rsquo;ve never once been up this relatively small yet sprawling fell.\nSo, at 5:00am this morning, we changed that.\nLoughrigg Fell, or just Loughrigg, is one of the smaller Lake District fells, measuring only 335 m or 1,099 ft (compare this to England\u0026rsquo;s highest peak, Scafell Pike, coming in at 978 m/3,209 ft). However, its mass covers a surprisingly large area near Central Lakeland. To its north are two lakes: Grasmere and Rydal Water. To its west the fell overlooks Loughrigg Tarn followed by Elter Water. East, the River Rothay runs through a shallow depression, and south of Loughrigg is England\u0026rsquo;s largest lake: Windermere.\nBecause the fell covers such a large area there are many ways to access its numerous crags and the summit. We arrived at a lay-by near the shore of Grasmere and set off for the fell at around 6:45am. We took the route through Penny Wood onto Grasmere \u0026ldquo;beach\u0026rdquo; and then up into Deerbolts Wood, before joining Red Bank and taking the steep pitched path up onto Loughrigg\u0026rsquo;s various nobbly crags.\nThe morning was clear and glorious, and we watched as the rising sun slowly lit up the various peaks you can make out from around the shoulders of Loughrigg, such as Wetherlam and the Langdale Pikes. By the time we hit the summit the sun had risen and was covering the rolling crags of Loughrigg in golden light.\nWhat a cracking morning.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nLooking back down the steep pitched path that was our route up to the summit of Loughrigg. Silver How (395 m/1,296 ft) starts catching the soft pre-sunrise light. Loughrigg features lots of lovely crags from which you can take your pick of compositions towards the distant fells. Here I pointed the camera towards the Langdale Pikes as they started to glow. I find another or Loughrigg\u0026rsquo;s crags, surrounded by autumnal fern, which I use to point towards Wetherlam as it glows pink. Higher up we can better make out the Langdale Pikes and Crinkle Crags (859 m/2,818 ft) as more of the land is bathed in warm sunrise light. Another crag offers a framing and leading device for a composition towards Dunmail Raise, north of Grasmere village. My lovely Lisabet takes a pew on some crag and enjoys the views as more of the fells light up in the sunrise glow. A beautiful Herdwick yow (ewe) stares at us curiously with its smiling face. Behind her are the glowing slopes of Lingmoor Fell (469 m/1,539 ft). The Rydal Fells, which ultimately lead up to Fairfield (873 m/2,864 ft). Looking up the undulating folds towards the summit of Loughrigg, marked by a trigpoint. I wanted to capture the criss-crossing and layering of the land as the sun rose over the fells. Looking back at the route up to the summit of Loughrigg. In the distance is Grasmere village and the fells north of it: Helm Crag, Steel Fell, and Seat Sandal. From the summit of Loughrigg you can finally make out some of Windermere lake. From the summit you can enjoy a clear view of Wetherlam (763 m/2,502 ft), which I shot from the summit\u0026rsquo;s crags. Probably my favourite photo from the whole hike. Another ewe enjoys the views from one of Loughrigg\u0026rsquo;s crags. The rolling craggy landscape of Loughrigg as the walking trails meander towards Windermere. Lisabet inches closer for a better snap of the ewe and her lamb. Incredible views from Loughrigg towards Elter Water and Wetherlam above. Up in the Lakeland Fells autumn has arrived as the fern on the fell slopes turn a beautiful rusty colour. A lone Herdwick ewe munches on the bracken in a steep gully below the rolling crags of Loughrigg. Near Loughrigg\u0026rsquo;s northeastern slopes you can find increasing evidence of quarrying. Here we found a deposit of slate, forming a little mound of its own. Tracking the outcrops of rhyolite and basaltic andesite towards the Scandale fells. Lisabet pauses to enjoy the views as we navigate our way down the slopes of Loughrigg. Back onto the main path that circumnavigates Loughrigg, known as the Loughrigg Terraces, we find Rydal Cave. This is a man-made cave; created as consequence of quarrying slate for roofing material. A pool has filled Rydal Cave, offering crisp reflections that I played around with. We spotted teeny little fishes in the pool too! Couldn\u0026rsquo;t say what they were, though. Back on the main path around Loughrigg and looking up at Ewe Crag. Into the woods alongside the River Rothay we chanced upon a couple of Herons. One of them flew off almost immediately but this one, hunched up, stayed on its perch long enough for me to get this quick snap. In Penny Wood we notice that Grasmere is offering some crisp reflections of Silver How, which clamber down to get shots of. All in all a 10/10 morning.\n","date":"19 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/loughrigg-lake-district-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" There are several Wainwrights—that is, Lake District peaks written about in Alfred Wainwright’s seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells—that are considered key or “core” Wainwrights.\n","title":"Loughrigg, Lake District, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bradford/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bradford","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/saltaire/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Saltaire","type":"tags"},{"content":" Building a business was very different in the Victorian era.\nIn 1850 a Titus Salt sought to build a textile mill big enough to consolidate all the textile manufacturing processes in one place. His competitors were running a variety of mills in Bradford and Salt did not approve of the appalling working conditions, unsafe practices, and level of pollution in the city.\nSo Titus Salt bought a plot of land in Shipley, three miles away from Bradford, and started building what became known as Salt\u0026rsquo;s Mill. The project was completed in 1853 and was opened on Salt\u0026rsquo;s 50th birthday, 20th September 1853.\nThe mill was the largest industrial building in the world by total floor area.\nTitus Salt also built tidy stone houses for his workers—a vast improvement over the the slums of Bradford—wash houses with tap water, bath houses, a hospital, and an institute for recreation and education. This included a library, a reading room, a concert hall, billiard room, science laboratory, and a gym.\nHe provided a school for the children of the workers, almshouses for those in need, allotments, a park, and a boathouse. Titus Salt encouraged recreational activities, so a drum and fife band for school age boys and a brass band was set up.\nCombining quality housing, fulfilling employment, recreation, educational facilities and social services, the village of Saltaire became a landmark example of enlightened 19th century urban planning.\nPerhaps to some, providing people both their employment and their homes might seem too prescriptive or overbearing. But to me it feels more like a panoramic and holistic approach to business, work, employment, and personal development that modern capitalists and entrepreneurs have lost sight of.\nAll photos taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nSalts Mill chimney, measuring 68 m (223 ft) high. An imposing sight from all directions. Saltaire Club \u0026amp; Institute, now known as Victoria Hall. The building was opened in 1872 and cost Titus Salt £18,336 (roughly £2.3 million in today\u0026rsquo;s money). The Institute \u0026ldquo;was free from any political bias\u0026rdquo; and functioned as a social club and educational institute. Nowadays the building serves as a rather posh Village Hall with rooms available for hire. You can get married here too. In front of the Hall are two sculpted lions representing War and Peace. They face two other sculpted lions that flank the school opposite the Hall, representing Determination and Vigilance. This lion is Peace. The stone houses built for the workers of Salts Mill were a massive improvement on the living conditions experienced by mill workers in nearby Bradford. This lion, flanking the old Salt School, represents Determination. Salt School is now part of Shipley College. A view down, I think, Caroline Street and its rows of neatly built stone terraced houses. The houses are still magnificently preserved and looked after by their current residents. The view south on Albert Terrace, with Salts Mill chimney looming in the distance. I would imagine living here in the mid-1800s that seeing the chimney was a constant reminder of your place and purpose. This was the Congregational Church, built between 1856–59 for around £16,000 (about £2 million in today\u0026rsquo;s money). Sir Titus Salt was a deeply religious man, believing that his talents and wealth were god-given, and thus felt a religious obligation to provide for the greater good. These days the Congregational Church is now the United Reformed Church. Across the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is New Mill, built in 1868. The western end of the New Mill has been converted into offices for the Bradford Health Authority, whilst the canal side has been partitioned into 98 privately owned apartments. Inside Salts Mill! It closed as working mill in 1986 after 133 years in operation. The following year it was sold to Jonathan Silver, a local entrepreneur, who began the process of transforming the mill into retail and commercial units and an art gallery. Salts Mill is now a thriving commercial and creative centre, housing the 1853 Gallery, the work of artist David Hockney, the Salts Diner restaurant, a book shop, a café, an arts materials shop, several exhibitions, and many more shops. There were lots of pretty things for me to gawp at.\nThe current exhibition by David Hockney: \u0026ldquo;The Arrival of Spring\u0026rdquo; . It comprises of a huge oil painting as well as 51 other drawings he made on his iPad. Featuring bold colours and simple shapes that are characteristic of Hockney\u0026rsquo;s style. I also just really loved the space of this exhibition and the quality of light. The views from almost any window in the mill are lovely. Here, looking west out of the exhibition with Victoria Hall plainly evident. Exiting Salts Mill down the main yard. Back in the mid 1800s, hundreds of mill workers would\u0026rsquo;ve come streaming down this yard at the end of their shift. Looking back down the yard from the railway bridge. I was attempting my own modern-day version of an old photo I saw displayed inside the mill, which depicted hundreds of workers finishing their shift and walking down this yard; a veritable sea of people. The quote attached to that photo was something like, \u0026ldquo;If you were last leaving the building, you may as well turn back and spend the night in the mill.\u0026rdquo; Sir Titus Salt wasn\u0026rsquo;t dumb, and meticulously planned out his factory for the greatest access to travel routes, from roads and canals to the railway.\n","date":"10 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/saltaire-west-yorkshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" Building a business was very different in the Victorian era.\nIn 1850 a Titus Salt sought to build a textile mill big enough to consolidate all the textile manufacturing processes in one place. His competitors were running a variety of mills in Bradford and Salt did not approve of the appalling working conditions, unsafe practices, and level of pollution in the city.\n","title":"Saltaire, West Yorkshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/salts-mill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Salts Mill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/titus-salt/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Titus Salt","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hellgill-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hellgill Force","type":"tags"},{"content":" One of my favourite things to do is to show my Dad new places to hike and photograph.\nSo on Sunday my Dad came down to visit and we headed out to Mallerstang—perhaps my favourite Yorkshire Dales valley—for a hike full of vistas, beautiful light, and pretty waterfalls.\nI think, judging from his exclamations, he rather enjoyed it.\nAll shots taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nHell Gill Force, finally with a good bit of water flowing.\nThe beautiful profile of Wild Boar Fell (708 m/2,323 ft) with some clear late-afternoon light streaking across it. We took a route through Mallerstang that I\u0026rsquo;d personally never done before, from Hell Gill Force and up onto Slade Edge, which is a small limestone plateau that rises above the middle of the valley. Slade Edge offers wonderful vistas, both towards Wild Boar Fell on the western side and Mallerstang Edge on the east. Here, my eye spies a meandering drystone wall and I can\u0026rsquo;t resist the photo. We got some delightful light shows on this hike. The expansive views of Mallerstang, with Angerholme Wold on the left and Mallerstang Edge on the right. In the distance, the North Pennines. Across the valley to the gashes and crags of Wild Boar Fell, with High White Scar on the left and The Nab on the right, both towering above Aisgill Farm. A solitary barn near Hanging Lund, below the slopes of Mallerstang Edge. Sunlight escaping from between the clouds scans across the fellside. Back near Cotegill Bridge, I took this shot of the Settle-Carlisle railway line with Wild Boar Fell above. I then realised that I were surrounded by parked cars and plenty of people, setting tripods and cameras and step ladders. Why? Probably trainspotters, waiting for a steam train coming down the line. A nice little waterfall near Cotegill Bridge, with some rather vivid yellow spongey moss everywhere. Last light of the day, and probably my best shot.\n","date":"7 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/mallerstang-yorkshire-dales-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" One of my favourite things to do is to show my Dad new places to hike and photograph.\nSo on Sunday my Dad came down to visit and we headed out to Mallerstang—perhaps my favourite Yorkshire Dales valley—for a hike full of vistas, beautiful light, and pretty waterfalls.\n","title":"Mallerstang, Yorkshire Dales, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/halifax/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Halifax","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/house/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"House","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/shibden-hall/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Shibden Hall","type":"tags"},{"content":" There are some seriously old buildings in Britain.\nWe didn\u0026rsquo;t have an exact itinerary for our recent mini-break but we were given a strong recommendation—by my employer—to check out Shibden Hall, just outside Halifax in West Yorkshire.\nTurns out that was an excellent suggestion.\nShibden Hall dates back to around 1420AD when it was recorded as being owned and lived in by the Otes family, making the house around 600-years old. The house passed between families until 1615 when the Shibden estate came into possession of the Lister family, wealthy mill-owners and cloth merchants, who then continuously lived in and inherited the house for the next 300 years.\nPerhaps the house\u0026rsquo;s most well-known inhabitant was Anne Lister, who took charge of the place from 1826 until her death in 1840. She made numerous improvements and additions to the house in her time but more than that she became known as a prolific diarist, writing almost 4 million words. Amongst her recording of daily life in Shibden Hall, as well as current events of the time, a sixth of her diaries were written in a simple code she devised from a combination of algebra and greek letters. These coded entries, later translated by the last inhabitant of Shibden Hall (John Lister), detailed her lesbian identity and sexual relations she enjoyed.\nAs a result, she is nowadays often cited as the \u0026ldquo;first modern lesbian\u0026rdquo; for her honest identity and lesbian lifestyle, despite the openly hostile societal norms of the time.\nThe history of the families, especially of the Listers, seems almost embedded in the very fabric of the house.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nNot long after taking charge of the property and estate, Anne Lister hired landscaper Samuel Gray in 1830 to make dramatic improvements to the house and gardens. Now in public ownership, the gardens around the house have been lovingly restored. Despite 600 years of changes and improvements the Tudor-era half-timbered frontage remains its most iconic feature. The Study, one of the additions Anne Lister made to Shibden Hall. The Dining Room. One thing that struck me about Shibden Hall was how much wood was used. And also the sheer level of detail in the intricate carvings on the chair backs. The Guest Bedroom, which overlooked the lawn. The Red Room. This became Ann Walker\u0026rsquo;s bedroom, who was Anne Lister\u0026rsquo;s longest and last partner. They underwent the first same-sex marriage, without legal recognition, in 1834 at the Holy Trinity Church in York. After Anne Lister died, Ann Walker locked herself in this room, fearing eviction; she was shortly declared \u0026ldquo;unsound of mind\u0026rdquo; and removed from the house. The Oak Bedroom. On the bed is a Bed Warmer. Before central heating houses were often cold and damp in the winter. The warming pan was used in beds to warm them and get rid of the damp. It was filled with hot charcoal or ashes from the fireplace and then pushed into the bed. Behind the house one can access the courtyard containing the original Aisled Barn and the Folk Museum, set up to house and reflect the on-site workrooms that employees of the Shibden Estate worked in. This was the Saddler\u0026rsquo;s room, who worked with horse equipment. Around the back of the Brew House, with old carriages. The Cooper\u0026rsquo;s workshop. A cooper is a person trained to \u0026ldquo;make wooden casks, barrels, vats, buckets, tubs, troughs and other containers\u0026rdquo;. A Wheelwright\u0026rsquo;s workshop, who were largely occupied with building and repairing wooden wheels for carts, wagons, traps, coaches, and carriages. The Apothecary. These days you would call them a Pharmacy (or we tend to say a \u0026ldquo;Chemist\u0026rsquo;s\u0026rdquo; in modern Britain). This is an example of a Victorian Estate Worker\u0026rsquo;s cottage. Literally one-up/one-down, these two rooms would house large working families of 7–10 people. The magnificent frontage and setting of Shibden Hall. What an incredible history.\n","date":"5 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/shibden-hall-west-yorkshire-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" There are some seriously old buildings in Britain.\nWe didn’t have an exact itinerary for our recent mini-break but we were given a strong recommendation—by my employer—to check out Shibden Hall, just outside Halifax in West Yorkshire.\n","title":"Shibden Hall, West Yorkshire, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bleabeck-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bleabeck Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bowlees-visitor-centre/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bowlees Visitor Centre","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gibsons-cave/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gibsons Cave","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/summerhill-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Summerhill Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tees/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tees","type":"tags"},{"content":" On the final day of our mini-break we decided to enjoy a proper good hike around Upper Teesdale.\nWe\u0026rsquo;ve been to Upper Teesdale a few times before, mostly for quick excursions to the epic High Force waterfall. But now we\u0026rsquo;re fitter and healthier, we felt capable of more, so we parked at the Bowlees Visitor Centre and took in lots of waterfalls around Upper Teesdale.\nUpper Teesdale sits within Country Durham near the border with Cumbria, and is also entirely within the North Pennines Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). As well as enjoying the protections of being with in the AONB it\u0026rsquo;s also a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), for its diverse range of habitats and being one of the most important botanical areas in Britain; Upper Teesdale features a vast mixture of nationally rare flora, including some that are essentially relicts of the last glacial era.\nAs cool as all this is, Lisabet and I were here for waterfalls and vast open landscapes. Within a relatively small area we were able to visit Summerhill Force (in Gibson\u0026rsquo;s Cave), Low Force, High Force (from above), and Bleabeck Force. The area is a veritable treasure trove of watery delights!\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nA few metres from the Bowlees car park we chanced upon our first waterfall, which we initially thought was Summerhill Force itself. A pleasant little drop. After trekking back to the Visitor Centre, then across the road and down into the woods, the canopy opens up and we are treated to the spectacular site of Low Force. In actuality, half a kilometre upstream, this is Summerhill Force, which drops over a large limestone overhang known as Gibson\u0026rsquo;s Cave. The rock here is Whin Sill, the exact same rock found at the head of High Cup Nick (you can read about our hike up to this epic valley here ). The rock is extremely hard and resists erosion, forming columns and tessellating block pavements. Not one of the tallest waterfalls, at only 18 ft high, but Low Force is certainly powerful and a damn impressive site. Around the falls, the woods start changing colour. Autumn is coming. You can more clearly see the rigid column structures that the Whin Sill rock is known for. Fellow hikers in the background provide a good sense of scale. What I love about Low Force is that it\u0026rsquo;s very easy to get right next to the falls, and really feel the roaring power of the water as it crashes down, carving out chunks of land. The upper section of Low Force. Just a delightful scene, on what turned out to be a beautiful day of clear light. Soft light in the woods around Low Force. After crossing Wynch Bridge (carefully, it\u0026rsquo;s a suspension bridge built in the 1830s), you can catch site of another set of cascades with Low Force in the distance. Low Force, this time from its southern banks, with soft light highlighting the central pillar that separates the falls. On our way to High Force I catch some Swaledale sheep mucking around on a raised boulder. The epic High Force, and my first time photographing the waterfall from above. The falls plunge a sheer 70ft through the hard Whin Sill rock in the area. A truly awe-inspiring site. Looking straight down the sheer 70 ft drop of High Force. Definitely a weak-knee moment. From above High Force and looking back into the gorge the waterfall has been cutting for thousands of years. We sat right next to the Tees above High Force for our picnic lunch. The red-brown colour in the water is from all the peat the river carries from the moorland of the North Pennines. Families enjoy the sites and sounds of the Tees, hopping between boulders or pausing for food and drink. Beyond High Force the landscape of Upper Teesdale really opens up, and we can make out some of the peaks of the North Pennines. Our final destination in Upper Teesdale: Bleabeck Force. It was lovely to see so much heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) in Upper Teesdale. A dead Juniper tree ( Juniperus communis ) enveloped by a boulder. A somewhat rundown farmstead, still apparently in habitation.\n","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/teesdale-waterfalls-north-pennines-autumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" On the final day of our mini-break we decided to enjoy a proper good hike around Upper Teesdale.