Playing catch-up part 3

Six more photographs, one of them taken this morning.

Forecast has, once again, headed towards rain - fortunately even with rain there have been bright spells through the day.

Of this batch of six photographs four of them were taken during the day, and on a couple of occasions I've met up with people who exclaimed with surprise to find me out and about with the camera in daylight hours.

I went off to Steel Rigg for sunrise this morning but it was shrouded in a bank of fog, I hung about hoping the rising sun would burn it off, 15 minutes after sun up and it was obvious this wasn't going to happen so I packed everything up and went to Caw Gap.

You can see the bank of fog hanging over Winshields Crag in my picture here, so I think I made the right decision to move when I did.

Caw Gap August 2010 (NY726668)

Crag Lough from Highshields Crag June 2010 (NY763678)

Rapishaw Gap June 2010 (NY780685)

Sycamore Gap June 2010 (NY761677)

Willowford Bridge June 2010 (NY621664)

Winshields Crag July 2010 (NY743675)

Well that's today's selection, another six to come tomorrow.

Hadrian's Wall when the sun shines

Okay that title is maybe a teensy bit misleading.
It rained yesterday but at six oclock the skies cleared and for a couple of hours before sunset the sun did shine.
I decided to go up to Birdoswald, the best sections of Hadrian's Wall with views face east, not  a first choice for sunset shots, but I wanted to try and capture that rich evening light catching the stones, and if there was good cloud over Walltown Crags then that would be a bonus.

Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald with Walltown Crags on the horizon

Panorama, double click the picture to see it at a larger size.

Michael, who farms this area, has his sheep grazing around the fort at Birdoswald, they look so cute in their little plastic macs.

The east Gate at Birdoswald

I wandered about taking my pictures, the ground is extremely boggy, at one point my tripod took on a definate tilt as one of the legs started to sink, remember to bring good boots if you're planning a trip.
The lambs were calling and one very small lamb had obviously become seperated from the ewe it ran all over the field pitifully bleating, to no avail.

The south gate at Birdoswald Fort

Some of the ewe's are so protective of their babies while other's will only take notice of them when it suits them, a bit like human's I suppose.
It's starting to seem like spring is really here, at long last.
The grass is growing thank goodness, it's been an expensive time for the farmers who've had to buy in feed, wild flowers are starting to show with pretty little Celandines leading the way and I saw a bee on the pollen rich Pussy Willow catkins.

Sunsets at Birdoswald

As the sun went down over Birdoswald and the sheep I felt quite optomistic, no matter what man does the world keeps turning and the seasons come and go.
Catch you later

Bright light through the fog on Hadrian's Wall

Woke up yesterday to a beautiful morning, just a light frost with a clear blue sky.
As soon as I was able, I got my camera and headed off to Hadrian's Wall, there's a certain point on the road out of Gilsland where Walltown Crags appear much closer than they actually are, don't know why but they do, anyway yesterday I could see some mist swirling about the tops of the Nicks.

Could be interesting conditions, a couple of years ago I was out in similar conditions and took a photograph that won me a DSLR.

Yesterday the interesting mist turned into thick fog, I called into Cawfields Quarry just in case something inrteresting developed but no, fog it was, just two people appearing alongside the Wall like ghostly centurians of long ago.

Mist at Cawfields

Reluctant to go home I set off to visit the good folk at Saughy Rigg Farm, one of  the Hadrian's Wall B and B's, beautifully situated for visiting the best bits of the Wall.
 
Brad was in the middle of extensive refurbishment works so I didn't stay long but headed down to the Northumberland National Parks Authority Visitor Centre at Once Brewed. 
The best place ever for information on Hadrian's Wall!
It only opens at the weekend during the winter months and Pam was on duty yesterday, I hoped she might have some leaflets about the Illuminating Hadrian's Wall event, I keep meeting people walking along the Wall who have heard nothing about this event.
I thought I'd have a few leaflets in my bag to hand out to people who express an interest in the night of lights.
Guess what, there are no leaflets it seems all the information is online.

