Mallards Pike, Forest of Dean

Mallards Pike in the Forest of Dean is a small lake with nearby parking, a cafe and a tree climbing facility. The name seems to reference the ducks most commonly seen on the water and a type of fish that lurks beneath the surface. But apparently this isn't so. Mallard in this instance is a corruption of the surname Maller, the person who owned not only land in the area in the 1950s but specifically, a turnpike road and toll house. Maller's turnpike, in time, became Mallards Pike.

 photo © T. Boughen     Camera: iPhone

Water surface semi-abstract

There is often a disconnect between what the eye sees when looking at water and what the camera sees. This happens most frequently when a high shutter speed freezes the movement of water or a deliberately slow shutter speed blurs it. Today's example does neither of these things. Rather, the meniscus effect of leaves touching the water surface and the reflections are emphasised, revealing a quite pleasing semi-abstract effect that wasn't easy to see with the naked eye.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Newent Lake

The small lake in the Gloucestershire market town of Newent was created from former medieval fish ponds as part of the grounds of Newent Court, a large house built c.1810. Much of this building was destroyed in a fire in 1942. Later, after it had been demolished to make way for housing, the lake and some surrounding land was given to Newent Town Council who developed it and now manage it as a public amenity. It is stocked with fish and large carp can readily be seen from the adjacent balustrade and other spots. Duck houses have been provided for use by the mallards that populate the lake. They can be seen in the distance of the photograph that was taken during a late afternoon in mid-November.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Speech House Lake, Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean has a few small areas of open water. Most, if not all, of these are man-made, some connected with the powering of mills, others associated with workings that led to hollows filling with water. The Speech House Lake seems to have been created by the blocking of a stream for landscape or fishing purposes, though I may be wrong about that. What I can say with certainty is that it is one of the most picturesque of these stretches of water and I'm glad our first visit to it coincided with low morning sun and the remains of autumn leaves on the surrounding trees.

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Landscape gardening

One of Britain's contributions to gardening is the "landscape garden". This eighteenth century development is best summarised by that era's succinct description of it as "nature improved". The example in the photograph is a part of a landscape at the stately home of Croome Court, Worcestershire, which was first worked over in this fashion by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Neither the lake or the plantings are original to the site - it was described as a "morass". Nor are the stone grotto, bridges, sculptures, tiny classical pavilion, large stone, brick and glass orangery or massive "eye-catcher" rotunda. The parkland is currently being restored by the National Trust.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Semi-submerged branch

A recent storm, by name of Doris, brought down many trees and branches across the English Midlands. The semi-submerged branch in the photograph above is not one of them. This branch must have been the victim of an earlier blow, at least a couple of years ago, because that's when I first saw it and tried to get a photograph of it. I like the way the six branches of what must be a trunk or bigger limb project above the water, apparently seeking the air and throwing reflections across the rippled surface of the lake.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100