\nWe’ve been to Upper Teesdale a few times before, mostly for quick excursions to the epic High Force waterfall. But now we’re fitter and healthier, we felt capable of more, so we parked at the Bowlees Visitor Centre and took in lots of waterfalls around Upper Teesdale.\n","title":"Teesdale Waterfalls, North Pennines, Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"1 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/upper-teesdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Upper Teesdale","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"29 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/watlowes-dry-valley/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Watlowes Dry Valley","type":"tags"},{"content":" We finally got a week off.\nThe pandemic, and its subsequent lockdown, has been pretty intense for me and Lisabet. I took on extra roles and responsibilities, with less available work time, and Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s job changed fundamentally. And we continued working throughout the lockdown.\nSo we were so ready for a break, which finally arrived at the end of August.\nWe stayed a few nights in a cosy B\u0026amp;B just south of Skipton, a beautiful market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. On our way we took a scenic detour and stopped at Malham Tarn for a little stroll down to the Watlowes Dry Valley and back.\nAs its name suggests, the Watlowes Dry Valley is in fact the site of an extinct waterfall. The outflow from Malham Tarn once channeled out a deep gorge and powerful waterfall from all the surrounding limestone, before turning southeast and dropping over Malham Cove, in what surely would\u0026rsquo;ve been the UK\u0026rsquo;s biggest waterfall (estimates suggest the waterfall over Malham Cove would\u0026rsquo;ve been 980ft wide and dropped 260 ft).\nHowever, at some point in history, the outflow from Malham Tarn stopped running through Watlowes and Malham Cove dried up. Nowadays, the stream suddenly disappears into the ground 500 m from the tarn, in an area now known as Watersinks. Below here, the stream travels through a myriad of underground caves before emerging above land once again at Aire Head, just south of Malham village.\nAll photos taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Velvia film profile.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s clear to see how the river used to flow through this gorge, cutting out chunks of limestone and deepening the ravine as it did. The gorge deepens and narrows. Looking back at some fellow hikers, taking photos at the site of the extinct waterfall. The river would\u0026rsquo;ve crashed down here as a waterfall before turning southeast and cutting out a valley on its way towards Malham Cove. One of the limestone crags above the gorge. The extent of the Watlowes Dry Valley, with the sheer face of Comb Hill to the left and Ing Scar to the right. After returning back to the car, and then navigating through a frankly overcrowded Malham village, we stopped off at Town End Farm Shop for refreshment. The views from the farm back to Malham are sublime. Highlighted in the distance, you can just make out the curved wall that is Malham Cove. A seriously beautiful farm cottage at Town End. Across the road, another lovely farm cottage. Whilst waiting for Lisabet, I noticed a small butterfly land on plant pot near and seemed preoccupied enough for me to snag a photo or two of it. Turns out this is a Small White butterfly, or Pieris rapae .\n","date":"29 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/watlowes-dry-valley-yorkshire-dales-summerautumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" We finally got a week off.\nThe pandemic, and its subsequent lockdown, has been pretty intense for me and Lisabet. I took on extra roles and responsibilities, with less available work time, and Lisabet’s job changed fundamentally. And we continued working throughout the lockdown.\n","title":"Watlowes Dry Valley, Yorkshire Dales, Summer/Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":" The sweltering heat of July is giving way to the rain and thunder of August.\nA lot of this week—especially in Cumbria—has consisted of heavy downpours, with some lightning thrown in for good measure. This has made getting out for some solid hiking rather difficult.\nToday, after a washed out Saturday, we decided to throw caution to the wind and head into the Lake District first thing to get some steps in, and maybe some photos too while we\u0026rsquo;re at it.\nGiven all the rain we\u0026rsquo;ve had, we decided to visit Colwith Force from Skelwith Bridge again, because this gorgeous twin-falls is beautiful after lots of rain. By the time we reached the upper section of Colwith Force, the rain really started to come down hard. We walked the rest of the route out of the woods that houses the waterfall, and followed the road back to Skelwith Bridge, getting progressively more damp and sodden as we did.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nLoughrigg Fell (335 m/1,099 ft) is already turning a rusty red. Autumn is coming. Autumn is by far my favourite season, so seeing all the ferns turn orange and red is a happy sign for me. A misty moody shot of the Langdale Pikes tussling with the rain. The Lake District is home to some ridiculously quaint and pretty cottages.\nThis is Tutsan or Shrubby St. John\u0026rsquo;s Wort ( Hypericum androsaemum ). As the berries contain hypericin they are toxic to humans, causing nausea and diarrhoea if ingested. The way to the woods that houses Colwith Force. In the distance the Tilberthwaite fells are obscured by the incoming rain.\nEverything was looking particularly lush in the rain. The twin-falls of Colwith Force, positively roaring with power. The upper section of Colwith Force. You could feel the sub-bass roaring of the crashing water before you saw it.\n","date":"23 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/colwith-force-lake-district-summerautumn/","section":"Posts","summary":" The sweltering heat of July is giving way to the rain and thunder of August.\nA lot of this week—especially in Cumbria—has consisted of heavy downpours, with some lightning thrown in for good measure. This has made getting out for some solid hiking rather difficult.\n","title":"Colwith Force, Lake District, Summer/Autumn","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"16 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/scaleber-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Scaleber Force","type":"tags"},{"content":" I do have a strong affinity for Settle.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s not many other places I\u0026rsquo;d rather live in; I consider myself, on a daily basis, to be very fortunate to live in Kendal as it is. But if I had to live somewhere else, Settle would definitely be a top contender.\nThe market town is small but perfectly formed, ancient and historical, and enjoys being right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It\u0026rsquo;s such a pretty town.\nLisabet and I originally planned for a good hike from Settle to Scaleber Force, a beautiful waterfall situated only 1.5 miles east of the town with a good 500ft ascent to it. But after checking out the waterfall and nabbing some photos we felt we were good for more, and spotted a nearby footpath sign towards Attermire Scar.\nWhat followed was the discovery of some of the best limestone scenery I\u0026rsquo;ve seen.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation.\nVictoria Hall, complete with bunting. Said to be the UK\u0026rsquo;s oldest surviving music hall, now struggling to survive due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Settle town centre really is a mish-mash of beautiful architecture. 300 ft above is Castlebergh, a limestone crag that\u0026rsquo;s nearly always home to a Union Jack. Settle Town Hall, which now houses the Settle Tourist Information centre as well as a number of retail shops. This building is called The Folly, originally built in the 1670s as a gentlemen\u0026rsquo;s residence for wealthy lawyer Richard Preston. It\u0026rsquo;s served a number of uses over the years and now is home to the Museum of North Craven Life I love spotting weird typesetting. In August and September Settle is home to the Settle Flowerpot Festival (seriously), where local residents create all kinds of monuments, statues, and amusing scenarios using flowerpots. Here, a mountain climber scales the wall. The Old Chapel, another grand building found on the outskirts of Upper Settle. It no doubt enjoys some wonderful views from those windows. The views get better and better as we climb out of Upper Settle. It was such a beautiful day. Scaleber Force, our goal. The waterfall drops 40ft down several shelves into a deep ravine. Looking a little dry here, but still pretty nevertheless.\nWeird and wonderful rock formation caused by thousands of years of running water. After climbing out of Scaleber Force we follow the footpath signs for Attermire Scar. What we found was an otherworldy scene of limestone crags, sheer cliffs, and multitudinous caves. Attermire Scar is known for its numerous caves, one of which you can make out here. One of Attermire Scar\u0026rsquo;s most famous caves is Victoria Cave, so named because the inner chamber was discovered in 1837 on the day of Queen Victoria\u0026rsquo;s accession. The cave contained fossil remains, including mammoth, straight-tusked elephant, cave bear and hippopotamus, Bos primigenius (an auroch), Rhinoceros, and spotted hyenas. Amazing! West of the scar is a serious of limestone crags, knolls, and other twisted formations known as the Warrendale Knotts. The highest of these peaks is one the western side, reaching 440.8m or 1,446ft. This particular limestone formation intrigued me, putting me in mind of a table or similar. You know me, can\u0026rsquo;t resist a composition involving a drystone wall. Especially if it involves epic crags like these.\nMore drystone wall compositions, drawing the eye towards the various crags of Warrendale Knotts. The highest peak of the Warrendale Knotts, reaching 440 m/1,446 ft. A Swaledale ewe rests below the towers of the Warrendale Knotts. As we started our descent west of Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts, towards Settle, I looked back and saw this high-altitude wispy cloud seemingly split in half. Created by an aeroplane of some sort? The views back down to Settle and Langcliffe open up. Here you can make out the John Roberts Paper Mill nestled in the valley, a quarry to the left above it, and in the far distance to the right is the unmistakeable shape of Ingleborough (723 m or 2,372 ft). Not very often I get to see donkeys in the Yorkshire Dales. Back at Settle, we stop for refreshments at Victoria Hall, in order to support its donation efforts to stay afloat during troubling times. Yes, that\u0026rsquo;s a golden dog made from flowerpots.\n","date":"16 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/settle-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" I do have a strong affinity for Settle.\nThere’s not many other places I’d rather live in; I consider myself, on a daily basis, to be very fortunate to live in Kendal as it is. But if I had to live somewhere else, Settle would definitely be a top contender.\n","title":"Settle, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kendal-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kendal Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":" A-Level results for 2020 have been released.\nYou can read the news if you like about all the controversy regarding this year\u0026rsquo;s A-Levels, especially due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The news tires me, personally. I was more interested in seeing my town come alive with mid-late teens celebrating and commiserating in equal measure.\nLisabet and I took a post-work evening walk from our place up to Kendal Castle and back, whilst the light was really nice and conditions were blessedly cooler and windier. Up around the grounds of Kendal Castle we found loads of teens, drinking, chatting, enjoying the views and the setting sun.\nIt made me think about my own A-Level results and how I was feeling at the time. Elated, because seven years of being at the same school was finally over and I was leaving my hometown to head to Uni. Depressed, because it was the end of a chapter and there were a lot of my peers I probably wouldn\u0026rsquo;t see again.\nI would\u0026rsquo;ve liked to have celebrated that time with friends in the ruins of a castle as the sun set.\nAll photos here shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation.\nI can never resist a photo of Kendal Clock Tower. It\u0026rsquo;s currently silent and will be for the next 3–4 months whilst it undergoes repairs. Similarly, it\u0026rsquo;s hard for me to resist a photo of Miller Bridge. Especially when some lovely light hits it. Teenagers play around and cool down in the River Kent. It seems a chunk of tree has been blasted by the recent lightning storms we\u0026rsquo;ve experienced. Now washed down the River Kent and lodged at Stramongate Weir. Some sort of Apple tree (?) growing in the ground of a church.\nA young couple enjoy a late evening stroll near Sedbergh Road railway bridge. Gorgeous light. One of my favourite things about Kendal is the community. The views start to open up as we climb Kendal Castle hill. Golden light turns the grass a beautiful amber colour. A young lad poses on a pedestal as I take my photo of the ruins of Kendal Castle. Young friends enjoy the view and setting sun. I\u0026rsquo;m followed into the Kendal Castle ruins as I look back for a more panoramic view. Not a bad place to hang out with friends and make memories.\n","date":"14 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kendal-castle-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" A-Level results for 2020 have been released.\nYou can read the news if you like about all the controversy regarding this year’s A-Levels, especially due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The news tires me, personally. I was more interested in seeing my town come alive with mid-late teens celebrating and commiserating in equal measure.\n","title":"Kendal Castle, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"9 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fujifilm-x-raw-studio/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fujifilm X Raw Studio","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/marumi-dhg-super-circular-polariser/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Marumi Dhg Super Circular Polariser","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/polariser/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Polariser","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"9 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wetheral/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wetheral","type":"tags"},{"content":" The heatwaves have returned.\nAfter a pretty damp July, at least in Cumbria, we\u0026rsquo;ve recently experienced temperatures approaching 30°C. Lisabet and I decided to take advantage of this Glorious Return Of Summer by paying my Dad another visit.\nThe last time we visited my Dad was towards end of June, where we enjoyed a delicious BBQ followed by a wander around some of the less-visited parts of the Lake District. At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately I suffered one of the worst hayfever attacks I\u0026rsquo;ve ever experienced, which somewhat marred the day and we cut it short.\nYesterday we decided to attempt Round 2, now that I had been inoculated after a month-long course of Corticosteroids. Thankfully, things went a lot better.\nHere are the photos from that day, where we explored the impossibly pretty Wetheral village, near Carlisle.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens and a Marumi DHG Super Circular Polariser attached. Photos are 95% SOOC, with minor edits made using Fujifilm X RAW Studio.\nMy Dad\u0026rsquo;s ridiculously lovely farm cottage (Velvia, ISO800, f/3.4, 1/2500sec. @ 18mm) Wetheral Parish Church. The Church contains a life-size sculpture by Joseph Nollekens of \u0026lsquo;Faith\u0026rsquo;. In the late 18th century the sculpture cost £1,500, which makes it near to £2 million today (Velvia, ISO800, f/3.7, 1/2500sec. @ 31.5mm) Corby Bridge, also known as Wetheral Viaduct, which carries the Newcastle–Carlisle railway (Velvia, IS800, f/3.7, 1/2000sec. @ 32.9mm) At Wetheral the River Eden has created quite an impressive gorge, surrounded by ancient woodlands. We saw loads of people playing about in the river on this beautiful day, and why not? (Provia, ISO800, f/3.0, 1/2500sec. @ 18mm) A short walk from the village alongside the River Eden, one can find some man-made caves carved out of the gorge walls. They were said to used by the monks as early as the 14th century as places of refuge during border warfare (Astia, ISO800, f/3.0, 1/50sec @ 18mm). Local legend goes that these cells were carved out of the gorge rock by Constantine, a younger son of a Scottish monarch (Astia, ISO1600, f/2.8, 1/25sec. @ 18mm) No idea what this is or why it\u0026rsquo;s in an ancient woodland… (Provia, ISO800, f/3.0, 1/20sec. @ 18mm) Dad, navigating the steps back out of the caves (Astia, ISO1600, f/3.0, 1/30sec. @ 18mm) This is Impatiens glandulifera , also known as \u0026ldquo;policeman\u0026rsquo;s helmet\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;bobby tops\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;copper tops\u0026rdquo;, and \u0026ldquo;gnome\u0026rsquo;s hatstand\u0026rdquo;. Originally native to the Himalayas, now classed as an invasive species (Velvia, ISO800, f/4.0, 1/100sec. @ 55mm) There were a lot of bobby tops by the River Eden (Provia, ISO800, f/3.4, 1/200sec. @ 18mm) This is dotted loosestrife ( Lysimachia punctata ), native around Southeast Europe and the Caucasus, it grows well on rough and damp ground (Velvia, ISO800, f/3.6, 1/400sec. @ 35.8mm) And then we exited the woodland and… wow . Flowers everywhere (Velvia, ISO800, f/3.2, 1/2500sec. @ 25.4mm) Just me, Lisabet, and me Dad. A tranquil scene (Velvia, ISO800, f/3.2, 1/2500sec. @ 18mm) Climbing away from the river back up to the country lanes, we came across two very curious horses (Shire? Clydesdale? Couldn\u0026rsquo;t say). They were cute, we made friends (Astia, ISO800, f/3.2, 1/800sec. @ 18mm) The way back to Wetheral, all the way through the fields (Velvia, ISO800, f/4.0, 1/800sec. @ 55mm) There\u0026rsquo;s been a Benedictine Priory in Wetheral since the 1100s, but nowadays only the Gatehouse remains, which was probably built in the 1400s. These days it\u0026rsquo;s looked after by English Heritage (Velvia, ISO800, f/3.6, 1/1000secs. @ 39mm) Post-walk, it was back to Dad\u0026rsquo;s for some BBQ goodness (Provia, ISO800, f/4.0, 1/100sec. @ 55mm) Getting everything set up… (Provia, ISO800, f/3.6, 1/200sec. @ 32.9mm) My Dad\u0026rsquo;s cooler than your Dad (Provia, ISO800, f/4.0, 1/200sec. @ 55mm) Let\u0026rsquo;s eat! (Provia, ISO800, f/3.2, 1/250 sec. @ 27.7mm)\n","date":"9 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/wetheral-cumbria-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" The heatwaves have returned.\nAfter a pretty damp July, at least in Cumbria, we’ve recently experienced temperatures approaching 30°C. Lisabet and I decided to take advantage of this Glorious Return Of Summer by paying my Dad another visit.\n","title":"Wetheral, Cumbria, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ashgill-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ashgill Force","type":"tags"},{"content":" With the easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK, it\u0026rsquo;s my experience that tourism in the UK has never been busier. It\u0026rsquo;s likely a result of a declining aviation industry and the extra hassle involved in holidaying abroad.\nThis means that Lisabet and I have been actively looking for alternative locations for hikes, photography, and exercise, as the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales—the two National Parks we are sandwiched between—are absolutely chock full.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s no bad thing, though. A cursory look through Instagram\u0026rsquo;s #HiddenCumbria hashtag alerted us to a waterfall that we\u0026rsquo;d never heard of before: Ashgill Force.\nThis waterfall, just south of Garrigill in the North Pennines, is mightily impressive even when fairly dry. The waterfall crashes 55 ft over a rocky shelf, set in a deep gorge, and framed by Ashgill Bridge that carries the B6277 over it. There\u0026rsquo;s plenty to see even before you get to the falls too.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Provia film profile. All these photos are 95% SOOC (straight out of camera).\nThe day started off pretty wet, but I could see the cloud cover was lifting and breaking. Just outside Garrigill village the views soon started to open up. Heading down to the South Tyne Trail, which we\u0026rsquo;ll follow alongside all the way to Ashgill Force. This was a rather pleasant discovery! Just below Windshaw Bridge the South Tyne river has cut a fine gorge out. Fascinating rock formations formed by the South Tyne river. Further up the river a series of small cascades can be found, each more delightful than the next. Gorgeous light play around these little cascades as the peeped in and out of the clouds.\nA proper lovely scene. Could do with more water though.\nThe waterfall is beautifully framed by the gorge it\u0026rsquo;s set in and the bridge above it. Ashgill Force, though relatively dry, is still a sight to behold. The waterfall is one of the bigger ones I\u0026rsquo;ve seen in England, dropping 55 ft (not quite as big as nearby High Force in Country Durham, which drops 70 ft). Above and beyond the waterfall, Ash Gill is calm and serene. The B6277, which we followed all the way back to Garrigill. A scene of big sky and expansive landscape. This part of the North Pennines feels very similar to Swaledale , for me. Heading down Loaning Head lane, down the valley back to Garrigill. Back at Garrigill village, now beautifully drenched in sun. On the way back home, we stopped at the summit of Hartside Pass (1,903 ft) for a bite to eat and to enjoy the massive views back towards the Lakeland Fells.\n","date":"2 August 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/ashgill-force-north-pennines-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" With the easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK, it’s my experience that tourism in the UK has never been busier. It’s likely a result of a declining aviation industry and the extra hassle involved in holidaying abroad.\n","title":"Ashgill Force, North Pennines, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"30 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/color-efex-pro/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Color Efex Pro","type":"tags"},{"content":" We seem to be going through a session of revisiting hikes we\u0026rsquo;ve not been on in years.\nStraight after work one afternoon Lisabet and I had planned on a hike perhaps up to Hayeswater from Hartsop, or into Deepdale to gawp at Greenhow End. But not long after setting off we consulted SaferLakes.co.uk and found that most of the parking around Glenridding and Patterdale was labelled as Busy. We quickly changed plans. Why not jump off the A591 now, head through Staveley and arrive at Kentmere for a walk around this gorgeous and quiet valley?\nThe last time we hike up the Kentmere valley towards the reservoir and its famous ring of fells was back in June 2013. Back then, we chose a later time of day to do the hike in order to catch the light as the sun set. That\u0026rsquo;s also when all the midges come out and we certainly got eaten alive that evening.