Had a word with Peter, he was one of the NNPA Wardens and has recently retired, he told me the fog only started at Housesteads and that the local hunt was meeting at Limestone Corner. I set off east, saw the hunt gathering through the fog which had obviously moved east since Peter travelled the road and decided that I should just give up on photographs and head home.

As I drew level with Winshields Farm Campsite (tel 01434 344 243) I noticed a chink of blue appearing through the fog.

I turned up towards Caw Gap and then headed up the Hadrian's Wall Path towards Cawfields. This is one of my favourite stretches of Wall, the views are lovely yet it still has that feeling of bleakness.

Cawfield Crags

Cawfield Crags looking towards Walltown

The sun broke through, catching the stones of Hadrian's Wall and the mosses and lichens that grow on it.
(My challenge this year is to photograph the various plants growing on and near the Wall)

Cawfield Crags above Thorney Doors

I took some shots, including a group of four walkers, enjoying the fresh air and not at all put off by the varied weather conditions.

A walk on Cawfield Crags

After ten minutes the sun disappeared and the fog returned, never mind I had a couple of photographs to share with you and I went off home happy that my excursion had been fruitful.
It's almost a year since I started this blog and I'd like to thank those few who have followed my ramblings from the beginning.

Catch you later,

Joan

1st of January and it's more snow

Yet again we can't go anywhere in the car, no sign of the gritting wagons though I suppose they have their hands full keeping the main trunk roads open, our rural roads will be a long way down on the list.

We are lucky that we have a variety of walks from our doorstep so today we went off up Wardrew hill again.
This time I took the precaution of strapping on Snow Spikes to help me cope with the ice underneath the soft snow.

Footpath to Gilsland through Irthing House Farm

We were passed by Chris, the farmer from Irthing House in a digger, towing a car to the main road. They'd been staying in his holiday cottage but were heading home today. Even the heavy digger was having trouble getting purchase in the ice.
The snow spikes were working a treat, and I got up Wardrew Hill without mishap.
The black sheep were grazing hay put out for them, they're a breed called Zwartbles and real characters (useful name to remember if you like scrabble!)

Zwartbles

We headed down the footpath to the Irthing Gorge woods, Kay and Malcolm were sledging with their young daughter, lots of laughter and squeals. Two of the people staying at West Nichold Cottage came through the woods, they're leaving at the weekend and are hoping they'll be able to get back down the hill. I can think of worse places to be marooned, West Nichold is a 5* cottage.
Heading  into the wood, lots of tracks again, foxes, deer, rabbits and pheasants but no squirrell tracks which is a shame. Snow was pilled high on the branches and kept dropping on our heads.

Spa Bridge

River Irthing

Over the Spa Bridge and up the hill to Gilsland Spa itself, the views over Gilsland from the Hotel are wonderful, although with the falling snow today it wasn't particularly clear. 

Gilsland

Nice views to Temple Mount, showing the hill we'd climbed up before reaching the woods.

Temple Mount

Past the church and a dither over whether or not to risk the path down to the stepping stones. Several of the 'steps' were washed away in the heavy rain before Christmas so we decided to stick to the road.

Jacobs Sheep

Jacobs sheep on the way down and a very happy little mule ewe posed for pictures.

Mule ewe

Down into the village and back home.
Gilsland is a funny place, it doesn't matter which way you go it's uphill both ways, we soon warmed up and a bowl of broth hit the spot.
Wonder if we'll be able to get the car out tomorrow?
Catch you later.

Christmas Day

I've already told you I'm a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas, but I love the fact that while people are kept indoors by 'family' obligations, I can get out for a walk.

We set off from home to the sound of church bells ringing and headed through the village of Gilsland and turned up towards Birdoswald, a nice circular walk of about 4 miles.

Birdoswald

The road through the village had been well gritted so walking was easy but once we turned onto the B6318 heading up towards the Hill the going wasn't so easy.

