Distant Ross on Wye

The winter hasn't been particularly cold in Herefordshire, and in my part of the county there has been no snow as yet. However, we have had some cold, frosty, clear days when mist has been a feature of the landscape. On a recent walk to the small village of Brampton Abott to see the church (disappointingly it was locked) we saw this view of misty Ross on Wye.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The Severn Ham

The Severn Ham at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, isn't a culinary dish but rather is 170 acres of common land, low lying pasture, in a bend of the River Severn with the River Avon as its border on the other side. The word "Ham" occurs in a number of English place names and derives from an old name for a piece of land located in this manner which often floods. The Severn Ham spends most of the year growing grass and a wide variety of wild flowers, as well as providing habitat for birds such as lapwings and curlews - it is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). Parcels of 30 acres are rented out for the grazing of sheep. For the rest of the year the Ham is covered to a greater or lesser degree by water that might otherwise cause damage to the town. When this happens the common takes on the appearance of a large lake with only the line of telegraph poles that cross it indicating the water's temporary presence. The Abbey Mill and sluice control room (see previous post) can be seen on the left.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Abbey Mill sluice control room, Tewkesbury

In the 1990s the two old sluices at this location on the Mill Avon at Tewkesbury were replaced by a single "fish belly sluice". When in the "up" position this forms a weir: when "down", during a flood, water can flow freely. The control room for the new sluice was mounted on legs above the footpath that crosses the Mill Avon at this point. My photograph was taken during moderate flooding in mid-January 2020.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Stained glass and May Hill

Some of Gloucester Cathedral's more recent stained glass is by the artist Tom Denny. In 2013 he made windows for the south ambulatory chapel in a semi-abstract style that I find difficult to like. More appealing, to me, is that commissioned in 2016 celebrating the life of Ivor Gurney, the famous Gloucester-born poet and composer. This is more representational, and though I wish there were more lead cames dividing up the panels, I do like the drawing, compositions and colour schemes of these works.

I also like the appearance of May Hill in the background of a couple of panels. This relatively low summit can be seen from many parts of western Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and eastern Wales. What makes it noticeable is the cluster of trees on the summit (itself an Iron Age hill fort) that were replenished in 1887 in celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and in 1977 for Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee.  I can see the summit and trees from my living room window 5.5 miles away. One recent morning I took this photograph at sunrise with what I call my bird-watching camera at maximum zoom (2000mm - 35mm equiv.) equivalent to a 40X telescope.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2 (top photograph)

Winter in the cathedral

A dark January day found us in Gloucester Cathedral where lights were switched on to pierce the darkness within. This cathedral has a large amount of medieval and later stained glass, and there's no doubt that this deepens the gloom necessitating more lighting than would be needed if there were more clear glass windows. In this view of the choir and presbytery a further impediment to internal brightness can be seen blocking the lower part of the east window, namely the Lady Chapel. At Gloucester, unusually, it is the easternmost part of the cathedral.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Grey wagtail

The white wagtail is grey, the pied wagtail is black and white, the yellow wagtail is yellow and the grey wagtail is yellow too. This confusing state of affairs grew up naturally, over the centuries, as common bird names and names settled on by ornithologists were codified. Thank heavens for the Latin names! This grey wagtail, at Cannop Ponds, Gloucestershire, with its bright yellow body and grey head and back, was flitting around restlessly, its tail constantly moving as if to underline its name. It spent a few slightly calmer moments on a dam-associated wheel and the sunlight allowed a reasonable shutter speed that almost arrested its movement.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

The Eastnor obelisk

The word "obelisk" is the Greek name given to the Egyptian "tekhenu", a tall, four-sided, tapering column with a pyramidal top, that was inscribed with writing commemorating significant events. Not only did the Greeks (and Romans) copy this architectural form, they took many Egyptian examples and placed them in their cities. This happened in later times too: Cleopatra's Needle in London is an example. The obelisk near Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, is 90 feet (27.4 metres) high and is placed on a hill to make it widely visible. It is the work of the architect, Sir Robert Smirke, and commemorates the death of the castle's then owner's son, Lt. Col. E. C. Cocks, at the siege of Burgos, Spain, in 1812.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Rolling Herefordshire

This view of the fertile, rolling Herefordshire countryside was taken on the Malvern Hills from near the Iron Age hill fort known as British Camp. It shows the scenery to the west of the summit, an agricultural mixture of arable, pasture, orchards and managed woodland. The western border of the county, in the region of the Black Mountains, can be seen on the distant horizon, along with some of the easternmost peaks of Wales. The Malvern Hills form the eastern border of Herefordshire and, generally speaking, the edges of the county are marked by higher ground.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Silhouettes: Take 2

This photograph was taken from the same spot as that posted yesterday. But whereas the focal length of that image was 74mm (35mm equiv.) this was about 400mm (35mm equiv.). The strong silhouette of my wife on the bench against the lower, distant background forms the entirety of the composition and the interest comes from the form and details of that bold shape. Once again I can look back and see other photographs where I have used the same device. This example, featuring a bait digger's bike, was taken in 2006.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Silhouettes and compositions

I saw the line of the wet path before the bench and once I'd seen the bench I imagined someone sitting on it and a composition that involved the path leading to the silhouetted figure. My wife obliged as the figure and the rest fell into place. The basis of this composition is one that I have used several times, as for instance, in this example.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

January silhouettes

The promise of sun found us hauling ourselves up Worcestershire Beacon in the Malvern Hills. As is often the case, the forecast was more optimistic than the reality which included a fair amount of cloud and a sprinkling of rain. However, a low winter sun offers the prospect of silhouettes and my wife was a helpful subject in this regard. Here is the first of three silhouettes, in this instance also incorporating the triangulation pillar at the summit.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Church Lane, Ledbury

The most photographed street in the town of Ledbury, Herefordshire, is undoubtedly, Church Lane. Too narrow for cars, lined for much of its length with old timber-framed buildings, framing a view of the medieval church of St Michael, phones and cameras frequently capture its charms. From the west end looking east, that is. I've taken this shot myself. But recently, when we were in the town one early evening, I thought I'd try for a photograph of the east end looking west. I'm pleased with the result, particularly the contribution that the sky makes to the composition.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Woorgreens Lake, Forest of Dean

Woorgreens Lake and Marsh is a 22 acre (9 hectare) nature reserve in the Forest of Dean that is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and the Forestry Commission with the assistance of a population of 10 Exmoor ponies and 6 English longhorn cattle. It was formerly the site of open cast coal mining that ceased in 1981. On the day of our visit the only water birds in evidence were some mallards, moorhens and about half a dozen goosanders. However, the sky was graced by an interesting formation of clouds that were reflected on the almost still surface of the lake.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

A Turner morning

When I got up and looked out of the bedroom window recently I saw before me a J. M. W. Turner morning. The landscape of pasture, hedgerow, trees, distant wooded hill and sky had been softened and made less distinct, not by brush on canvas, but by  fog. The colours too had merged into each other and the glow of the sun, still below the horizon, illuminated and warmed only the clouds. All else was dark and cold. I went out and walked fifty yards or so and took the only photograph from where I now live that has pleased me thus far.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Gloomy cathedrals

During the dark days of winter cathedrals become places of deep shadows. Only on the bright, cold, sunny days do the clear and stained glass windows admit sufficient light to illuminate the beauties of the mason's and sculptor's art so that it can be appreciated. However, most cathedrals do manage internal lighting at these times, and some use it better than others. Hereford Cathedral has a number of lights that show off arches and column capitals, and these pools of artificial light often compensate for what daylight isn't able to offer, as the photograph above shows.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2