\nIt was a glorious day for a hike and Kentmere was looking particularly resplendent in its summer garb. I do forget though just how big the valley is. The hike took a lot longer than expected, even with our increased fitness.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4.0 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film profile.\nThe scenes already look gorgeous straight out of the car park, with beautiful little cottages dotted about the valley.\nThe views begin to open up once we round Rook Howe; the slopes of Shipman Knotts (587 m/1,926 ft) looms in the distance. Rook Howe and Greenhead are home to quite a few glacial erratics with a large example featured here. In the background is the craggy eastern face of an area known as Crag Quarter, with minor peaks having such wonderful names as Cowsty Knotts, Raven Crag, and Calfhowe Crag. This area was almost certainly extensively mined. We crossed the juvenile River Kent to make our way towards the eastern side of the valley, trying to catch a glimpse of the Kentmere Horseshoe fells. Crag Quarter and some lovely light. Admiring the wonderful barns and cottages dotted around Hallow Bank, looking up towards Shipman Knotts and Wray Crag. Our first glimpse at the Kentmere Horseshoe fells and their striking profile. A Kendal Rough Fell ewe and her lamb pay little attention to us as we hone in on the Kentmere Horseshoe fells. The fells in question, from left to right: Yoke (706 m/2,316 ft), Ill Bell (757 m/2,484 ft), and Froswick (720 m/2,360 ft). Through the fields heading towards Tongue House and Tongue Scar. This particular path towards the Kentmere Reservoir was a rather wet and boggy one, which we didn\u0026rsquo;t expect. We start to enter the horseshoe of fells that surround Kentmere Reservoir. This is Rainsborrow Crag, with evidence aplenty of historical mining. A wet and undulating path at Whether Fold to navigate now as we near the reservoir. The peak on the left is Froswick, the \u0026ldquo;wall\u0026rdquo; in the middle is Gavel Crag (the southern face, ultimately, of High Street), and the rightmost peak is Lingmell End. The falls pouring from the outlet at Kentmere Reservoir, and looking up at Rainsborrow Cove. The wall at the head of Kentmere Reservoir known as Gavel Crag, the source of the River Kent. It is the Kent that gives its name to the reservoir and the valley (\u0026ldquo;Kent Mere\u0026rdquo;), as well as my hometown Kendal (\u0026ldquo;Kent Dale\u0026rdquo;). It is said that the River Kent is one of the fastest flowing rivers in England. Soft light catches Lingmell End. A simple composition straight along the dam towards Yoke and its subsidiary crags. No crystal perfect reflections unfortunately, but still beautiful nevertheless. Previously unable to find a footbridge to cross the reservoir, we decide to just walk across the reservoir\u0026rsquo;s outflow. I nabbed this composition on my way across. The outflow we crossed, with Lingmell End catching some more golden light.\n","date":"30 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/kentmere-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" We seem to be going through a session of revisiting hikes we’ve not been on in years.\nStraight after work one afternoon Lisabet and I had planned on a hike perhaps up to Hayeswater from Hartsop, or into Deepdale to gawp at Greenhow End. But not long after setting off we consulted SaferLakes.co.uk and found that most of the parking around Glenridding and Patterdale was labelled as Busy. We quickly changed plans. Why not jump off the A591 now, head through Staveley and arrive at Kentmere for a walk around this gorgeous and quiet valley?\n","title":"Kentmere, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":" With all the rain falling in the North of England at the moment, it seems a good opportunity to revisit some of our favourite waterfalls.\nAs I\u0026rsquo;ve mentioned elsewhere, you\u0026rsquo;re spoilt for choice when it comes to waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales. In fact, the Yorkshire Dales is home to the highest unbroken-drop waterfall in England, Gaping Gill (if you count the fact that it drops 322 ft into an underground cavern). If you want above-ground only, then the claim is held by Hardraw Force also in the Yorkshire Dales, a single drop of 100 ft.\nBut there\u0026rsquo;s plenty of other waterfalls to check out in the Yorkshire Dales. One of our favourites is Catrigg Force, found via a short but steep hike up the Pennine Bridleway east from Stainforth, just north of Settle. Here, Catrigg Beck meanders gently southwest from the slopes of Knowe Fell (593 m/1,945 ft) before plunging 20 ft into a wooded ravine. It\u0026rsquo;s a magical place.\nAll photos shot with my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4 lens using a customised Provia film emulation.\nStainforth is a ridiculously pretty village, in true Yorkshire Dales fashion. The pull up the Pennine Bridleway from Stainforth begins, where the views quickly open up. We weren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones on this hike, and there were plenty of groups—families and friends—hiking up the Pennine Bridleway to see the falls. Can never resist a shot of the drystone walls of the Yorkshire Dales. The \u0026ldquo;nose\u0026rdquo; in the distance is Smearsett Scar (363 m/1,191 ft). The copse that hides the ravine where Catrigg Force resides. In the distance the clouds start to lift off one of the Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks: Pen-y-ghent (694 m/2,277 ft). You can actually get right near the top of Catrigg Force, just before it plunges 20 ft into the ravine below. Catrigg Force, set in its own beautiful little ravine. Plenty of people were trying to get closer to the falls, which is tricky because the limestone rocks around here were wet and covered in mud, making them super slippy. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t stop people trying.\nBack out of the ravine, we rejoined the Pennine Bridleway through Upper and Lower Winskill. And then started to drop down towards Stainforth, pausing to drink in the views.\nAfter navigating the rather steep and slippery descent down Stainforth Scar, we navigated through the fields back to the village. A lovely Yorkshire Dales scene. That\u0026rsquo;s one happy kitty.\n","date":"26 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/catrigg-force-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" With all the rain falling in the North of England at the moment, it seems a good opportunity to revisit some of our favourite waterfalls.\nAs I’ve mentioned elsewhere, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales. In fact, the Yorkshire Dales is home to the highest unbroken-drop waterfall in England, Gaping Gill (if you count the fact that it drops 322 ft into an underground cavern). If you want above-ground only, then the claim is held by Hardraw Force also in the Yorkshire Dales, a single drop of 100 ft.\n","title":"Catrigg Force, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dufton/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dufton","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dufton-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dufton Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-cup-gill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Cup Gill","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-cup-nick/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Cup Nick","type":"tags"},{"content":" The last time we hiked up High Cup Nick (trying that saying three times fast) was back in August 2013.\nBack then I was recovering from a recent mental breakdown.\nOn today\u0026rsquo;s hike to this epic chasm, I was stronger and healthier than I\u0026rsquo;ve ever been.\nHigh Cup Nick, or High Cup Gill, is a short but steep U-shaped glaciated valley that cuts deeply into the North Pennine escarpment. Not only is it a spectacular sight for its sheer drops to the valley floor but it also features these columns and pillars of rock near the head of the valley; in places, these cliffs are 70+ ft high.\nThese cliffs of columnar dolerite is known as the Whin Sill, and it is exposed at various places throughout the North Pennines and further towards the North East of England. Perhaps two of the most famous examples of the Whin Sill can be found at High Force in County Durham—one of England\u0026rsquo;s most powerful waterfalls where the water drops off 22 m high Whin Sill cliffs—and at Hadrian\u0026rsquo;s Wall near Housesteads, Northumberland.\nLisabet and I set off early in the morning to ensure we could park safely at Dufton village, the start of our walk. Nine miles and 20,000+ steps later we returned to the car thoroughly exercised, cameras and phones filled with photos, and our brains filled with wonderful memories and experiences.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XF 18–55mm f/2.8–4 lens using a customised Velvia film simulation.\nA single foxglove ( digitalis purpurea ) points towards Dufton Pike (481 m/1,578 ft) That\u0026rsquo;s right, a drystone wall. You know what I\u0026rsquo;m when it comes to drystone walls, especially if they give pleasing compositions like this. A small hut by the side of the old quarry road. Looking back down the route we\u0026rsquo;ve taken give us a moment to pause and reflect on the sheer open expanse of the Eden valley. We\u0026rsquo;re gaining height. A break in the clouds illuminates Dufton Pike and Knock Pike (398 m/1,305 ft) beyond. As we round the shoulder of Peeping Hill (510 m/1,673 ft) a look southeast reveals the flat-topped Middletongue Crag (456 m/1,496 ft) being highlighted, with Murton Pike\u0026rsquo;s (594 m/1,949 ft) gentle slopes looming above. The first sign of what\u0026rsquo;s to come. The path continues up to the left but our gaze is fixated towards the steep valley of High Cup Nick and its rim of cliffs. A small cascade tumbles down from Narrowgate Beacon (656 m/2,152 ft), known as Hannah\u0026rsquo;s Well. My eye catches a slither of light scanning along the valley floor of High Cup Nick, highlighting the beautiful curves of the valley and the beck snaking its way towards the Eden valley. Looking down the sheer drop to the floor and back up the other side. As we approach the head of High Cup Nick our shooting frequency increases as the views get more and more epic. Here\u0026rsquo;s some of the Whin Sill cliffs on High Cup Nick\u0026rsquo;s northwestern flank. This particular column of Whin Sill is known as Nichol\u0026rsquo;s Chair, named supposedly after a local cobbler who was challenged to climb the pinnacle then sole and heel a pair of shoes on its top. Zooming in on the details of these cliffs, whilst the other side of valley gets blasted with light. We\u0026rsquo;re not the only ones here. Hikers wander and rest by the head of High Cup Nick, enjoying the sights and views. 8 vertical frames, shot left to right and stitched together into a single panorama, reveal the full striking extent of High Cup Nick. A truly epic view of the \u0026ldquo;Grand Canyon of North England\u0026rdquo;. The Whin Sill cliffs by High Cupgill Head are some of the tallest, around 70+ ft high. A young couple rest and enjoy the views near the head of High Cup Nick. After a spot of lunch we had a bit of a scramble down the gill at High Cupgill Head to grab some more views and photos. Views such as this. More fellwalkers make their way towards the head of High Cup Nick. I wanted to show the scale of the Whin Sill cliffs and the precipitous drop in comparison to the tiny figures of people on the Pennine Way. Streams of lights pour through the various gills in between numerous breaks within the Whin Sill cliff. Tiny people near the edge of the cliffs at High Cupgill Head.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s, unfortunately, time to head back. I tip-toed near the edge of the valley where Hannah\u0026rsquo;s Well tumbles down towards the valley floor as Strands Beck. This image is made up of four landscape frames at 18mm, shot from bottom to top, and later stitched together. My lovely Lisabet enjoys the view back towards the head of High Cup Nick. One last look back at the epic High Cup Nick. A pleasant composition involving, yes, a drystone wall, Murton Pike, and some lovely light. A Swaledale ewe staring me down.\n","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/high-cup-nick-north-pennines-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" The last time we hiked up High Cup Nick (trying that saying three times fast) was back in August 2013.\nBack then I was recovering from a recent mental breakdown.\n","title":"High Cup Nick, North Pennines, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/high-cupgill-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"High Cupgill Head","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/knock-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Knock Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/murton-fell/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Murton Fell","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"19 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/murton-pike/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Murton Pike","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/catrake-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Catrake Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kisdon/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kisdon","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/kisdon-force/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kisdon Force","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"13 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/muker/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Muker","type":"tags"},{"content":" Swaledale is one the northernmost and remote dales of the Yorkshire Dales.\nThe last time we visited the valley was back in May 2016, and we only really drove through the valley. In terms of actual hiking you\u0026rsquo;d have to go back to April 2014, the last time we hiked around Swaledale. Even then, we only did a small walk from the village of Keld to Crackpot Hall and back, just under 2 miles all in all.\nNowadays Lisabet and I are a lot fitter and slimmer so we enjoyed a much longer summer hike around the valley: from Keld, up the Pennine Way on the fellside of Kisdon (499 m/1,637 ft), down into Muker, through the famous Swaledale meadows, and back up the other side of Swaledale passing Swinner Gill and Crackpot Hall to get back to Keld.\nAbout 7 miles in all, or 18,000 steps.\nThe weather treated us kindly, walking conditions were great, the light was clear, and the scenes were glorious. Swaledale definitely ranks as one of my favourite Yorkshire Dales valleys.\nI enjoyed using the gate as an \u0026ldquo;arrow\u0026rdquo; pointing to the distant barn. We took a small diversion from the Pennine Way to check out Upper Kisdon Force, which was still roaring despite the River Swale being relatively dry. Can\u0026rsquo;t imagine what these falls would be like in full spate. After visiting Upper Kisdon Force we headed up the steep path to rejoin the Pennine Way, but not before stopping to behold this magnificent limestone needle in the gorge. The Pennine Way, my Lisabet ahead. Looking at Swinner Gill from the fellside of Kidson. Soft light caresses the fells. Zooming in on the deep gash in the land cut by Swinner Gill. Pulling back shows the extent of Swinner Gill and where it sits in Swaledale, as seen from the fellside of Kidson. The summer sun gets filtered through the clouds, with the resulting soft light gradually rolling over the fellside of Arn Gill Scar and down into the valley bottom. A Badger-faced lamb peeping above the ferns. Upper Swaledale gradually broadens out here towards the village of Muker. Looking back at Swinner Gill and Rogan\u0026rsquo;s Seat (672 m/2,205 ft) above it.\nA fell runner navigates the Pennine Way towards Keld. The way to Muker. One thing you\u0026rsquo;ll note about Swaledale: there are lots of barns dotted about the valley, far more than any other dale in the Yorkshire Dales. The Village Store at Muker, an impossibly pretty village in Swaledale. Amongst other things, Swaledale is known for its explosion of wildflowers in the valley bottom meadows near Muker. I can\u0026rsquo;t tell if we were perhaps two weeks too early or too late to see the peak of wildflowers blooming in Swaledale. Still gorgeous regardless.\nLisabet\u0026rsquo;s hair mesmerizes me. Families and hikers take a rest beside the mouth of Swinner Gill A highly excitable child clambers across the beck of Swinner Gill. A lot of industry occurred in Swaledale during the 19th century, particularly lead mining. The fells around the valley are dotted with scars attesting to the industrial heritage of this area. It\u0026rsquo;s also apparent here at Swinner Gill, where you can find the ruins of a mining hut right near this waterfall. I wonder if the water flowing down this ravine was once used to power industry. The ruins in question. From Swinner Gill we made our way back to Keld. But I had to stop here for a shot of this magnificent view back towards Black Hill (509 m/1,669 ft) on the left and Kisdon on the right.. To get back to Keld the path takes you steeply down the fellside towards the river. Along the way you pass Catrake Force, pictured. It\u0026rsquo;s a gorgeous setting. A true Yorkshire summer paradise.\nThe bottom of Catrake Force where it joins the River Swale into a deep gorge. To my mind this is the quintessential Swaledale scene. Swaledale sheep grazing, grey barns as far as the eye can see, the curves of the valley, the fields neatly segmented by drystone walls, this scene has it all. Shot from Cloggerby Rigg near Thwaite.\n","date":"13 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/swaledale-yorkshire-dales-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" Swaledale is one the northernmost and remote dales of the Yorkshire Dales.\nThe last time we visited the valley was back in May 2016, and we only really drove through the valley. In terms of actual hiking you’d have to go back to April 2014, the last time we hiked around Swaledale. Even then, we only did a small walk from the village of Keld to Crackpot Hall and back, just under 2 miles all in all.\n","title":"Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"13 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/thwaite/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Thwaite","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/affinity/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Affinity","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/color-chrome/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Color Chrome","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/color-chrome-effect/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Color Chrome Effect","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/film/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Film","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/film-simulation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Film Simulation","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fortia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fortia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fujichrome-fortia-sp/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fujichrome Fortia Sp","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fujifilm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fujifilm","type":"tags"},{"content":"Back in 2017, camera nerds (myself included) were very excited by the arrival of Fujifilm\u0026rsquo;s first digital medium format mirrorless camera: the Fujifilm GFX 50S.\nIt featured a sensor 1.7x larger than your usual full-frame 35mm digital camera sensor, in a small body, and promised incredible resolution and that oft-desired \u0026ldquo;medium format look\u0026rdquo;. And all for considerably less money than the, at the time, current crop of digital medium format cameras.\nThe GFX 50S included Fujifilm\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;film simulations\u0026rdquo;, much like Fujifilm\u0026rsquo;s previous APS-C sensor X-series cameras, but added an extra feature for this medium-format beast: the Color Chrome effect.\nThe inspiration behind the Color Chrome effect # According to the Fujifilm-X website:\nThe inspiration for this look comes from FUJICHROME Fortia, a color reversal film that was only available in Japan between 2005 and 2007. Fortia famously promised \u0026ldquo;more contrast and color than Velvia\u0026rdquo;. The ultra-saturated look that Fortia delivered attracted a cult following, but because it was only made in limited quantities, not many photographers had the chance to try it - until now!\nTo give you an idea of what colours you could achieve on Fujichrome Fortia film, I\u0026rsquo;ve included some slides below:\nPhoto: biel* \u0026ldquo;hello, colors of summer!\u0026rdquo; by * tathei * Photo: F1000034 by Vega Tenor Photo: Untitled by akino ringo\nAs you can see, the colours on Fujichrome Fortia SP are rich, vibrant, and deep\u0026hellip; but I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t say \u0026ldquo;out of control\u0026rdquo;. They\u0026rsquo;re not Agfa Ultra 50 colours.\nTo my eye, and of course you\u0026rsquo;re free to disagree, I find these colours just wonderful to look at.\nFujifilm sought to bring back those rich and deep tones of Fortia SP for their new Fujifilm GFX50s medium format camera. The result is called the Color Chrome effect, available in-camera in two strengths: Weak or Strong.\nQuoting from Fujifilm-X again:\nUsually, when photographing colors such as red, orange, or green under high-contrast conditions, it\u0026rsquo;s easy for an RGB color channel to become overloaded - as if individually too bright. Under these conditions, with contrast and brightness at a maximum, there is no room for a full range of tones and the scene tends to look a bit flat. But with Color Chrome switched on, subtle differences of tone can be detected and enhanced. The result is a punchy, high saturation image that doesn\u0026rsquo;t lose its impact and depth.\nThis in-camera setting was later ported over to several of Fujifilm\u0026rsquo;s X-series of APS-C mirrorless cameras, such as the X-T3 and the T-30.\nOlder X-series cameras, such as my beloved X-T2, may never gain this setting.\nBut, I think I figured out to replicate this in Affinity Photo (you can translate this guide to Photoshop, if you want).\nHere\u0026rsquo;s how.\nThe Fujifilm Color Chrome effect tutorial # The image we\u0026rsquo;re starting with I downloaded from DPReview\u0026rsquo;s X-T4 sample gallery.\nPhoto by Richard Butler for DPReview . Processed in Capture One, no noise reduction and no sharpening using the Provia (Standard) film simulation.\nAfter some personal edits of the RAW file (change from Provia to Velvia, slight vignetting and minor contrast curve), this is the edit that I\u0026rsquo;ll be applying the Color Chrome effect on.\nStep 1: Load your edit in Affinity Photo.\nStep 2: we\u0026rsquo;re gunna first apply a small degree of colour boosting using Affinity Photo\u0026rsquo;s curves adjustment. So add a Curves Adjustment layer.\nStep 3: switch the colour mode of the Curves Adjustment from RGB to LAB.\nStep 4: Switch the channel you want to edit from \u0026ldquo;Master\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;AOpponent\u0026rdquo;.\nStep 5: drag the bottom-left point of the Curve to the first line, then drag the top-right point to the third line. This creates a very extreme \u0026ldquo;s-curve\u0026rdquo;. Working in the LAB colour mode allows us to modify only the Chroma (colours) of the image without altering its Luma (lightness). The colours affected in the \u0026ldquo;AOpponent\u0026rdquo; channel are Red and Green.\nStep 6: switch to the \u0026ldquo;BOpponent\u0026rdquo; channel and repeat the same curve. This will affect the Blue and Yellow colours in the LAB colour mode.