We saw the tracks of roe deer in the snow, there are a good number around and they can often be seen early in the morning, heading down to the River Irthing to drink.

One of the bucks had been knocked down, someone had taken the antlers but the carcass was left,

crows, foxes and badgers will probably share what's left.

It was a cold, foggy day and there was very little traffic on the roads so we were able to walk on the tyre tracks with relative ease.

From this road you can look over towards Willowford Farm B&B and follow the line of Hadrian's Wall as it goes from Gilsland to Birdoswald via Willowford Bridge.

Got to Kiln Hill Farm and turned down towards Birdoswald, Eric from Slack House Farm (home of Birdoswald Cheese) snow ploughs this road, a great service and one I much appreciate, it's a steep hill with sharp bends so would be dangerous otherwise.

The buildings of Birdoswald Visitor Centre were just visible though the mist, it's closed now for winter like many of the centres.

Of course Hadrian's Wall itself is 'open' all year, with a lovely stretch of Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald, easily seen from the road and, one of the most accessible for anyone with a disability.

Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald, view west

On a clear day you can look east towards Walltown, but that wasn't visible on Christmas Day, the Wall just disappeared into the mists.

Hadrian's wall at Birdoswald

Michael's sheep were on the track down to Harrow Scar, he'd been in with hay for them to feed on, so they weren't the least bit interested in us, as we passed by them.

Down the steep track to Willowford Bridge, looking at the various animal tracks in the snow and  wishing I'd taken my tracks ID book with me, although it was probably a bit too cold to stand around flicking through a book!

The River Irthing is always beautiful, some lovely mature trees down in this dip, I'd like a good hoar frost to coat the trees, but still took lots of photographs of them in the snow.

Willowford Bridge

Willowford Trees

Up the stone steps past the blue tarpaulins, put there to keep the lime mortar repairs to Hadrian's Wall dry.
English Heritage have a policy to use the same amterials that the Roman builders used and spent considerable time getting the exact same 'recipe' for the mortar.
Apparently lime mortar takes longer to set, although leaving the tarps on for months on end seems a bit excessive.
Past Willowford Farm B and B which can truely claim to be right on Hadrian's Wall, along the track and back into Gilsland.
We saw just one other couple in all the time we were out and they were visiting from Japan, brave souls.
Catch you later.

December's here

Can you believe it? Where has the year gone to?
Woke up this morning to a frosty landscape and some red light in the sky.

Headed off to Cuddys Crag, I swear that climb up past the restored Lime Kiln gets steeper every time I climb it.

I know I'm a pensioner and carrying a couple of stone extra but I'm always out and about so you'd think I could go up and down these hills like a linty.

Still stopping to catch my breath gives me time to stop and take in the views, something I've noticed many of the groups of ramblers, using the Hadrian's Wall Path, fail to do.

Have you noticed people who walk in big groups just chatter all the time, you could do that over a cup of coffee :)

This morning it was a sheer joy to look south over Beggar Bog and watch the colours in the sky change.

Eventually my breathing got back to normal and I got up onto Cuddys Crag, for some strange reason there looked to be hardly any frost up there.

The sun rose I took some photographs and then the sun went behind the cloud, story of my life.

 Still at least going back it's downhill.

Stopped for a chat to the ewe's from Bradley Farm, I remember Stuart telling me last year that they were getting a different breed, very like the Cheviot sheep to look at but prettier and these sheep were quite bonny.

Home in time for tea and toast and I think I got the best of the day with my early jaunt.

Hope you like the pictures.

Frosty Morning at Housesteads Crag

The view from Cuddys Crag

Rapishaw Gap and Cuddys Crag

Sewingshields Crag

Catch you later.

Walltown and weather

The weather has been awful, so much rain that the oceans must be 2 metres lower than normal, and all of it seems to have fallen on Cumbria and our part of Northumberland.