\nThe colour boost will be very strong, so feel free to reduce the opacity on this Curves Adjustment layer.\nStep 7: we need to create a mask that will allow us to target only the colours that are strongly saturated i.e. a Saturation Mask. You can make one using a Selective Colour Adjustment layer.\nStep 8: first, make sure you uncheck the \u0026ldquo;Relative\u0026rdquo; checkbox in the Selective Colour Adjustment window.\nStep 9: for each colour in the Colour dropdown list, you\u0026rsquo;ll want to move the \u0026ldquo;Black\u0026rdquo; slider all the way to the left. In this instance, we\u0026rsquo;re already in the \u0026ldquo;Reds\u0026rdquo; colour, so slide the \u0026ldquo;Black\u0026rdquo; slider all the way left, to -100%. Then do some with Yellows, Greens, Cyans, Blues, and Magentas.\nStep 10: for the next three \u0026ldquo;colours\u0026rdquo; in the Selective Colour Adjustment window (\u0026ldquo;Whites\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;Neutrals\u0026rdquo;, and \u0026ldquo;Blacks\u0026rdquo;) you\u0026rsquo;ll want to do the opposite and slide the Black slider all the way to the right, at 100%.\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll end up with a weird grayscale image.\nThis is your Saturation Mask. It\u0026rsquo;s a grayscale interpretation of where your most saturated colours are in the image. The closer to white the mask is, the more saturated a colour is. The closer to black the mask is, the more desaturated a colour is. In the image shown, the sign (which we know is red/orange) is very bright in this mask, indicating that the colours here are very saturated. Conversely, the grey wall towards the bottom-right of the image are represented as nearly black in this mask, telling us that the colours here are very desaturated.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s convert and save this into a mask.\nStep 11: create a new \u0026ldquo;stamped\u0026rdquo; pixel layer of the Saturation Mask. Go to \u0026ldquo;Layer\u0026rdquo; in the menu, then \u0026ldquo;Merge Visible\u0026rdquo;.\nThis will create a new pixel layer on top of your layer stack, filled with the Saturation Mask.\nStep 12: right-click on the thumbnail of this new Pixel Saturation Mask layer and select \u0026ldquo;Rasterise to Mask\u0026rdquo;.\nParts of this pixel layer will now go slightly transparent. This is fine.\nStep 13: in the Channels panel, right-click on the thumbnail labelled \u0026ldquo;Mask Alpha\u0026rdquo; and select \u0026ldquo;Create Spare Channel\u0026rdquo;.\nThis stores the Saturation Mask as a Spare Channel, for later use.\nBack in the Layers panel, you can now safely delete the \u0026ldquo;(Mask)\u0026rdquo; layer and the \u0026ldquo;Selective Colour Adjustment\u0026rdquo; layer.\nStep 14: this is the final stretch. Right-click on the Spare Channel you created, which contains the image\u0026rsquo;s Saturation Mask, and select \u0026ldquo;Load To Pixel Selection\u0026rdquo;. You\u0026rsquo;ll get some \u0026ldquo;marching ants\u0026rdquo; dancing around your image, indicating that a selection is active.\nStep 15: with the selection active, create a Curves Adjustment layer and change its Colour Mode from RGB to LAB. This new layer will load the selection you\u0026rsquo;ve made onto the Curves Adjustment layer as a mask. In short, you\u0026rsquo;ve added the Saturation Mask onto the Curves Adjustment layer.\nThis now means that any adjustment you make to this Curves Adjustment layer will affect only the most saturated colours in the image, because this adjustment is controlled by the Saturation Mask attached to it.\nStep 16: change the channel in the Curves Adjustment window from \u0026ldquo;Master\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;Lightness\u0026rdquo;.\nStep 17: create a point in the middle of the curve and drag it down to darken the tones.\nBecause the Curves Adjustment is in LAB colour mode, and we\u0026rsquo;re editing the Lightness channel, the edit we\u0026rsquo;re making to the curve is only affecting the image\u0026rsquo;s Luma (lightness), and not touching any of the colours. Furthermore, because we have a Saturation Mask attached to the Curves Adjustment layer, this means we\u0026rsquo;re darkening the brightness of only the most saturated colours in the image.\nThis is the Color Chrome effect.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s have a look at some comparisons, shall we?\nConclusion # Do you think this is an accurate replication of Fujifilm\u0026rsquo;s in-built Color Chrome effect? Do let me know, especially if think any improvements can be made.\nFree Downloads # If you use Affinity Photo, I\u0026rsquo;ve created some free Macros that will automate the creation of the LAB Colour Boost and the Saturation Mask, important steps to recreating this Color Chrome effect.\nDownload: LAB Colour Boost\nDownload: Saturation Mask\n","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/fujifilm-color-chrome-effect-how-to-recreate-in-affinity-photo/","section":"Posts","summary":"Back in 2017, camera nerds (myself included) were very excited by the arrival of Fujifilm’s first digital medium format mirrorless camera: the Fujifilm GFX 50S.\nIt featured a sensor 1.7x larger than your usual full-frame 35mm digital camera sensor, in a small body, and promised incredible resolution and that oft-desired “medium format look”. And all for considerably less money than the, at the time, current crop of digital medium format cameras.\n","title":"Fujifilm Color Chrome Effect: How To Recreate In Affinity Photo","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gfx/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gfx","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/gfx50s/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gfx50s","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/tutorial/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tutorial","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/tutorials/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Tutorials","type":"categories"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/16-50mm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"16-50mm","type":"tags"},{"content":" We\u0026rsquo;re doing lots of rain dodging at the moment.\nBut that\u0026rsquo;s OK, because lots of rain means thunderous waterfalls.\nLisabet and I decided to head straight out after work for a hike around Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside, before the rain arrived. We timed it well. Five minutes after getting back in the car to head home, the heavens opened and our car was washed.\nStocky Ghyll begins life where Kirkstone Pass meets The Struggle. It\u0026rsquo;s here that Snow Cove Gill and Grove Gill combine below Kirkstone Pass and head southwest towards Ambleside. Just outside the town Stock Ghyll splits into two (or three, if it\u0026rsquo;s been raining heavily), drops 70ft down Stock Ghyll Force and merges together again at the bottom of the falls before draining into Ambleside.\nPhotos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using a customised Velvia film simulation.\nStock Ghyll Lane, the road towards the falls, with some lovely soft light.\nThe day was wonderfully overcast, lending some beautiful pockets of highlighting at various points in the ravine of Stock Ghyll Force.\nThe upper part of Stock Ghyll Force. This composition was made from 5 shots at 16mm (24mm full-frame equivalent), stitched together from top to bottom. Just above the falls Stock Ghyll cuts a deep groove before dropping 70ft as Stock Ghyll Force. My lovely Lisabet providing a sense of scale here. One of the more popular and accessible views of Stock Ghyll Force. It\u0026rsquo;s classical profile is in view here, showing two falls becoming one, but after enough rain there\u0026rsquo;s usually a 3rd waterfall to the left. You can just make out its trickle here. A less-visited view of Stock Ghyll Force, with some soft light breaking through the canopy.\n","date":"2 July 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/stock-ghyll-force-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" We’re doing lots of rain dodging at the moment.\nBut that’s OK, because lots of rain means thunderous waterfalls.\nLisabet and I decided to head straight out after work for a hike around Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside, before the rain arrived. We timed it well. Five minutes after getting back in the car to head home, the heavens opened and our car was washed.\n","title":"Stock Ghyll Force, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":" The weekend has been very wet.\nThe Met Office have stated that, between 10:00am Sunday 28/6/20 and 10:00am Monday 29/6/20, Honister Pass recorded 212.8 mm of rain, \u0026ldquo;provisionally a new UK June daily rainfall record\u0026rdquo;.\nHonister Pass is in the Lake District. It\u0026rsquo;s been very wet.\nBut after some investigations Lisabet and I did spot a gap in the rain towards the Eastern Lake District. So, after work, into the car we went and nipped up and over Kirkstone Pass for an energetic hike around Aira Force.\nWe were rewarded with a lush gorge and waterfalls absolutely roaring with water.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using a customised Velvia film simulation.\nHeading up Kirkstone Pass with the cloud shelf just starting to lift off the fells. And heading down \u0026rsquo;t\u0026rsquo;other side of Kirkstone Pass, Place Fell (657 m/2,156 ft) in the distance with Brotherswater underneath it. Ambitious young \u0026lsquo;uns hiking back up Kirkstone Pass. The trunk of a Monkey Puzzle tree ( Araucaria araucana ), looking like wrinkly \u0026ldquo;skin\u0026rdquo; that\u0026rsquo;s sagging with age. Looking down into the gorge from the bridge above Aira Force. The sheer wall of sounds and flying spray everywhere was immense. Looking straight down the sheer drop of Aira Force. Further upstream along Aira Beck you can find some more falls. This is High Force, more of a series of powerful cascades. Still gorgeous, especially in this soft light. Zooming in on those details of High Force. Aira Force, in full spate after a weekend of heavy rain. The waterfall is probably one of the Lake District\u0026rsquo;s most famous, dropping 70ft in two parts with a picturesque packhorse bridge arching above it. As I\u0026rsquo;ve written on this blog many times before, the word \u0026ldquo;force\u0026rdquo; comes the Old Norse fors meaning \u0026ldquo;waterfall\u0026rdquo;. The word \u0026ldquo;Aira\u0026rdquo; comes from two Old Norse words: eyrr , which means a gravel bank, and á , which is a river, giving us \u0026ldquo;river at the gravel bank\u0026rdquo; and the full name meaning \u0026ldquo;the waterfall on gravel-bank river\u0026rdquo;. We popped out of the Aira Force gorge a little early to go for a quick wander up Gowbarrow Fell. There were some views of Ullswater and its fells that I wanted to show Lisabet. And boy what a view we got.\n","date":"29 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/aira-force-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" The weekend has been very wet.\nThe Met Office have stated that, between 10:00am Sunday 28/6/20 and 10:00am Monday 29/6/20, Honister Pass recorded 212.8 mm of rain, “provisionally a new UK June daily rainfall record”.\n","title":"Aira Force, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/alfred-wainwright/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Alfred Wainwright","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/millerground/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Millerground","type":"tags"},{"content":" In 1930, at the age of 23, a young Alfred Wainwright from Blackburn, Lancashire arrived at Windermere Railway Station, Westmorland, and hiked up the nearby small fell known as Orrest Head (238m/783 feet).\nAnd then, in his own words, \u0026ldquo;…quite suddenly, we emerged from the trees and were on a bare headland, and, as though a curtain had dramatically been torn aside, beheld a truly magnificent view…\u0026rdquo;\nThis experience changed Alfred Wainwright\u0026rsquo;s life forever. He moved to Kendal in 1941 and started working on his now-famous Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells in 1952, initially just for his own interest.\nLisabet and I decided to revisit Orrest Head recently for our post-work exercise to get some steps in. Of course, I took my camera with me. Orrest Head is such a small and unassuming hill but the views it commands across Windermere towards the Lakeland Fells is indeed spectacular.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–56 lens using a custom Velvia film simulation.\nLooking back along the wooded lane before hiking up the steps towards Orrest Head. Loads of foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea ) on the way up to Orrest Head summit. Not a bad spot for a sit down. The view that began Alfred Wainwright\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;love affair\u0026rdquo; with the Lake District. Coming down and around the shoulder of Orrest Head, this spring\u0026rsquo;s lambs peacefully grazing, and the gorgeous Langdale Pikes in the distance. A quintessential Lake District scene.\nTwo dead trees pulled from the ground, then seemingly arranged root to root. I don\u0026rsquo;t know why, but I\u0026rsquo;m not complaining. After returning from Orrest Head, we added a quick ramble down Millerground to the shore of Windermere. Not a bad little cottage to have, right near the shore of Windermere.\n","date":"24 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/orrest-head-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" In 1930, at the age of 23, a young Alfred Wainwright from Blackburn, Lancashire arrived at Windermere Railway Station, Westmorland, and hiked up the nearby small fell known as Orrest Head (238m/783 feet).\n","title":"Orrest Head, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/elter-water/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Elter Water","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"18 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/elterwater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Elterwater","type":"tags"},{"content":" After a seriously dry and hot April/May—as noted by the MetOffice—June has proved to be more tropical and, well, wet.\nIn the last week or so we\u0026rsquo;ve had mid-20°C heat combined with thunder and lightning (very very frightening), and heavy downpours of rain.\nIt seems to me, an enthusiastic amateur of meteorology, that the UK is increasingly experiencing more tropical summers: humid, hot, and wet. Climate change, yo.\nAfter extensive, and perhaps obsessive, checks on various weather services, Lisabet and I decided to venture into the Lake District for a decent post-work summer hike. We chose a favourite of ours, and a generally popular trail: Skelwith Bridge to Elterwater village, via Elter Water the lake.\nThankfully our weather chimping paid off. There was no rain, barely any wind, puffy clouds everywhere and hardly anyone around. I\u0026rsquo;ve never seen Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater so bereft of people during the summer.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens, using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation.\nThis is Skelwith Force, one of my favourite Lake District waterfalls. It\u0026rsquo;s not very big at all, maybe a 15ft drop, but the force of water through it is powerful, especially after heavy rain. This is an attempt at a 6-shot panorama, scanning right to left. I wanted to capture the whole span of Skelwith Force in one image. The individual photos were edited in Capture One, then manually blended together in Affinity Photo. The astonishing view you get when exiting Force How Woods from Skelwith Bridge. The open fields of Birk Rigg Park and the magnificent peaks of the Langdale Pikes. Not pictured: all the horseflies bumping into me. It\u0026rsquo;s hard to stop shooting compositions involving the Langdale Pikes around here.\nAnd then there\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;the view\u0026rdquo;… this is Elter Water, with the Langdale Pikes almost perfectly reflected in it. Elter Water\u0026rsquo;s one of the smaller lakes in the Lake District, but no less spectacular. Its name, like a lot of Northern England places, comes from Old Norse: elptr/alpt , which means \u0026ldquo;swan\u0026rdquo;, and vatn , meaning \u0026ldquo;lake\u0026rdquo;, giving us \u0026ldquo;lake of swans\u0026rdquo;. Someone left a towel by the shore of Elter Water. And below it, the charred earth signifying a fire or BBQ. Clean up after yourselves. The bridge over Great Langdale Beck at Elterwater Village. I spotted this composition in the distance and though my main lens only zooms in to 50mm I had to try and shoot it anyway. A lone horse in between the woods with the crags of Loughrigg Fell above. I had to crop in quite a lot. The way back to Skelwith Bridge, with the sun start to dip and giving us those deliciously long shadows and warm light. Perfect reflections of Wetherlam (763 m/2502 ft) in the River Brathay.\n","date":"18 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/elterwater-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" After a seriously dry and hot April/May—as noted by the MetOffice—June has proved to be more tropical and, well, wet.\nIn the last week or so we’ve had mid-20°C heat combined with thunder and lightning (very very frightening), and heavy downpours of rain.\n","title":"Elterwater, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":" Lockdown restriction continue to relax in the UK.\nFrom Monday June 15th non-essential businesses can reopen to the public once again, as long as they follow social distancing guidelines. Some of the bigger companies have already started opening up again.\nUntil then a lot of the country is still in lockdown, although in some of the busier parts it might not seem like it.\nLisabet and I decided recently to venture into the Lake District proper for a solid hike. Typically, during the summer, we would avoid a lot of the Lake District honey pots as they tend to be far too busy. But thanks to the Lake District National Park\u0026rsquo;s Safer Lakes initiative we were able to see—within half an hour—which car parks in the Lake District were busy and which weren\u0026rsquo;t, then plan accordingly.\nOn this occasion we noted that all Ambleside car parks were rated as \u0026ldquo;Not very busy\u0026rdquo; with an encouraging green light. Once we arrived we couldn\u0026rsquo;t believe our eyes. We have never seen this popular Lake District town look so empty, especially in June.\nWe walked the High Sweden Bridge route from Ambleside, before clambering onto Low Brock Crags and taking the ridge back down the other side of Scandale into Ambleside. The weather treated us very well and the clarity of the light was sensational.\nA very dry Stock Ghyll trickling under North Road Bridge. You\u0026rsquo;ll find a few old watermills along this beck; there were once 12 of them. We soon started gaining height once we hiked up Kirkstone Road and then onto Sweden Bridge Lane. Ambleside enjoys being surrounded on most sides by fells; in this particular scene, the fell in question is Loughrigg Fell (335 m/1,099 ft). Foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea ) are out in full force now. Here they line the winding Sweden Bridge Lane up Scandale. A gated field offers a view beyond to Nab Scar (455 m/1,493 ft), Heron Pike (612 m/2,008 ft), and Great Rigg (766 m/2,513 ft). Zooming in from Sweden Bridge Lane to capture the unmissable shape of the Langdale Pikes, with Bowfell (902 m/2,959 ft) to the left. Below them, underneath Nab Scar, you can just make out Rydal Water. A single foxglove growing out of the mossy boulders. A lovely composition that I\u0026rsquo;ve also sort of ruined by completely missing the focus on the flowers. Oh well. High Sweden Bridge, a centuries old packhorse bridge that crosses Scandale Beck, before the beck drops down a series of falls. In the distance rises the flat-topped Dove Crag (792 m/2,598 ft). The bridge\u0026rsquo;s name might seem weird; it\u0026rsquo;s not named after the Scandinavian country. Rather, the word \u0026ldquo;Sweden\u0026rdquo; here comes from—that\u0026rsquo;s right—Old Norse once again: svi∂inn , meaning a burned clearing. Over time, svi∂inn became \u0026ldquo;swidden\u0026rdquo;, which in turn became \u0026ldquo;Sweden\u0026rdquo;. Climbing back out of the valley from High Sweden Bridge gives you a better view of the rest of Scandale, and especially Scandale Head, catching the light here. A wider and more expansive view of Scandale with the sun fully out, shot from underneath Low Brock Crags. My lovely Lisabet leading the way back down Scandale\u0026rsquo;s western shoulder, with England\u0026rsquo;s largest lake Windermere in the distance. A glorious view. Round here it\u0026rsquo;s basically impossible to take a \u0026ldquo;bad\u0026rdquo; photo. Looking back up towards Scandale Head with some Highland cows grazing peacefully below. Where we came from. And where we were going to. We gave way to some Highlands cows that were traipsing up the path we were heading down. Gotta give them plenty of room with those horns! Look at those horns. Gorgeous beasts. The path back down to Ambleside, featuring the knuckly and knobbly profile of Loughrigg Fell and then rising even higher in the distance lies Wetherlam (763 m/2502 ft). A lovely little scene from Low Sweden Bridge as Scandale Beck cascades down a variety of falls.\n","date":"7 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/high-sweden-bridge-lake-district-summer/","section":"Posts","summary":" Lockdown restriction continue to relax in the UK.\nFrom Monday June 15th non-essential businesses can reopen to the public once again, as long as they follow social distancing guidelines. Some of the bigger companies have already started opening up again.\n","title":"High Sweden Bridge, Lake District, Summer","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/bulls/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bulls","type":"tags"},{"content":" The final stretch of Lancaster Canal.\nIn case you haven\u0026rsquo;t seen it you should check out my first photo blog about the Lancaster Canal, which contains the history of this iconic and important canal system.\nThe following day Lisabet and I decided to revisit the canal\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Northern Reaches\u0026rdquo;, this time heading north from Millness Bridge (Nº 164) in Crooklands instead of south. This stretch is the final waterway of Lancaster Canal, which ends at Stainton somewhat abruptly. There are ambitions to re-water the canal for a quarter of a mile north of Stainton towards Kendal, and work has begun on repairing and upgrading Stainton Aqueduct after Storm Desmond wreaked havoc in December 2015.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation.\nLooking back on Crooklands Bridge (Nº 166), which carries the B6385 over it. Another scorching hot day with barely any wind means very low water levels in the canal and pristine reflections. Bulls and bullocks paddle in the waters of Lancaster Canal to cool down and have a sip. Honestly, I were tempted to join them. I kept waiting for this bull to look at me for this photo but it adamantly refused. Not sure it\u0026rsquo;s possible to get a more bucolic scene of English rural idyll. Old Hall Bridge (Nº 167) with almost perfect reflections; beyond you can just make out the slopes of Scout Hill (284 m/931 ft). On the banks before this bridge Lisabet and I were enthralled by a grey heron ( Ardea cinerea ), fishing in the waters of Lancaster Canal.\nThe end of Lancaster Canal at Stainton. The next stretch of Lancaster Canal from Stainton, which has been relaid with lining and blocks. Not quite filled up yet, and of course it currently remains unconnected. After Sellet Hall Bridge (Nº 173) the newly restored Lancaster Canal ends once again, totally dried up and reclaimed by nature. Nature closing in on the 200-year old structures of Lancaster Canal.\n","date":"2 June 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/part-2-lancaster-canals-northern-reaches-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The final stretch of Lancaster Canal.\nIn case you haven’t seen it you should check out my first photo blog about the Lancaster Canal, which contains the history of this iconic and important canal system.\n","title":"Part 2: Lancaster Canal’s “Northern Reaches”, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" Over the years I\u0026rsquo;ve learned that the UK\u0026rsquo;s canal system is fascinating.\nBuilt primarily as a means to quicky transport raw materials and goods between major manufacturing towns and cities, these days the UK\u0026rsquo;s canals are largely used for leisure and tourism purposes.\nLancaster Canal was originally proposed in the mid-18th century as a way to link up the prosperous port of Lancaster with the growing port of Liverpool. Ships delivering goods between the Old and New Worlds (Europe and the Americas respectively) were getting bigger, and navigating the tricky Lune Estuary into Lancaster was becoming increasingly problematic.\nIn 1819 the new Lancaster Canal section between Preston and Kendal was completed, but never linked via the waterways towards Wigan where all the coal came from (a \u0026ldquo;temporary\u0026rdquo; tramroad was constructed that linked Preston to Walton Summit, 5-miles south of Preston, from which the canal continued to Wigan. Eventually the tramroad was made permanent). Lancaster Canal flourished, mostly transporting coal from the Wigan area northwards, and moving wool and limestone from Kendal southwards.\nThis domination ended with the advent of the railways, particularly the Lancaster–Carlisle line as it promised the transportation of goods beyond Kendal. By 1885 the Lancaster Canal Company ceased to exist and the railway line was bought by London \u0026amp; North Western Railway Company.\nThe railways themselves then came under threat with the advent of cars and roads. By 1944 canal traffic to Kendal ended, the section between Stainton and Kendal was gradually dewatered, and the last two miles of the canal in Kendal was filled in. During the 1960s the development of the M6 motorway north of Carnforth split the Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal, which terminated Lancaster Canal at Tewitfield and left the remaining unlinked sections of the canal to be reclaimed by nature.\nLisabet and I recently explored a small section of the Northern Reaches of Lancaster Canal via its old towpath; from Crooklands at Millness Bridge to Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge right underneath the imposing stature of Farleton Fell. It\u0026rsquo;s fascinating to trace the old route of the canal, the places where it\u0026rsquo;s been cut off from the main canal system, and to observe the ways nature has been reclaiming the waterway.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens, using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation.\nLooking north along Lancaster Canal from Millness Bridge (Nº 164) in Crooklands. This is also where, once a month during the summer, you can take a guided narrowboat tour of these abandoned Northern Reaches of the old canal. South from Millness Bridge the canal is lush with overhanging trees, grasses, and flowers of all sorts. You soon reach Seven Milestone Bridge (Nº 163), reflected here in the very dry canal. This bridge carries the A65 over it. After passing Moss Side Culvert (Nº 162), which is where the A65 splits Lancaster Canal, the views start to open up. You can make out Dovehouses Bridge (Nº 161), but more obviously the looming shape of Farleton Fell (265 m/869 ft) comes into view. Across the canal, farmers have made pleasing lines in the fields as they prepare hay. On the banks around Dovehouses Bridge, daisies ( Bellis perennis ) grow in proliferation. The canal was so low and still that it offered irresistible reflections of Farleton Fell. Just beyond Hodgson\u0026rsquo;s Bridge (Nº 157). More reflections and Farleton Fell\u0026rsquo;s pointy knott becomes more apparent. After Farleton Turnpike Bridge (Nº 156), and heading towards Duke\u0026rsquo;s Bridge (Nº 155). Two very shapely trees across the canal caught my eye. What a scene. Farleton Knott above, cows and bulls grazing below, with lush vegetation everywhere. No wonder people want to restore this section of Lancaster Canal and link it back up. Imagine taking a narrowboat down here with these sorts of views…\n","date":"31 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lancaster-canals-northern-reaches-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Over the years I’ve learned that the UK’s canal system is fascinating.\nBuilt primarily as a means to quicky transport raw materials and goods between major manufacturing towns and cities, these days the UK’s canals are largely used for leisure and tourism purposes.\n","title":"Lancaster Canal’s “Northern Reaches”, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" It\u0026rsquo;s getting hot in here.\nThe MetOffice confirmed that Spring 2020 has been the sunniest UK spring on record. By 27th May, Spring in the UK had already recorded 573 hours of sunshine, beating the previous record set in 1948 of 555.3 hours.\nWe set out for a hike recently in the expansive and quiet valley of Mallerstang, in the northwestern corner of the Yorkshire Dales. The day started out overcast and cooler, so we originally planned out quite a long route, hiking up towards the Pennine Bridleway to get the views and check out the Bridleway\u0026rsquo;s sculptures. But soon the clouds cleared, the temperatures rose to around the mid-20s, and the wind died so we broke the hike in half.\nMallerstang is a favourite of ours. It tends to get overlooked by many folk, who are often attracted to the main honeypots of the Yorkshire Dales, such as Ingleton\u0026rsquo;s waterfalls or the Ribblehead Viaduct. Mallerstang is a fairly long valley, about 6 miles long, and features two prominent ridges on each side of the valley: Mallerstang Edge (660 m/2,165 ft) to the east and Wild Boar Fell (708 m/2,323 ft) to the west, both distinctively flat-topped and beautifully sculpted. The valley\u0026rsquo;s also full of fascinating waterfalls including Hellgill Force, the biggest one.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using a customised Classic Chrome film simulation.\nThe Settle-Carlisle railway line travels through Mallerstang. Would love to take a train ride along this scenic route some day. A simple composition, utilising the rail track as a leading line to point straight towards Wild Boar Fell. Hellgill Force, normally a thundering roar, reduced to a couple of rivulets dribbling down to the gorge. Further up Hell Gill Beck the views really open up looking towards Wild Boar Fell. Up on Pennine Bridleway, our goal is in sight. Overhead the clouds dissipate and we clearly make out the escarpment of the Northern Pennines. This sculpture, found on the Pennine Bridleway, is called \u0026ldquo;Watercut\u0026rdquo; by Mary Bourne . The watery gap that divides the sculpture utilises the changing sky to echo the ever-changing flow of water. To the right is the flat-topped Mallerstang Edge. It\u0026rsquo;s a brilliant concept. Looking down the Pennine Bridleway as it descends into Mallerstang. One day, we\u0026rsquo;ll finish the route. The sky clears, the temperatures rise, but we\u0026rsquo;ve made back to the road towards the car. A classic Yorkshire Dales composition featuring a narrow road, dry stone walls, and a shapely fell.\n","date":"29 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/mallerstang-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" It’s getting hot in here.\nThe MetOffice confirmed that Spring 2020 has been the sunniest UK spring on record. By 27th May, Spring in the UK had already recorded 573 hours of sunshine, beating the previous record set in 1948 of 555.3 hours.\n","title":"Mallerstang, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/silverdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Silverdale","type":"tags"},{"content":" Our native Cumbria isn\u0026rsquo;t really known for any extraordinary areas of coastline, save for the St. Bees area.\nHowever, if you were to venture just south of border beyond Arnside you\u0026rsquo;ll enter a gorgeous Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This is Silverdale, a coastal area of salt marshes, estuaries, Morecambe Bay, and low limestone coastal hills.\nSilverdale, along with the nearby Yealand settlements (Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne, and Yealand Storrs), has a deep connection with the Vikings. In 2011 a metal detectorist found what became known as the Silverdale Hoard; over 200 pieces of silver coins, jewellery, ingots, and hacksilver that had been buried in a lead container from around 900AD. It remains one of the largest Vikings hoards ever discovered in the UK.\nThe run-off from Leighton Moss out into Morecambe Bay, cutting its winding way towards the sea.\nThis area of the Silverdale coast is known as Jenny Brown\u0026rsquo;s Point. It\u0026rsquo;s home to this picturesque chimney, or tower. Turns out that it\u0026rsquo;s probably the remains of an ill-advised copper mining and smelting project, set up in the late 18th century.\nThe name of Jenny Brown\u0026rsquo;s Point is disputed. It was possibly named after a daughter of a local farm, Jennye. Other theories include: Jenny was a lover waiting for her lost sailor to return; a nanny who saved her charges from the tide; a lodging-house keeper, or; a steam engine (or \u0026ldquo;jenny\u0026rdquo;) sent to Brown\u0026rsquo;s Point. This is a delightful little limestone cove that leads out to the expansive sea and sands of Morecambe Bay below an area called Jack Scout. Far across Morecambe Bay in the distance is Morecambe itself and Heysham. Looking northwards across Morecambe Bay from the limestone cove towards Grange-over-Sands and the Cumbrian coast. The retreating sea of Morecambe Bay from up high on Jack Scout. You can even make out the Lakeland fells. Up on the limestone crags of Jack Scout. Looking across Morecambe Bay towards Morecambe and Heysham. It\u0026rsquo;s from this sort of vantage point that you realise how expansive Morecambe Bay really is (it is, in fact, the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the UK, around 120 sq mi). Another feature of Silverdale is the coastal trees, which all lean back away from the sea. This is due to the near-constant battering they get from the winds travelling across the bay and up the coast. Young Jersey bullocks enjoying the sun and fresh grass.\n","date":"27 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/silverdale-lancashire-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Our native Cumbria isn’t really known for any extraordinary areas of coastline, save for the St. Bees area.\nHowever, if you were to venture just south of border beyond Arnside you’ll enter a gorgeous Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). This is Silverdale, a coastal area of salt marshes, estuaries, Morecambe Bay, and low limestone coastal hills.\n","title":"Silverdale, Lancashire, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" Barbondale holds a special place in our heart.\nLisabet spent many a time in her childhood playing in this valley with her family. It\u0026rsquo;s also the place where Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s grandfather\u0026rsquo;s ashes were scattered.\nBarbondale gets its name, like a lot of Yorkshire Dales valleys, from the river that runs through it: Barbon Beck. In turn, the beck was named after the family that owned the manor and all the surrounding land. There are two theories where the name \u0026ldquo;Barbon\u0026rdquo; comes from:\nA corruption of \u0026ldquo;Barbourne\u0026rdquo;, a parish in Worcestershire, or; An old French Huguenot family name. Unfortunately a lot of the woodland in Barbondale has been cut down and replanted, apparently to contain some sort of fungal infection.\nAll photos shot on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens using the Classic Chrome film mode.\nRhododendron ponticum , beautiful to look at but unfortunately a rather invasive and overwhelming species. Also apparently toxic to European honeybees.\nA hawthorn tree leaning towards the craggy profile of Barbon Low Fell (438 m/1437 ft). The way to Upper Barbondale, with Crag Hill in the distance (682 m/2,238 ft). A lone tree with beautifully wispy clouds. That\u0026rsquo;s right, another drystone wall means another photo of me tracking its path up the fell. Upper Barbondale, featuring the precipitous shoulder of Calf Top (610 m/2,000 ft) and the winding road towards Dentdale. Looking back along the road to Crag Hill and Fell House farm underneath.\n","date":"25 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/barbondale-yorkshire-dales-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Barbondale holds a special place in our heart.\nLisabet spent many a time in her childhood playing in this valley with her family. It’s also the place where Lisabet’s grandfather’s ashes were scattered.\n","title":"Barbondale, Yorkshire Dales, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"25 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/beck/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beck","type":"tags"},{"content":" Brotherswater is one of those Minimum Effort/Maximum Reward places.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a small car park and then five minutes walk along the river you reach this expansive view of the Dodds of Patterdale above Brotherswater. It\u0026rsquo;s quite a wondrous place.\nBrotherswater, or Brother\u0026rsquo;s Water, was the first Lake District site purchased by the National Trust. It was originally called Broad Water but—the story goes—was renamed after the tragic drowning of two local brothers.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 lens, using the Classic Chrome film emulation.\nThe setting sun hits the face of Gray Crag (698 m/2,290 ft), shot from the Cow Bridge near Brotherswater. The lit summit of Hartsop Dodd (618 m/2,028 ft) reflected in the still water of Goldrill Beck near Brotherswater. Another shot of a sunset lit Gray Crag almost perfectly reflected in Brotherswater. My lovely Lisabet capturing pristine reflections of a sunset lit Brock Crags (562 m/1,844 ft), Cat Crag (501 m/1,645 ft), and Angletarn Pikes (567 m/1,860 ft). Golden light caressing the western face of Hartsop Dodd. Place Fell catching the last of the light, shot from Kirkstone Pass above.\n","date":"24 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/brothers-water-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Brotherswater is one of those Minimum Effort/Maximum Reward places.\nThere’s a small car park and then five minutes walk along the river you reach this expansive view of the Dodds of Patterdale above Brotherswater. It’s quite a wondrous place.\n","title":"Brothers Water, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"24 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/brotherswater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Brotherswater","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"24 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/reflection/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Reflection","type":"tags"},{"content":" The weather\u0026rsquo;s been a bit strange.\nApril 2020 was the 3rd driest April for Northern England since UK records began (which was 1854). So the landscape is looking pretty parched and in need of a good soaking.\nThen, at the start of this week (Monday 18th May), spring rain finally arrived in a soft but consistent cascade of drizzly murk, with temperatures around 13°C. Nice.\nThis abruptly stopped on Wednesday with a 1-day heatwave and clear blue skies, with temperatures hitting 23°C.\nWeird.\nSo after work on Wednesday, Lisabet and I nipped up the road for a hike around Tarn Hows, a favourite of ours. Tarn Hows was originally three tarns: Low, Middle, and High Tarn. It was dammed in the 19th century and the surrounding area saw more trees planted to make it more picturesque.\nA couple enjoying the quiet and calm around Tarn Hows.\nPeacefully rowing in a dinghy on the calm blue waters.\nYes, those are coins hammered into a tree stump. This is a Wish Tree, or Wishing Tree. The trunk or branches of a Wishing Tree are covered with hundreds of coins, which have been driven through the bark and into the wood. The local tradition is that a wish will be granted for each of the coins hammered in. The picturesque view round Tarn Hows, with Wetherlam (763 m/2502 ft) on the right and the Coniston fells in the far distance. We were surprised to still see a few bluebells hanging around. The Langdale Pikes on the right, looking as gorgeous as ever. The Langdale Pikes with Tarn Hows below, shot from a high rocky outcrop above the lake. The hulking mass of Wetherlam. An igneous intrusion that\u0026rsquo;s remained in place whilst the remaining softer rock has been worn away over millions of years. The clarity of the atmosphere was beautiful. From above Tarn Hows you can make out Fairfield (873 m/2,864 ft) on the right and Seat Sandal (736 m/2,415 ft) to the left. The highest of the rocky knotts southeast above Tarn Hows is home to this glacial erratic perched on its summit.\nMy lovely Lisabet editing Instagram photos whilst I clamber back to the trail from the knotts. Little Lisabet and the Langdale Pikes.\n","date":"21 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/tarn-hows-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The weather’s been a bit strange.\nApril 2020 was the 3rd driest April for Northern England since UK records began (which was 1854). So the landscape is looking pretty parched and in need of a good soaking.\n","title":"Tarn Hows, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/foulshaw-moss/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Foulshaw Moss","type":"tags"},{"content":" A few days after my 36th birthday, back in 2019, my Dad came up to stay with us (he wasn\u0026rsquo;t living in Cumbria at the time). One of the places we explored with him was Foulshaw Moss, a raised bog just south of the imposing Whitbarrow Scar. We explored the area and took photos; at the time, I was mainly shooting on my Google Pixel 3XL with a shiny new Moment 18mm Wide v2 lens I\u0026rsquo;d got for my birthday.\nA year and a few weeks on we visited Foulshaw Moss again, this time under totally different circumstances.\nTo accommodate social distancing measures due to the Coronavirus, the Cumbria Wildlife Trust (who manage the area) have blocked off certain dog-legs of the trail and turned it into a one-way route, encouraging people to keep their distance from each other.\nOn our visit we only saw one other man, who was busy bird spotting.\nFoulshaw Moss is a pretty cool place. It\u0026rsquo;s a raised bog, named so because this type of bog rises in height over time as a result of peat formation. They\u0026rsquo;re very rare in Britain as historically they\u0026rsquo;re usually drained and used for planting trees. As raised bogs are acidic and wet habitats, their environment tends to encourage more unusual flora and fauna that can cope with the conditions.\nIn 2010 the Cumbria Wildlife Trust reintroduced a rare dragonfly to the site, the White-faced darter (Leucorrhinia dubia). In 2014 a pair of Ospreys nested at Foulshaw Moss, and have returned every year since. Hides have been erected at various points along the boardwalk trail for visitors to view the Ospreys through telescopes.\nMy lovely Lisabet, phone in hand ready to capture some minutiae she spots. In the distance is the south face of Whitbarrow Scar. A pair of silver birch trees, standing out from the bog. A young sapling reach for the sun. A large part of Foulshaw Moss consists of this watery \u0026ldquo;graveyard\u0026rdquo; of silver birch, looking like brush strokes on a canvas.\nA young rowan sapling, Sorbus aucuparia . In times gone by twigs from this tree were used to drive cattle to the pasture for the first time in spring to ensure their health and fertility.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s also plenty of bulrush, or Typha latifolia , in the bogs of Foulshaw Moss. By the time we saw them their heads had erupted, leaving these fluffy cotton-like tails everywhere. Also in abundance—sprouting from the carcasses of various birch trees—is Fomes fomentarius , or the Hoof Fungus (you can see why). It\u0026rsquo;s apparently very useful as a tinder to start fires. Who knew?\nThe road back to Whitbarrow Scar, one of the biggest limestone escarpements in the Lyth Valley.\nA solitary Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris . The open and expansive part of Foulshaw Moss. No blue skies on this day, in fact totally matte with clouds. On the right you can see a familiar resident of acidic bogs: cottongrass, or Eriophorum . The only bird hide left open to accommodate social distancing measures.\n","date":"18 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/foulshaw-moss-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" A few days after my 36th birthday, back in 2019, my Dad came up to stay with us (he wasn’t living in Cumbria at the time). One of the places we explored with him was Foulshaw Moss, a raised bog just south of the imposing Whitbarrow Scar. We explored the area and took photos; at the time, I was mainly shooting on my Google Pixel 3XL with a shiny new Moment 18mm Wide v2 lens I’d got for my birthday.\n","title":"Foulshaw Moss, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"16 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/borrowdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Borrowdale","type":"tags"},{"content":" I mostly shot this photograph for the trees on the fell. To me it looks like some ancient woodland god has scribbled her signature across the fell and trees have sprouted in the wake of her pen.\nTravel restrictions for outdoor exercise have eased, but we still didn\u0026rsquo;t want to take the piss.\nSo, rather than head right into the usual honeypots of the Lake District, Lisabet and I drove less than 10-miles north on the A6 to hike down a quiet little valley. This is Lower Borrowdale; the \u0026ldquo;lower\u0026rdquo; prefix more to distinguish it from its famous namesake south of Keswick.\nThe area around Lower Borrowdale, sometimes called Westmorland Borrowdale, only recently became included in the Lake District National Park, back in August 2016. Since then work has been done on the paths through and around the valley, although more needs doing. The valley is quiet, lined on its southern slopes by the Ashstead Plantation, and more trees are being planted across the northern slopes.\nWe enjoyed a long hike through the valley and back, noting the dry rivers and becks, and saying hello to all the Swaledale and Kendal Rough Fell sheep with their new lambs.\nA gorgeous view of Lower Borrowdale from the A6 above it. A Kendal Rough Fell ewe chilling with her little lamb. A drystone wall snaking its way up the fell. A delightful little scene Lisabet and I came across: an egg-like boulder with a tiny sapling resting on it. Borrow Beck, which runs through the valley, looking thoroughly parched. England could really do with a good week of solid rain. Clouds building up, looking back the way we came.\nOne of the numerous becks that criss-cross the valley, totally dried up. Another lovely scene we stopped to explore and photo; this old barn with its own little woodland. A slither of light catching the top of Castle Fell (478 m/1,568 ft), with Swaledale ewes and their lambs grazing below.\n","date":"16 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/lower-borrowdale-lake-district-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" I mostly shot this photograph for the trees on the fell. To me it looks like some ancient woodland god has scribbled her signature across the fell and trees have sprouted in the wake of her pen.