Parts of Cumbria have had terrible floods with people having to be rescued from their homes and a bridge being washed away.

The forecast was for more of the same so I was suprised when I got up this morning to find a clear sky.

The light looked nice and, while it was later than I would normaly set off, I got myself sorted and headed up to Walltown Crags.

Up on the top it was cold, a chill wind whistling around my extremities, but don't they always talk about the 'wind chill factor', it was certainly chilling me this morning.

I'd left my hat in the car in my rush to get up to the Wall and boy were my ears cold. I was wearing a polo necked sweater so I pulled that up over my ears and waited for sunrise.

Some gentle colour in the sky kept me interested for a wee while.

As usual I was the only person about and I listened to the fieldfares chattering away, they've just about eaten all the hawthorn berries so I expect they'll soon be moving on. A buzzard started to mew as the sun was rising, it's a sound I love.  I couldn't see where it was sitting, probably one of the trees in Walltown wood.

From the top you get wonderful views, west over Longbyre and south over the north Pennines, I was expecting to see flooded fields but could just see a smallish puddle here and there.

The grass on Walltown Crags is looking as lovely as ever, for some reason it's always cropped short and wouldn't look out of place on a bowling green.

Although there are sheep all along our bit of Hadrian's Wall this is the only place where the grass is like this.

Puts my lawn at home to shame!

Eventually the sun managed to get above the low bank of cloud on the horizon, and for a second or so the light hit Hadrian's Wall, then a cloud hid the sun.

I was feeling pretty cold by then but I decided to wait it out, I was rewarded when the cloud was suddenly burnt off and gave me that back and forwards carting the tripod to the next spot, hopefully remembering to level up the camera at each new spot.

At Walltown it's always a challenge to get a picture where William's barn doesn't stand out like a sore thumb.

I'll admit to a temptation to clone it out of my pictures but if you go there you'll see it, so it stays in the picture.

Don't know when I'll next manage to get out, the forecast is dire.

Take care and stay safe.

Joan

If you click on the picture you'll see it a bit larger.

So tranquil

Another day, another entry for my Hadrian's Wall blog, I don't get much feedback so it's become a bit like a diary for me, going through my photographing doings for the day.

Sunset's around 6.40pm at the moment, seems like just last week I was hanging about on the crags at 10pm waiting for the sun to go down.

In another month our clocks will change and I'll be trying to catch the sunset and then coming home for tea!

The sky last night was, well, gentle, wispy clouds and a bit of a haze so I hoped there might be a bit of colour in the sky as the sun set.

As it was a still night I headed off to Crag Lough, the lake that you look east to from Steel Rigg. We don't have many areas of water that are easily accessible on Hadrian's Wall so Crag Lough features in most of the local photographer portfolio's.

Last night it was so still, not quite a mirror but still enough to reflect the sky nevertheless and it was lovely.

John Pattinson, the farmer at Hotbank Farm was bringing in his hay so there was the gentle buzz of a tractor in the background. As the sun set the rooks on the crag all took off in a big swirl of wings, noisily cawing and whirling about. I stood and just watched them in action, it looked as though they were having fun. I have to wait until they settle again before I can use the camera, in low light the exposure time is too long and moving birds, and midges, make blurry dots all over the shot.

Mrs Pattinson stopped and had a word, I caught up on the news about her daughter's wedding, sounds like they had an amazing day, then I took a few more shots before packing up and walking back down the track to my car.

I never cease to think how lucky I am to live in such an amazing place and to know that if I don't get picture I really like tonight, then I can just try again tomorrow.

We're coming to the end of another busy tourist season so if you fancy visiting when things are a bit quieter maybe now's the time to book up.

For the Steel Rigg bit of Hadrian's Wall you could try http://www.saughyrigg.co.uk/ , just a ten minute walk away.

Catch you later,

Joan

Joan Thirlaway

http://www.joanthirlaway.com/

Just some photographs

I take so many shots when I'm out that sometimes it takes me a while to get through them

So here are a few recent ones.
Sunrise at Steel Rigg - lovely red sky that morning.