\n","title":"Lower Borrowdale, Lake District, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"12 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/castle-hill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Castle Hill","type":"tags"},{"content":" The UK Lockdown has changed.\nOn Sunday 10th May 2020 the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced, amongst many things, that there would no longer be travel restrictions for the purposes of exercise. Until now outdoor exercise during the Lockdown was limited to your immediate surroundings.\nThis has caused some concern amongst the resident population of Cumbria and the Lake District. On the Bank Holiday weekend just gone, Friday 8th to Sunday 10th, Cumbria Police reportedly issued a record number of fines to people breaking Lockdown rules. There were even reports of people doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, with one getting stuck and requiring assistance.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s all with the Lockdown in effect. What will happen now restrictions are being eased? Will the Coronavirus spread from cities to popular rural beauty spots, infecting the local population and quickly overwhelming the limited healthcare in these areas?\nTime will tell. Give it two weeks.\nTo take our minds off this future, Lisabet and I enjoyed a quiet hike up to Castle Hill, site of the ruins of Kendal Castle.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t a particularly interesting photo, compositionally or indeed in terms of light, but I shot it for its historical significance. This is where the old Lancaster Canal went through Kendal, before terminating at Canal Head. There is actually a group dedicated to reopening the Kendal section of Lancaster Canal once again. The views from Castle Hill require little additional praise. Looking towards the gentle slopes of Benson Knott. The ruins of Kendal Castle.\n","date":"12 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-castle-hill-kendal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The UK Lockdown has changed.\nOn Sunday 10th May 2020 the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced, amongst many things, that there would no longer be travel restrictions for the purposes of exercise. Until now outdoor exercise during the Lockdown was limited to your immediate surroundings.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Castle Hill, Kendal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" Today it hit 21°C in Kendal. This is where it starts to get sort of uncomfortable for me and Lisabet.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re both very much into cool and blustery conditions (by the sea in Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s case, in the mountains for me). Nevertheless, today we took our Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise to Hawes Bridge, our new local favourite. The gorge is now looking extremely lush, especially when you compare it to the first time we visited the area, less than 2 months ago.\nThe lane through Scroggs Wood, filled with wild garlic, bluebells, and all sorts of other flora. Oh, and midges. Never forget the midges. Today was very much about big fluffy clouds, it seems.\nThe point where the River Kent drastically narrows, essentially turning on its side and cutting out this deep limestone gorge.\n","date":"9 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-hawes-bridge-prizet-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Today it hit 21°C in Kendal. This is where it starts to get sort of uncomfortable for me and Lisabet.\nWe’re both very much into cool and blustery conditions (by the sea in Lisabet’s case, in the mountains for me). Nevertheless, today we took our Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise to Hawes Bridge, our new local favourite. The gorge is now looking extremely lush, especially when you compare it to the first time we visited the area, less than 2 months ago.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Hawes Bridge, Prizet, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" Happy 75th Anniversary of VE Day, that is, \u0026ldquo;Victory In Europe\u0026rdquo; Day, when the Allies triumphed over the fascist Nazis. Never forget the sacrifice of those who fought to retain our freedoms and liberties over authoritarian fascists.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a weird time to celebrate VE Day. The UK is still on Lockdown, and so people are still largely staying in their homes, except for Once Per Day Exercise and shopping for essential supplies. So celebrations, if any, are somewhat subdued.\nNevertheless, on our Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise session today, we did spot a few Union Jack flags around and a little bit of bunting.\nWe took the Brigsteer Road out west of Kendal today, rounded up and through Stainbank Green, and back through Kendal town, stopping briefly for a Socially Distanced takeaway flat white.\nIn other news # As of 9am on 8th May, 211,364 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus. As of 5pm on 7th May, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 31,241 have sadly died, the highest number of deaths in Europe, and a death rate of 14.78%.\nMay all those suffering find peace.\nAnd I hope these photos help you to, too.\nNo British celebration is complete without bunting. Superb gardening skills going on here.\nKendal has some gorgeous houses. This is honeysuckle, or Lonicera periclymenum .\nA sort of \u0026ldquo;portal\u0026rdquo; found in the wooded lanes of Stainbank Green.\nOver the stile and out to Stainbank Green. Google reckons this is Melastoma malabathricum , otherwise known as \u0026ldquo;Indian rhododendron\u0026rdquo;. And Google thinks this is Solanum trilobatum , a herb usually cooked in the Indian subcontinent. Nether Bridge in Kendal, probably Kendal\u0026rsquo;s prettiest bridge. Dates from the 17th century. The view from Nether Bridge is pretty lovely too. The current parched condition of the River Kent allows wonderful reflections.\nThe way to a decent flat white. I can\u0026rsquo;t remember the last time I had a flat white… Stramongate Bridge and its weir. Can never resist a shot of this view. The meadows off the River Kent\u0026rsquo;s east bank near Mintsfeet has exploded in wild flowers.\nA lovely horse enjoying the shade. I mean, it might have been. It was hard to tell, because the horse barely moved and almost seemed catatonic. It accepted nose stroking from Lisabet and I but eventually flinched from me, which alarmed me. So we left it alone and went back the way we came. I hope it\u0026rsquo;s OK. My lovely Lisabet enjoying the wild flowers along the river bank.\n","date":"8 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-stainbank-green-kendal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Happy 75th Anniversary of VE Day, that is, “Victory In Europe” Day, when the Allies triumphed over the fascist Nazis. Never forget the sacrifice of those who fought to retain our freedoms and liberties over authoritarian fascists.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Stainbank Green, Kendal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/stainbank-gree/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stainbank Gree","type":"tags"},{"content":" Today\u0026rsquo;s Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise was somewhat shorter, but no less enjoyable.\nOne of our favourite local hikes we\u0026rsquo;ve enjoyed since the UK Coronavirus Lockdown has been a circuit up to Helsfell Nab and back, with Serpentine Woods along the way. With the woods looking more lush everyday, and the scenery growing vibrant and brighter, this simple hike really does make you feel very grateful.\nA particular highlight, for me, was the abundance of wild garlic everywhere in Serpentine Woods. Most of it is blooming now and their little white flowers are carpeting the woodland floor.\nAlso, sheep. Plenty of sheep.\nAll photos taken with my Fujifilm X-T2 using a 16–50mm f/3.5–56 OIS lens. Edited in Capture One using a customised Kodak Ektar 100 film emulation.\nThe views open up almost immediately as you start ascending the path from Queen\u0026rsquo;s Road. I like a blue sky but it is nicer to see some fluffy clouds as well. Lowland lambs are starting to look chunky now. The black-faced ones are Suffolk, I think. Not sure about the others. As you start climbing up the path towards Helsfell Nab you pass these allotments. Every time we\u0026rsquo;ve been here we\u0026rsquo;ve seen a flight of pigeons circle above the allotments countless times. I wonder if they\u0026rsquo;re racing pigeons… A North of England Mule (I think) ewe, giving me a customary stare whilst we pass up the path to the left. In the distance, the Kentmere fells. Yep, taking another photo of a curving drystone wall. Can\u0026rsquo;t resist it, especially when the rest of the scene looks like this. Just a wonderful Kendal upland scene with lovely light and colours. This disused barn marks the point in the hike where you turn back on yourself and start climbing up around the shoulder of Helsfell Nab. The same barn from above, with the Whinfell Common hills being lit up by the sun. A vertical, and wider, version of the same scene. Once you round the shoulder of Helsfell Nab it\u0026rsquo;s further up until you reach Kendal Fell and its golf course. Enjoy the view. Heading back down from Kendal Fell, with Benson Knott to the right and the Howgills in the distance. A couple chat whilst enjoying the view near Serpentine Woods. Into Serpentine Woods we go, wild garlic everywhere. A ribcage of wood. Completely carpeted in wild garlic.\n","date":"4 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-helsfell-nab-kendal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Today’s Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise was somewhat shorter, but no less enjoyable.\nOne of our favourite local hikes we’ve enjoyed since the UK Coronavirus Lockdown has been a circuit up to Helsfell Nab and back, with Serpentine Woods along the way. With the woods looking more lush everyday, and the scenery growing vibrant and brighter, this simple hike really does make you feel very grateful.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Helsfell Nab, Kendal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/birds-park-reservoir/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Birds Park Reservoir","type":"tags"},{"content":" After a week where the spring rain finally arrived, it was good to get out and enjoy a warmer day, with a clear atmosphere, and gorgeous light.\nFor the day\u0026rsquo;s Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise we returned to the woods around Bird\u0026rsquo;s Park Reservoir. The last time we visited, 2–3 weeks ago, we mentally bookmarked the woods for a return visit because we could see there would be lots of bluebells. After a week of passing showers, the great weather has returned, and as hoped the woods were full of bluebells.\nThe rain has also cleared the atmosphere of haze, so after popping out of the woods onto Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane, the views back to Kendal and the Lakeland fells beyond were beautifully clear.\nAll photos shot with my Fujifilm X-T2 in Provia mode using a Fujinon XC 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 OIS lens. Edited in Capture One using a customised Provia 100f film emulation.\nIn other news # As of 9am on 2nd May, 182,260 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus. As of 5pm on 1st May, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 28,131 have sadly died, a death rate of 15.43%.\nMay all those suffering find peace.\nIt feels so good to see leaves on the trees again. As mentioned before, pictures here is Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s photo philosophy in practice: get close. Spotted these beauties growing in someone\u0026rsquo;s rockery. Google reckons they\u0026rsquo;re Osteospermum , or \u0026ldquo;African Daisies\u0026rdquo;. People working on their allotments, no doubt maintaining social distancing rules. The fields above Kendal are showing lovely displays of dandelions at the moment. Bluebells everywhere! Bonus points: soft dappled light dancing around the woods. Beautiful bluebells, gorgeous light, and gnarly trees. Can\u0026rsquo;t really go wrong. This is actually a rare image, because my lovely Lisabet actually requested to be photographed! So here she is, looking beautiful as always next to my favourite in these woods. Popping out of the woods and looking back to the slopes above Kendal and the Lakeland fells beyond. Following the drystone wall back up to Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane. These are the sort of expansive views you get from Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane: Kendal nesting in its valley and the craggy profile of the Lake District fells beyond. When I find a wall of some kind that flows with the rolling landscape, I take a picture. Benson Knott (319 m/1047 ft), catching the late afternoon light. Looking back down Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane with the Kentmere and Longsleddale fells in the distance. I had to crop the photo in pretty tight, but still happy I managed to snap this busy little bumblebee. Heading back into Kendal, a lamb enjoys the shade under a tree. The ruins of Kendal Castle above Netherfield Cricket Club. Not a bad spot for a game of cricket, eh? Lovely light striking the trees around the River Kent. Despite the rain, the River Kent is still looking really dry.\n","date":"2 May 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-unnamed-woods-kendal-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" After a week where the spring rain finally arrived, it was good to get out and enjoy a warmer day, with a clear atmosphere, and gorgeous light.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Unnamed Woods, Kendal, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" The limestone ridges on the cliff face of Scout Scar.\nToday is my 37th birthday.\nHonestly, after everything I\u0026rsquo;ve been through, I\u0026rsquo;m happy to have made it to my late-30s.\nToday was another, yes, glorious spring day, with temperatures pushing 20°C, barely any wind, and nary a cloud in t\u0026rsquo;sky. We took our new favourite route up to an old friend of ours: Scout Scar. After wandering around the cliff edge of the scar, we took the longer route back home, trekking along Cunswick Scar, through Boundary Bank, and down past Kendal Fell Quarry to home.\nAll in all, from the front door and back, about 6.5 miles or 16,000 steps.\nHappy birthday to me!\n\u0026ldquo;With no standing water, poor soils, and lack of nutrients, scattered trees grow stunted amongst rafts of limestone clitter…\u0026rdquo; Life finds a way, even in the broken crags of a limestone cliff. One or two walkers enjoy their Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise. In the distance, on the right, you can just make out The Mushroom, a shelter that sits at the summit of Scout Scar. My lovely Lisabet, no doubt nervously watching me as I frame this composition along the edge of Scout Scar. I love how Scout Scar just suddenly drops into the Lyth Valley, as if a giant had cut a chunk of land off. In the distance, the Kentmere and Longsleddale Fells, otherwise known to Wainwright followers as the Far Eastern Fells. The way back home.\n","date":"25 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-my-birthday-on-the-scar-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The limestone ridges on the cliff face of Scout Scar.\nToday is my 37th birthday.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: My Birthday On The Scar, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"18 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/cunswick-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cunswick Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":" Cunswick Hall. What you see has been standing since its modernisation in the 1800s, but there aspects of the property still remaining from the 1500s, including a window which is said to contain the oldest glass in Westmorland. Historically the manor belonged to the Leyburn family.\nOne of the nice things about getting out for our Daily Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise is researching and exploring unfamiliar footpaths and tracks in and around Kendal.\nToday we explored a route Lisabet had mapped out earlier in the week. It involved taking the public footpath past Kendal Fell Quarry, up towards Cunswick Fell, and then taking the trail down its western flank into Scar Wood to find Cunswick Tarn.\nFrom there, it was simple enough to follow the footpath past Cunswick Hall joining Gamblesmire Lane and following it back onto Underbarrow Road towards Kendal.\nAnother day of glorious spring weather and lovely light conditions for some prime exercise and photography.\nIn other news, as of 9am 18th April 2020, 114,217 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus. As of 5pm on 17th April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 15,464 have died, a 13.54% death rate.\nMay all those suffering find peace.\nEmerging north of Kendal Fell Quarry into an open field with glorious views towards the Kentmere fells. Down we go into Scar Wood below Cunswick Fell. Limestone woods always have very interesting flora. Cunswick Tarn! There\u0026rsquo;s not actually a path around the tarn, so you have to come off the trail and navigate through the swampy undergrowth to get to the tarn\u0026rsquo;s shore. We immediately spotted the water lilies and mentally bookmarked a return trip in summer when these will have blossomed some beautiful flowers. Looking back into Ash Spring Woods from its exit. We could already see one or two bluebells blooming in these woods, surrounded also by wild garlic. In a week or two\u0026rsquo;s time this wood will enjoy a carpet of blue and white. Gamblesmire Lane, an ancient lane running west to east that connects the village of Underbarrow in the Lyth Valley to Kendal. Looking east along Gamblesmire Lane, my Lisabet striding purposefully ahead. Badger Faced ewes have an afternoon snooze under the tree.\n","date":"18 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-cunswick-tarn-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" Cunswick Hall. What you see has been standing since its modernisation in the 1800s, but there aspects of the property still remaining from the 1500s, including a window which is said to contain the oldest glass in Westmorland. Historically the manor belonged to the Leyburn family.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Cunswick Tarn, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" The limestone cliff of Scout Scar, which suddenly drops 100 ft or so down into the Lyth Valley.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve had a hankering for getting up Scout Scar for a little while now.\nAs I\u0026rsquo;ve mentioned on this site many times before, Scout Scar holds a special place in my heart. It was here that Lisabet and I spent our first morning together, and it was also where I truly, madly, and deeply fell in love with the Lake District.\nAfter consulting our maps, we took a new (to us) route up to Scout Scar from our front door. And it was rather delightful! The weather was much cooler today, with a stiff breeze, and with little cloud cover, giving us lovely light to work with.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re curious about the name \u0026ldquo;Scout Scar\u0026rdquo;, the aspect scar ultimately comes from the Old Norse sker, meaning \u0026ldquo;to cut\u0026rdquo;, and was often used in reference to cliffs or other rocky outcrops and islands that were \u0026ldquo;cut\u0026rdquo; from the land (it\u0026rsquo;s the same root as \u0026ldquo;skerry\u0026rdquo;).\nThe main roads are still eerily quiet. I love the criss-crossing of drystone walls. Looking back down the route we were taking to Scout Scar. In the distance lies Kendal, with Benson Knott to the left, and even further in the distance you can make out the gentle rolling hills of the Howgills. This is where the track takes you, right out onto the edge of Scout Scar. In the distance, the Eastern Lakeland Fells. Standing right on the edge of Scout Scar\u0026rsquo;s limestone cliff, looking down the sheer drop to the Lyth Valley below. Following the line of the limestone escarpment all the way north. The northwards limestone escarpment of Scout Scar. You can just about make out the sea of Morecambe Bay to the right.\nA runner ahead of us, as we take the route back down to Kendal from Scout Scar. Even in the \u0026ldquo;middle of nowhere\u0026rdquo;, somewhere around Scout Scar\u0026rsquo;s gently sloping eastern side, you can find a beautifully wrought iron gate. Heading back down to Kendal town centre via Beast Banks, one of the steepest roads in Kendal. In the distance rises Benson Knott.\n","date":"13 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-scout-scar-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The limestone cliff of Scout Scar, which suddenly drops 100 ft or so down into the Lyth Valley.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Scout Scar, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" The weather\u0026rsquo;s really been glorious in the last week or so. Thankfully, it\u0026rsquo;s made our daily One Government Sanctioned Outdoor Exercise Session Per Day a lot more pleasant.\nAbout a week ago we ventured from our front door up towards Fisher Tarn, once dammed for use as a reservoir in the 19th century to support Kendal\u0026rsquo;s growing population and importance as a textile centre. During that walk, as part of consulting our map, we learned there was another nearby reservoir and vowed to visit on a future wandering.\nToday was that day, and the reservoir in question is called Bird\u0026rsquo;s Park Reservoir.\nThis reservoir proved more difficult to access. In fact, we never actually saw the body of water, despite almost being upon it. The route to its dam was padlocked (no idea why), so we took the track to its northern tip. However, it seems that Bird\u0026rsquo;s Park Reservoir has long been abandoned, even though it\u0026rsquo;s still owned by United Utilities. Most access gates around the reservoir were rusting and padlocked, and the area was very much being reclaimed by nature.\nNevertheless, despite not actually being able to see the reservoir, we enjoyed a wonderful walk. The woods around the reservoir housed some beautiful trees, and in a month\u0026rsquo;s time will probably be full of bluebells. Above the reservoir is Paddy\u0026rsquo;s Lane, which we\u0026rsquo;ve hiked along before and offers enchanting views towards Kendal, its valley, and the Lakeland fells beyond.\nIn other news—as of the time of writing—78,991 have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus in the UK, and 9,875 have died from it. May all those suffering find peace.\nMiller Bridge in Kendal. The River Kent is extremely dry at the moment. Stramongate Bridge and its weir. I\u0026rsquo;m ready for more leaves on the trees. The views quickly open up once you pop out of East Kendal from Sandylands. The Lakeland fells start to become apparent too. This is the pedestrian tunnel that crosses underneath the railway line. My lovely Lisabet here, demonstrating how low it is (she\u0026rsquo;s around 5ft 3in and had to hunch over). High Jenkincrag Farm with Ashstead Fell (469 m/1,538 ft) in the distance. I liked the framing of this composition. Looking back up at the farms along Paddy Lane from lower down on the Old Sedbergh Road. Love the criss-crossing of all the drystone walls. I\u0026rsquo;m a sucker for a meandering drystone wall, especially if they\u0026rsquo;re undulating over the folds of the landscape.\n","date":"11 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-birds-park-reservoir-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The weather’s really been glorious in the last week or so. Thankfully, it’s made our daily One Government Sanctioned Outdoor Exercise Session Per Day a lot more pleasant.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Bird's Park Reservoir, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"5 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/fisher-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fisher Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":" The weather was warmer and brighter today, so on our Government Allotted Outdoor Exercise period we ventured up Park Side Road, passed Castle Green Hotel, through Singleton Park, and onwards towards Fisher Tarn Reservoir.\nFisher Tarn was dammed in the 19th century to help supply more water to a growing Kendal town. These days its use as a reservoir is no more and is now known for fishing.\nI hope you enjoy these photos from today\u0026rsquo;s wander.\nIn Kendal each \u0026ldquo;yard\u0026rdquo; (or \u0026ldquo;ginnel\u0026rdquo;, basically another word for \u0026ldquo;alley\u0026rdquo;) is numbered, and all branch off from the main road through Kendal. Dr. Manning\u0026rsquo;s Yard was formerly called \u0026ldquo;Braithwaite Yard\u0026rdquo;, where a George Braithwaite established a drysalter\u0026rsquo;s business in 1713, supplying dyestuffs, alum, fuller\u0026rsquo;s earth and other technical materials to Kendal\u0026rsquo;s world-famous textile trade. At the junction of Park Side Road and Singleton Park Road you can spot a small lane that runs alongside the grounds of Castle Green Hotel. What we found was a cool, mossy, and quite beautiful lane that leads directly onto the farmland around Singleton Park. The moss slowly envelops the dry stone wall. Spring is here. Plenty of North of England Mule ewes mothering their new lambs in the uplands above Kendal. Managed to snag this shot of a ewe cuddling up with her twin lambs. Cracking views from Paddy Lane, above Kendal. Lovely lines created by the freshly mown grass and the contours of the land. Resting in the shade of some trees near Fisher Tarn Reservoir. Plenty of daffodils about.\n","date":"5 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-fisher-tarn-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" The weather was warmer and brighter today, so on our Government Allotted Outdoor Exercise period we ventured up Park Side Road, passed Castle Green Hotel, through Singleton Park, and onwards towards Fisher Tarn Reservoir.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Fisher Tarn, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":" It\u0026rsquo;s so easy to become lethargic when you\u0026rsquo;re having to spend most of your time in lockdown in your house.\nActivity breeds energy. The opposite is also true.\nNevertheless, Lisabet and I mustered up the drive to head out for our Government Allotted Outdoor Exercise period. This time we made our way towards the river and scanned it northwards, branching off towards the northern path that heads up Kendal Castle.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s been a castle or some sort of fort here for around 800 years now. Its most famous claim to fame is that it was once the home of the Parr family, with Catherine Parr being King Henry VIII\u0026rsquo;s sixth wife, the only one who outlived him.\nDespite promises from various forecasts of skies brightening up as the day went on, the conditions we enjoyed were nevertheless quite overcast with soft light to boot.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s still always nice to visit the castle.\nIn other news—or really the only news that\u0026rsquo;s occurring currently—41,903 have been \u0026ldquo;officially\u0026rdquo; infected with the Coronavirus in the UK as of 4th April 2020, with 4,313 deaths from COVID-19 recorded as of 3rd April 2020.\nStay safe, everyone.\nStramongate Bridge, dating from 1794, but there\u0026rsquo;s been a bridge here for centuries. Records from 1379 named it as De ponte de Strowmondgate . What\u0026rsquo;s left of the castle\u0026rsquo;s walls and the keep. You can see why a castle was built here: it offers unparalleled views of the town. The largest part of the castle that\u0026rsquo;s still standing: the keep and its tower. Modern additions like the stairway have helped people explore the ruins more fully. The main way back down to Kendal from the castle. Kendal\u0026rsquo;s pretty. I never tire of it. Miller Bridge, originally called Mill Bridge. This version of the bridge has been standing since 1818.\n","date":"4 April 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-kendal-castle-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" It’s so easy to become lethargic when you’re having to spend most of your time in lockdown in your house.\nActivity breeds energy. The opposite is also true.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Kendal Castle, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/day-hikee/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Day Hikee","type":"tags"},{"content":" My Lisabet, navigating through a narrow stile in the wall. The yellow fell in the distance on the right is Cunswick Fell, with the jagged peaks in the distance being the Lake District fells.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s easy to lose track of time at the moment.\nThe UK is on a full lockdown. People are to stay in their homes and only venture out to shop for essentials, for medical purposes, to get to and from work, and once a day for exercise.\nThe Coronavirus (COVID-19) at the time of writing has infected a confirmed 17,000+ people in the UK, killing over 1,000 people. May the dead find peace.\nLisabet and I are immensely fortunate in that for our allocated outdoor exercise time we can walk straight from our front into the open countryside around Kendal.\nToday, we ventured up towards Serpentine Woods, up and over Kendal Fell, and onwards towards Cunswick Fell, with gorgoeus views along the way.\nI hope you enjoy these photos. May they give you calm during these troubling times.\nThis gorgeous cottage sits just below Serpentine Woods. You should seeing it during Christmas… Another cottage that sits at the entrance of Serpentine Woods. This one, unfortunately, hasn\u0026rsquo;t fared so well. As the views started to open up you could really get to grips with how Kendal is situated in its valley. I mostly took this because I enjoyed the way the dip in the field below mirrored the shape of Benson Knott in the distance. That\u0026rsquo;s all. Working our way around the shoulder of Kendal Fell. These are the sort of gorgeous views I\u0026rsquo;m talking about. The summit of Cunswick Fell (175 m/574 ft), with the Kentmere fells in shadow in the distance. A closer view of the Kentmere fells from the summit of Cunswick Fell. A panoramic view looking back to Kendal Fell, which also houses a golf course. My little Lisabet looking small in the limestone landscape of Cunswick Fell. It was super windy on the fells today, meaning that the sun kept playing hide \u0026rsquo;n\u0026rsquo; seek throughout our hike. Here the sun illuminated Cunswick Fell. Two Swaledale ewes, Cunswick Fell, and the Lake District fells in the distance. Such a Cumbrian scene. It\u0026rsquo;s still weird to see the roads being empty… The way back home. Spring has arrived. Nearly home.\nTake care, you. Stay home and stay safe.\nThis, too, shall pass.\n","date":"28 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/pandemic-peregrinations-cunswick-fell-cumbria-spring/","section":"Posts","summary":" My Lisabet, navigating through a narrow stile in the wall. The yellow fell in the distance on the right is Cunswick Fell, with the jagged peaks in the distance being the Lake District fells.\n","title":"Pandemic Peregrinations: Cunswick Fell, Cumbria, Spring","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"28 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/rr-velvia/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rr Velvia","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coronavirus/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coronavirus","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/covid-19/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Covid-19","type":"tags"},{"content":" This is the point where the wide and lazy River Kent drastically narrows into a limestone gorge. The colour of the water was mesmerising.\nThere is a global pandemic. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is here.\nThe world has paused.\nPeople are falling ill, and others are dying. Businesses are closing and jobs are lost. Towns and cities fall quiet as people self-isolate and quarantine themselves inside their homes.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve become one of those practising self-isolation and thus working from home. As a Type 2 diabetic, I fall under the category of \u0026ldquo;vulnerable person\u0026rdquo; as my condition makes me immunocompromised. I\u0026rsquo;ve spent the past week almost completely inside the house.\nToday, with care, Lisabet and I ventured out into the open countryside, taking care to keep our distance from people where needed.\nWe hiked south out of Kendal and followed the River Kent for a riverside walk. Along the way we discovered woods filled with wild garlic, future wild swimming spots, and a gorgeous ravine where the River Kent narrows down a limestone gorge underneath Hawes Bridge.\nTimes are confusing and scary. I hope these photos offer you some respite.\nMy lovely Lisabet leading along the lane as we rejoin the riverside. For once, today, it was not raining. Looking back north along the River Kent. Probably a good spot for a swim when the weather warms up. We found what we were guessing to be an old section of Kendal Canal, now extinct. Part of the wall that separated the canal from the river has succumbed to outside forces, and a cascade has formed. Lisabet has an eye for finding bits of pottery along river banks and on beaches. Today was no exception. The River Kent from Hawes Bridge. Here the river narrows into a limestone gorge, cutting down deep channels. Lisabet\u0026rsquo;s photography style summarised: get close. Hawes Bridge crossing over the limestone gorge at the River Kent. Best bet to stay away from the edges… A couple enjoy a little wander in the gorge. Who knows how deep the river gets here… For the highland/fell breeds in Cumbria, lambing typically doesn\u0026rsquo;t start until around the beginning of April. But for the lowland breeds, lambing is in full swing.\nTake care everyone, and stay safe.\n","date":"21 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/isolation-natland-cumbria-spring-2020/","section":"Posts","summary":" This is the point where the wide and lazy River Kent drastically narrows into a limestone gorge. The colour of the water was mesmerising.\n","title":"Isolation: Natland, Cumbria, Spring 2020","type":"posts"},{"content":" Sgwd Gwladys (pronounced \u0026ldquo;Sgood Goo-LAD-us\u0026rdquo;, meaning \u0026ldquo;the Lady Falls\u0026rdquo;), found on the Elidir Trail in the Waterfall Country of the Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales.\nA modern reworking of a series of photos I shot on our South Wales holiday, autumn 2018. A lot has change since then, in terms of my eye, my taste, and my vision, so I figured I\u0026rsquo;d do justice to these photos that I probably overworked first time round.\nAll shot on my main camera at the time, a Sigma dp0 Quattro with a built-in 14mm f/4.0. Editing and colour grading all manually done by myself.\nSgwd Clun-Gwyn (\u0026ldquo;SGOOD clun-goo-in\u0026rdquo;, meaning \u0026ldquo;Falls of the White Meadow\u0026rdquo;), found on the Four Falls Trail. Just an epic sight. Sgwd y Pannwr (\u0026ldquo;SGOOD ee pann-ooer\u0026rdquo;, meaning \u0026ldquo;Falls of the Fuller\u0026rdquo;), which we were able to get right next to after a particularly gruelling hike down the ravine. The roar and sheer power of the water… An unnamed waterfall on the Elidir Trail towards Sgwd Gwladys, with a glittering of autumn colours dashed around the scene. A series of cascades tumbling toward Pontneddfechan, with stronger afternoon light pouring through the canopy of the forest ravine. An overcast long exposure at Llyn y Fan Fach with two of the sloping peaks of the Carmarthen Fans. A composition towards Llyn y Fan Fach\u0026rsquo;s west end, showing the sheer wall of the Carmarthen Fans. Heading back down from Llyn y Fan Fach, the various tributaries that run of the Carmarthen Fans stream together into this little pool, which I stopped by for a long exposure composition.\n","date":"12 March 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/brecon-beacons-south-wales-autumn-series/","section":"Posts","summary":" Sgwd Gwladys (pronounced “Sgood Goo-LAD-us”, meaning “the Lady Falls”), found on the Elidir Trail in the Waterfall Country of the Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales.\n","title":"Brecon Beacons, South Wales: Autumn Series","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"22 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st.-bees/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St. Bees","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"22 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/st.-bees-head/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"St. Bees Head","type":"tags"},{"content":" Golden sunset light. River channels cut through the beach and drain into the sea. St. Bees Head remains steadfast.\nWhen you\u0026rsquo;re in West Cumbria there\u0026rsquo;s more than the Western Lake District to explore.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s plenty of extremely quiet coastal hikes to explore in West Cumbria, too. On one such day, me and Lisabet got up one misty morning to enjoy some \u0026ldquo;forest bathing\u0026rdquo; in Whinlatter Forest, quoted as being \u0026ldquo;England\u0026rsquo;s only true mountain forest\u0026rdquo;.\nAfterwards we carried on up and over Whinlatter Pass (300 m/984 ft), then down towards the historical port of Whitehaven, enjoying the sea breeze and scenes.\nFinally, we ventured a smidgen further south to St. Bees with its long stretches of sandy beaches and hulking cliffs of St. Bees Head whilst the sun was setting.\nI really hope you enjoy these shots and are able to experience some semblance of joy from seeing them that I experienced taking them.\nSoft misty light filters through the forest, creating gentle pockets of highlights amongst the forest floor and moss in Whinlatter Forest. There\u0026rsquo;s some delightful about soft forest light, the ambiance of which I was trying to capture and convey here. Looking south from the West Pier of Whitehaven towards St. Bees Head in the distance. Not a lot going on in this photo, and it was the simple arrangement of all the elements that inspired me to shoot it. West Pier Lighthouse at Whitehaven. The curved walls of the pier\u0026rsquo;s breakwaters intrigued me enough to feature them in a wider composition. I think it\u0026rsquo;s alright. Gorgeous sunset light at St. Bees. I wanted to shoot this large rock pool as a leading line towards the South Head of St. Bees Head, capturing all that beautiful rippling sand detail. My lovely Lisabet, who loves the sea and all the micro-life it washes in and out. The shingle bank that slopes gently down to the soft sandy beach of St. Bees.\nIf you think others you know would like seeing these photos, I\u0026rsquo;d be delighted if you shared this page to your favourite social media or website of choice.\n","date":"22 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/whinlatter-forest-amp-the-west-coast-cumbria-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":" Golden sunset light. River channels cut through the beach and drain into the sea. St. Bees Head remains steadfast.\n","title":"Whinlatter Forest \u0026amp; The West Coast, Cumbria: Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"22 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/whitehaven/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Whitehaven","type":"tags"},{"content":" A burst of light breaks through the overcast sky, picking out the details on High Crag\u0026rsquo;s (744 m/2,441 ft) shoulder.\nThough definitely more pedestrian than Wasdale, Buttermere is no less spectacular.\nAs part of our mid-winter break, Lisabet and I took advantage of the improving weather conditions to head into the Northwest lakes. The valley of the River Cocker contains three lakes, with Buttermere sitting at the head of the valley, then Crummock Water and Loweswater further back respectively.\nThere is a path all the way round the lake allowing one ample opportunity to enjoy all the views this small lake has to offer, especially looking east-by-southeast towards the pyramidal Fleetwith Pike (648 m/2,126 ft) and the knuckly Haystacks (597 m/1,959 ft).\nAfterwards, once we\u0026rsquo;d adequately refilled, we carefully navigated over the precarious Newlands Pass and dropped down into the Newlands valley. There were a few compositions in particular that I wanted to find and grab; happily, we also made friends with a farm horse along the circuit of the valley bottom.\nAlways have some spare apples with you.\nPlease enjoy these photographs of this spectacular part of the Lake District.\nIf you think other people you know would like them, please feel free share the link to this page across your favoured social media and website of choice.\nThe cascades of Sourmilk Gill, dropping 400m/1,300ft from High Stile (807 m/2,648 ft) above. Soumilk Gill from its foot, which exits right near the shores of Buttermere. My little Lisabet, crouching by the shore of Buttermere to get a composition. Looming in the distance is the beautiful Fleetwith Pike. Two older hikers make their way to the shore of Buttermere with Fleetwith Pike in the distance. Out of the woods and into the open fellside. Fleetwith Pike remains steadfast in our view, but Haystacks starts to make an appearance towards the right. Getting closer towards the head of the valley, known as Warnscale Bottom. Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks make a stunning pair on the skyline. A better look at the fist-like summit of Haystacks, Alfred Wainwright\u0026rsquo;s favourite fell. To the right of the fell is a little nook called Scarth Gap, which is a steep bridleway allowing access into the next valley: Ennerdale. Looking south from the head of Buttermere, a burst of light illuminates some trees and a hiker near the shore. Sunlight escapes through the clouds, highlighting the details in High Pike\u0026rsquo;s craggy foot. The ancient woodland at the shore of Buttermere continue getting battered by the high winds and waves. The setting sun illuminates the eastern shore of Buttermere with Fleetwith Pike looming large above. Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis . To my mind, the first sign that spring is on its way. An expansive view of the western section of the Newlands valley, shot from near the summit of the Newlands Pass. In the distance, Blencathra (868 m/2,848 ft) catches some golden light from the setting sun. One of the compositions I\u0026rsquo;ve been after for some time. Shot from the eastern section of the Newlands valley near Little Town, the fell path gives way to a spectacular view of Scope End (412 m/1,351 ft), Hindscarth on the left (727 m/2,385 ft), and Robinson on the right (737 m/2,418 ft). The last of the day\u0026rsquo;s light, streaking across the multi-faceted face of the Skiddaw massif (931 m/3,054 ft).\nI hope you enjoyed viewing these photos as much as I enjoyed shooting, editing, and sharing them.\n","date":"14 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/buttermere-amp-newlands-lake-district-a-winter-series/","section":"Posts","summary":" A burst of light breaks through the overcast sky, picking out the details on High Crag’s (744 m/2,441 ft) shoulder.\n","title":"Buttermere \u0026amp; Newlands, Lake District: A Winter Series","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wasdale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wasdale","type":"tags"},{"content":" A famous Wasdale peak, Yewbarrow (628 m/2,060 ft), with the only road going in and out of the valley curling its way towards the fell\u0026rsquo;s foot.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s something special about the Western Lake District for me…\nBecause the area is naturally more difficult to access, on account of all the mountains, the Western Lakes tends to be more unfrequented whilst still containing some of the most epic scenery in all of the Lake District.\nLisabet and I took a short 1-week break at the beginning of February to recharge, after what turned out to be a somewhat hectic Christmas \u0026ldquo;break\u0026rdquo;. We stayed in a tiny little village south of Cockermouth town called Deanscales, and our home was a 17th-century converted farmer\u0026rsquo;s cottage, complete with stone floor, beamed ceilings, thick walls and more.\nIn most ways, it was the perfect place for us to recuperate.\nThankfully, the weather turned increasingly beneficial for us as the week progressed, and so one day we made our way towards the southwestern area of the Lake District, to what I consider to be my favourite place in England: Wasdale.\nWasdale hosts a few claims to fame: it features England\u0026rsquo;s deepest lake (Wastwater, 258 ft), England\u0026rsquo;s highest mountain (Scafell Pike, 978 m/3,209 ft), and possibly England\u0026rsquo;s smallest church (St. Olaf\u0026rsquo;s). The view from near the foot of Wastwater towards Wasdale Head was also once voted Britain\u0026rsquo;s Favourite View.\nWe took our time around this incredible place, visiting the powerful Ritson\u0026rsquo;s Force, the perfectly glaciated Mosedale, and of course checking out all of the views and compositions of Wasdale\u0026rsquo;s various fells and peaks.\nPlease enjoy this series of Wasdale and Wastwater in the winter. I hope my love of this place is conveyed in these photographs.\nFeel free to tap/click on each image for a bigger view, and to download any for personal use as a desktop/phone wallpaper.\nAll photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XC16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 OIS lens. Editing and colour grading all my own.\nThe iconic pyramidal peak of Great Gable (899 m/2,949 ft), from near Lingmell House. The Wasdale Head Inn, formerly the Wastwater Hotel, which has served travellers for over 200 years. The Pillar range of fells loom above. Ritson\u0026rsquo;s Force, named after the Wasdale Head Inn\u0026rsquo;s most famous historical landlord, Will Ritson. The falls were very much in spate, their sound thunderous and their colour a wonderful hue of aquamarine. The upper part of Ritson\u0026rsquo;s Force, which begins life in the crag wall of Pillar above Mosedale. \u0026ldquo;Force\u0026rdquo; comes from the Old Norse foss , meaning \u0026ldquo;waterfall\u0026rdquo;. Looking down from the upper section of Ritson\u0026rsquo;s Force. I really wanted to capture the water\u0026rsquo;s incredibly clarity and colour, as well as its power as the falls cut through the gill. A shot of the light emerging from the overcast sky, which hit the slopes of Lingmell as we climbed back out of the gill containing Ritson\u0026rsquo;s Force. I tried to use the trees as a framing device. My wonderful Lisabet, looking tiny in the face of Pillar\u0026rsquo;s (892 m/2,927 ft) sheer southern wall. A small band of light escaped from the clouds behind us to hit the wall. Making our up the side of the Mosedale valley, with the hulking crags of Red Pike (826 m/2,710 ft) in front of us. Another beam of light from the clouds behind us scans down the crags. The full view of Lingmell (807 m/2,648 ft) from high up the side of Mosedale. The Scafell peaks, though much taller, sit behind Lingmell and were cloaked in cloud. Zooming in from Mosedale to shoot some of that gorgeous light escaping the clouds and hitting the slopes of Lingmell and Scafell. I also loved framing the shot with all these diagonal lines crossing up and down. The full extent of the peaceful Mosedale valley, looking towards the crag wall of Pillar. Mosedale is a tributary valley that branches off the main Wasdale valley, and is a beautiful example of a smooth glaciated valley. Great Gable (left) and Great End (right, 910 m/2,990 ft) catching some of the brief light shows above Wasdale. The View that was once voted Britain\u0026rsquo;s Favourite View, shot from roughly halfway along Wastwater\u0026rsquo;s northwestern shore, with my little Lisabet exploring the waters. The Wastwater Screes is a sheer wall of crag that plunges straight into the dark lake of Wastwater. An awe-inspiring sight, no matter when you see them. As the sun started to set, more light escaped from underneath the cloud shelf and a beam scraped along the face of Buckbarrow (423 m/1,388 ft) as we neared our car. Wasdale still hosts these Victorian-era sign posts that I find so endearing. Looking back at the old sign post as another beam of light hits one of the many crags that surround Wastwater.\nI\u0026rsquo;d be delighted if you were to share this page of these photos on your favourite social media/website of choice.\n","date":"8 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/wasdale-amp-wastwater-lake-district-a-winter-series/","section":"Posts","summary":" A famous Wasdale peak, Yewbarrow (628 m/2,060 ft), with the only road going in and out of the valley curling its way towards the fell’s foot.\n","title":"Wasdale \u0026amp; Wastwater, Lake District: A Winter Series","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"8 February 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/wastwater/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wastwater","type":"tags"},{"content":" A small trio of images from around Staffin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Specifically, these photos were taken from a small chunk of coastline east of Staffin village called An Corran, which became rather well-known from 2002 onwards for the Jurassic-era dinosaur footprints discovered there.\nPhotos taken with my previous camera before I accidentally destroyed it: the Sigma dp0 Quattro.\n","date":"29 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/staffin-isle-of-skye-scotland-a-trio/","section":"Posts","summary":" A small trio of images from around Staffin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Specifically, these photos were taken from a small chunk of coastline east of Staffin village called An Corran, which became rather well-known from 2002 onwards for the Jurassic-era dinosaur footprints discovered there.\n","title":"Staffin, Isle of Skye, Scotland: A Trio","type":"posts"},{"content":" Even though we\u0026rsquo;ve been to Skye a few times now, we\u0026rsquo;d never actually explored the Sleat peninsula of southern Skye until recently.\nSee more beautiful photos of the Isle of Skye, Scotland.\nSleat is rather unlike the rest of Skye. Whereas most of Skye is mountainous, rugged, lined with cliffs, punctuated with moorland, Sleat is more about rolling hills and pastoral land. It also offers wonderful views across the Sound of Sleat towards the Knoydart mountains.\nAs well as checking out the peninsula\u0026rsquo;s coastline and views, we also explored the ruins of Armadale Castle and its grounds. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t the best day in terms of light and weather, but the scenery doesn\u0026rsquo;t really need it.\nPhotos taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Samyang 12mm f/2 NCS.\n","date":"25 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/armadale-sleat-peninsula-isle-of-skye-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":" Even though we’ve been to Skye a few times now, we’d never actually explored the Sleat peninsula of southern Skye until recently.\nSee more beautiful photos of the Isle of Skye, Scotland.\n","title":"Armadale, Sleat Peninsula, Isle of Skye, Scotland","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"25 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/samyang-12mm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Samyang 12mm","type":"tags"},{"content":" After two weeks of illness kicking both me and Lisabet hard in the dick, it was nice to have a weekend where we were both well and the weather looked good.\nWe took full advantage—of a lie in—then made our ways towards Horton-in-Ribblesdale, a small village in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. It was here that we would take a glorious hike along the Pennine Way towards Hull Pot and Pen-y-ghent.\nHull Pot is essentially the remains of a cave, of which there are many in the Yorkshire Dales, where the \u0026ldquo;roof\u0026rdquo; has collapsed, leaving a giant chasm in the surrounding moorland underneath Pen-y-ghent. It\u0026rsquo;s the largest natural hole in England, measuring 300 ft long, 60 ft wide, and 60 ft deep.\nBut arguably the main showstopper of the area is Pen-y-ghent (694 m/2,277 ft), the fell that dominates the skyline all around the Ribblesdale valley. It\u0026rsquo;s an unusual name as it sounds very Welsh; that\u0026rsquo;s because the name survives from ancient Cumbric, which is related to Welsh. Pen means \u0026ldquo;top\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;head\u0026rdquo; and y is usually the definite article. Ghent could mean \u0026ldquo;edge\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;border\u0026rdquo;, giving the fell\u0026rsquo;s name as \u0026ldquo;Hill on the border\u0026rdquo;.\nShots taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 using the Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens. Also an extra one or two with my Google Pixel 3XL using a Moment 18mm v2 wide lens.\n","date":"18 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hull-pot-yorkshire-dales-england/","section":"Posts","summary":" After two weeks of illness kicking both me and Lisabet hard in the dick, it was nice to have a weekend where we were both well and the weather looked good.\n","title":"Hull Pot, Yorkshire Dales, England","type":"posts"},{"content":" I\u0026rsquo;ve been sick since Thursday this week.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s not very often that I\u0026rsquo;m stricken down with the Common Cold but it\u0026rsquo;s happened this year and has knocked me for six.\nBut today, the clouds and rain cleared up and the light was glorious. So Lisabet, being the godsend that she is, offered to drive us around some gorgeous scenery, just so we could get our dosage of being in nature. She\u0026rsquo;s wonderful like that. We drove from Kendal towards Sedbergh, passing the Howgills along the way and taking shots of the late afternoon light hitting them. Then we turned south from Sedbergh towards Hawes, right in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, before driving the wonderfully scenic Blea Moor Pass back to Ingleton and home, complete with epic sunset.\nShots taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens. Accompanied by a lot of snot.\n","date":"12 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/a-car-drive-around-the-dales/","section":"Posts","summary":" I’ve been sick since Thursday this week.\nIt’s not very often that I’m stricken down with the Common Cold but it’s happened this year and has knocked me for six.\n","title":"A Car Drive Around The Dales","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"4 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/drizzle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Drizzle","type":"tags"},{"content":" Today wasn\u0026rsquo;t forecast to be all that nice in terms of weather, but the best chances were said to be more towards the Eastern Fells.\nSo Dad and I hopped up and over Kirkstone Pass and down into Patterdale for perhaps a dry-ish waltz around the Grisedale valley. Unfortunately, the expected breeze/wind never arrived and so the murk of mist and drizzle stayed with us throughout our ramblings. Still managed to get some good exercise in and a few moody shots.\nAll taken on a Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens.\n","date":"4 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/patterdale-the-lake-district/","section":"Posts","summary":" Today wasn’t forecast to be all that nice in terms of weather, but the best chances were said to be more towards the Eastern Fells.\n","title":"Patterdale, The Lake District","type":"posts"},{"content":" Lisabet and I saw out the last light of 2019 on top of one of our places: Scout Scar, in the Lake District.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s the place where I first experienced the joy of the Lake District, and where Lisabet and I first hung out. Back then, I was very much in the thrall of shooting and editing HDR photography à la Trey Ratcliff. These days, my Eye has got better (even if one of my actual eyes has physically deteriorated), and my taste has developed.\nI hope, wherever you are and whomever you are, that 2020 and onwards is a great period for you.\nAll photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS.\n","date":"1 January 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/scout-scar-lake-district-england/","section":"Posts","summary":" Lisabet and I saw out the last light of 2019 on top of one of our places: Scout Scar, in the Lake District.\nIt’s the place where I first experienced the joy of the Lake District, and where Lisabet and I first hung out. Back then, I was very much in the thrall of shooting and editing HDR photography à la Trey Ratcliff. These days, my Eye has got better (even if one of my actual eyes has physically deteriorated), and my taste has developed.\n","title":"Scout Scar, Lake District, England","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/camera-raw/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Camera Raw","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/catalina/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Catalina","type":"tags"},{"content":" How was your Christmas? I enjoyed a wonderfully chilled and wholesome Christmas with my Dad and Lisabet, at Dad\u0026rsquo;s farm cottage in the middle of nowhere.\nIn between the gifting, the presents, the drinking, and the cooking, Dad and I had a wander around the glorious rural area he lives in. Being the sneaky bugger he is, Dad got me a new lens for Christmas: a Fujinon XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS. So now I can finally zoom in on my landscapes and get some fresh perspectives! Here\u0026rsquo;s a couple of shots from our wander using my new lens, all shot on the Fujifilm X-T2.\n","date":"27 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/christmas-wanderings/","section":"Posts","summary":" How was your Christmas? I enjoyed a wonderfully chilled and wholesome Christmas with my Dad and Lisabet, at Dad’s farm cottage in the middle of nowhere.\n","title":"Christmas Wanderings","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"27 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/sowerby-row/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sowerby Row","type":"tags"},{"content":" A week ago, in the Yorkshire Dales, we experienced a winter fairytale. Today, all the snow has gone. The air is damp and drizzly, everything is wet, and the fells are cloaked in swirling clouds.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s still beautiful, though. Lisabet and I enjoyed a stroll around Dentdale, one of the westernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales, its village and its valley. Further up towards the head of the valley you\u0026rsquo;ll find a couple of viaducts crossing steep gills, with Arten Gill Viaduct one of the more epic ones. Today was a different kind of winter; gloomy skies, vivid moss, and a rain-soaked landscape.\nPhotos taken with a Fujifilm X-T2 and a Samyang 12mm f2.\n","date":"22 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/dentdale-yorkshire-dales-england/","section":"Posts","summary":" A week ago, in the Yorkshire Dales, we experienced a winter fairytale. Today, all the snow has gone. The air is damp and drizzly, everything is wet, and the fells are cloaked in swirling clouds.\n","title":"Dentdale, Yorkshire Dales, England","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"21 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/black-cuillin/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Black Cuillin","type":"tags"},{"content":" A trio of compositions from probably my favourite place on the Isle of Skye: Elgol. Once you get down to the village\u0026rsquo;s seashore, your view north gives you almost unparalleled views of the Black Cuillins of Skye. More interesting coast awaits as you hike north, navigating a beach covered in rugby-ball boulders until you arrive at a fantasy-like shore of jenga-like rock stacks, raised geometric platforms, and weather-beaten slopes and scree.\nPhotos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Samyang 12mm f/2 lens.\n","date":"21 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/elgol-isle-of-skye-scotland/","section":"Posts","summary":" A trio of compositions from probably my favourite place on the Isle of Skye: Elgol. Once you get down to the village’s seashore, your view north gives you almost unparalleled views of the Black Cuillins of Skye. More interesting coast awaits as you hike north, navigating a beach covered in rugby-ball boulders until you arrive at a fantasy-like shore of jenga-like rock stacks, raised geometric platforms, and weather-beaten slopes and scree.\n","title":"Elgol, Isle of Skye, Scotland","type":"posts"},{"content":" Finally, snow arrives for winter 2019. Lisabet and I drove up to Ribblehead Viaduct for a gentle waddle in the snow and some photography. Lovely light and conditions, too.\nThe viaduct is 32 m high and 400 m long, took 5 years to construct (starting in 1870), and called for around 2,300 men to build it, with over 100 losing their lives.\nShots taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Samyang 12mm ƒ/2.0 lens.\n","date":"15 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like/","section":"Posts","summary":" Finally, snow arrives for winter 2019. Lisabet and I drove up to Ribblehead Viaduct for a gentle waddle in the snow and some photography. Lovely light and conditions, too.\n","title":"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/english-heritage/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"English Heritage","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/warkworth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Warkworth","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"14 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/warkworth-castle/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Warkworth Castle","type":"tags"},{"content":" The ruins of Warkworth Castle in Warkworth, Northumberland. Built 800–900 years ago and still remarkably complete. All shots taken with my Google Pixel 3XL and a Moment Wide v2 lens.\n","date":"14 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/warkworth-castle-northumberland/","section":"Posts","summary":" The ruins of Warkworth Castle in Warkworth, Northumberland. Built 800–900 years ago and still remarkably complete. All shots taken with my Google Pixel 3XL and a Moment Wide v2 lens.\n","title":"Warkworth Castle, Northumberland","type":"posts"},{"content":" The Quiraing of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Just an otherworldly place. Shot with my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 12mm ƒ/2.0 lens.\n","date":"5 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-quiraing-skye-series/","section":"Posts","summary":" The Quiraing of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Just an otherworldly place. Shot with my Fujifilm X-T2 using a Samyang 12mm ƒ/2.0 lens.\n","title":"The Quiraing Of Skye: A Series","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"2 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/camera-rwa/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Camera Rwa","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/loughrigg-tarn/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Loughrigg Tarn","type":"tags"},{"content":" ","date":"2 December 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-clarity-of-winter/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"The Clarity of Winter","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 November 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/eden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Eden","type":"tags"},{"content":" ","date":"17 November 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/viaduct-country/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"Viaduct Country","type":"posts"},{"content":" ","date":"10 November 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/going-for-a-paddle/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"Going For A Paddle","type":"posts"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;Britain\u0026rsquo;s Patagonia\u0026rdquo; by Ian Cylkowski. A view towards the Black Cuillins from the Allt Dearg Mór . Photographed in 2014. \u0026ldquo;Lighthouse At The End Of The World\u0026rdquo; by Ian Cylkowski. Neist Point Lighthouse shot from the cliffs of Waterstein. 2014. \u0026ldquo;Old Man Greets The Sun\u0026rdquo; by Ian Cylkowski. The Old Man of Storr, not long after sunrise. 2014. \u0026ldquo;The Sliding Earth\u0026rdquo; by Ian Cylkowski. A view amongst the Quiraing of Skye. Photographed in 2016. \u0026ldquo;Talisker Curve\u0026rdquo; by Ian Cylkowski. The cliffs of Rubha Cruinn and its waterfall from Talisker Bay. Shot in 2016. \u0026ldquo;Warm Light, Blue Mountain\u0026rdquo; by ian Cylkowski. A long exposure of Blàbheinn from the shores of Loch Slapin. Shot in 2016.\n","date":"3 September 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/two-weeks-on-skye/","section":"Posts","summary":" “Britain’s Patagonia” by Ian Cylkowski. A view towards the Black Cuillins from the Allt Dearg Mór . Photographed in 2014. ","title":"Two Weeks On Skye","type":"posts"},{"content":"","date":"17 August 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barrow-in-furness/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barrow in Furness","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"17 August 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/furness-abbey/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Furness Abbey","type":"tags"},{"content":" ","date":"17 August 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-peace-of-time/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"The Peace Of Time","type":"posts"},{"content":" ","date":"4 August 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/revisit-remember-relearn/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"Revisit, Remember, Relearn","type":"posts"},{"content":" ","date":"1 August 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-sea-takes-bites-out-of-the-land/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"The Sea Takes Bites Out Of The Land","type":"posts"},{"content":" ","date":"27 July 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/the-island-of-colourful-rocks/","section":"Posts","summary":"","title":"The Island of Colourful Rocks","type":"posts"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;Hikers near Ben A\u0026rsquo;an summit\u0026rdquo; by Pampuco, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. \u0026ldquo;Devils Pulpit 5\u0026rdquo; by G_Mcfadden, licensed CC BY-NC 2.0. \u0026ldquo;The Cobbler / Ben Arthur\u0026rdquo; by Dr. Nils Wiese, licensed CC BY-NC 2.0. \u0026ldquo;Falls of Falloch\u0026rdquo; by August Schwerdfeger, licensed CC BY 4.0.\n","date":"10 March 2019","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/loch-lomond-amp-the-trossachs-no-more-driving-past/","section":"Posts","summary":" “Hikers near Ben A’an summit” by Pampuco, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. “Devils Pulpit 5” by G_Mcfadden, licensed CC BY-NC 2.0. “The Cobbler / Ben Arthur” by Dr. Nils Wiese, licensed CC BY-NC 2.0. “Falls of Falloch” by August Schwerdfeger, licensed CC BY 4.0.\n","title":"Loch Lomond \u0026amp; the Trossachs: No More Driving Past","type":"posts"},{"content":" ","date":"16 September 2018","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/hiking-and-photography-in-south-wales/","section":"Posts","summary":" ","title":"Hiking and Photography in South Wales","type":"posts"},{"content":" Photo of me. Hello. Taken by my lovely Lisabet.\nBorn in 1983, raised in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. # Ian has been steadily moving further and further north throughout his life and can now be found in the historical town of Kendal, Cumbria, aka the \u0026ldquo;Gateway to the Lakes\u0026rdquo;.\nIan has always displayed some sort of artistic and creative streak but it manifested in different ways: first by pencil sketching as a kid, then as music via a multitude of instruments (but eventually drums) throughout his teens and early 20s.\nIn 2012 he bought his first ever \u0026ldquo;proper\u0026rdquo; camera, a Nikon D60. He soon went on hiking adventures with his buddies, using the trips to get to grips with his new toy. What started as a small hobby to get away from city living soon turned into a full-blown obsession with one simple aim: to show off the natural and architectural beauty of Britain to the world.\nP.S. It feels weird to talk in the 3rd person.\nAchievements, Publications \u0026amp; Work Featured # Blog Preston: \u0026ldquo;Capturing Preston\u0026rsquo;s natural beauty: Stunning photos in and around our city.\u0026rdquo; (Nov., 2012)\nIan Hex\u0026rsquo;s photo now a default wallpaper on all System76 products (Sep., 2013)\nChannel 4 News: Destruction in Damascus — a photo essay from Syria (Nov., 2013)\nThe Linux Action Show: HDR Photography on Linux [VIDEO] (Jan., 2014)\nMetro: 14 beautiful waterfalls you can visit in the UK (Jul., 2014)\nPat David: Luminosity Masking in Darktable by Ian Hex (Mar., 2015)\nThe Ukister: Top 10 English cathedrals you must visit (Sep., 2015)\nDiscover Cymru: 10 of Wales\u0026rsquo; Best Beaches (Feb., 2017)\nExplorelist: Best Places to Travel Alone (Retrieved Aug., 2017)\nGear, Equipment \u0026amp; Software # iPhone 17 Pro Max\nMac Mini M4\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/about/","section":"Ian Cylkowski Photography","summary":" Photo of me. Hello. Taken by my lovely Lisabet.\nBorn in 1983, raised in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. # Ian has been steadily moving further and further north throughout his life and can now be found in the historical town of Kendal, Cumbria, aka the “Gateway to the Lakes”.\n","title":"About","type":"page"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/authors/","section":"Authors","summary":"","title":"Authors","type":"authors"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/series/","section":"Series","summary":"","title":"Series","type":"series"},{"content":" Hello. # Do you like my work? # If so, firstly, thank you. If you\u0026rsquo;ve ever taken the time to comment on my art, leave a \u0026ldquo;Like\u0026rdquo;, or even just spend the time browsing through my photos, I never ever take it for granted.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;ve ever appreciated my photography and freedom of access and use I provide (all my work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License), you can now support me in a variety of ways.\nKo-Fi: tip me a brew # LiberaPay # Support me on LiberaPay\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/support-me/","section":"Ian Cylkowski Photography","summary":" Hello. # Do you like my work? # If so, firstly, thank you. If you’ve ever taken the time to comment on my art, leave a “Like”, or even just spend the time browsing through my photos, I never ever take it for granted.\n","title":"Support Me","type":"page"}]