It's coming to that time of the year when the sun rises to the south of Hadrian's wall leaving the Crags in heavy shadow - not ideal for photography - but it's autumn we get most misty mornings so I'm still getting up early.

Next is a photograph from Cawfields



This is a great spot for early morning mist, sometimes there's too much to see anything at all but, if it's a clear morning, the rising sun begins to burn off some of the mist. As ever with photography it's a case of just wait and see.

Another from that same morning but zooming in on Cawfield Crags.




And finally today we have two from Walltown and sunsets this time.

So you might wonder why I insist on showing you my photographs, well as you may know from previous posts I very rarely see anyone else when I'm out with my camera, most visitors are either tucked up in bed or having their breakfast in the morning, at sunset they're sitting having their evening meal.

Maybe just for once it would be worth arranging to have your meal at a different time and come out to enjoy the spectacular show nature puts on for us all.

A quick check with the metchecck site ( http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=NE47) will show you what the weather will be like, NE47 is the postcode for Steel Rigg.

Catch you later.

The High Point

I've been treating myself to one of those fancy 'flashing light' spirit levels for my camera, so needing to give it a try out I headed off to Winshields Crag (NY742675)
It's the highest point on Hadrian's Wall and the views are spectacular in every direction.
You park in the Steel Rigg car park, and as it's still the main holiday season the car park was full with the overspill field in use.

(By the way I should mention, the car parking charge is £3 a day but you can go from Walltown to Housesteads and points in between on that one pass -BUT if you're coming for a week get the £8 pass from the Once Brewed Visitor Centre it's much better value)
Back to Winshields, head back out of the car park, turn right over the wall stile and head up the field.

I've noticed there are loads of butterflies warming themselves on the stones of Hadrian's Wall and plenty of wild flowers for nectar, on Thursday there were also masses of black flying insects!

A couple of gates to go through on your journey up hill, please do remember to close the gates behind you and latch them properly, the Wall is single skin for a part of the way up although the foundations of the wider Wall are visible.

Eventually you reach a good solid chunk of Hadrian's Wall and just beyond that is the white (well decidedly off white at the moment) trig point. I believe with all the new technology these trig points are now obsolete but it would be a shame if they weren't there.

Had a chat with one of the NNPA Rangers who was doing a survey to see what jobs needed doing over the coming months. It's easy to think the Hadrian's Wall Path takes care of itself but it would be a very different place if it weren't for the work of the Northumbria National Parks Authority and their team.

I love the view east back down the line of the Hadrian's Wall Path, especially using a zoom lens to exagerate the bumps and curves of the land. I stood around for a while waiting for some light, patience is a virtue, and had a chat with the farmer who came up the easy way, on his quad bike.

Then the light came and I spent the next ten minutes running back and forward to try and capture my shots.

There's a new Cafe at the Winshields Farm Camp site, the farmer had recommended the home made scones with blackcurrant jam, so I felt obliged to do some research on your behalf.

I have to report the coffee, scones and welcome were excellent.

Took ages to clone out all the insects and the spirit level worked a treat.
Catch you later.

Walltown to the rescue

Another early morning and another climb up to Cuddys Crag.

I had hopes of seeing meteorites but they were quickly dashed, it got foggier the higher I climbed. I could see the moon by looking straight up but that was it.

I hoped the rising sun would burn off the fog enough for me to get a photograph, I tried convincing myself it was getting clearer but it wasn't, so I walked back down the hill again to the car.

Now when I've got out of bed at 4am it pains me to return home without as much as a shot fired, so I called into Walltown Crags on the way home.

For some strange reason I find Walltown a really difficult place to photograph, it has all the right ingredients but I can never seem to put them together in the right way. There was some mist over the crags at Mucklebank and some nice diffused light, lovely conditions, but....

Took lots of photographs, including some 'snapshots' of a flock of fieldfares mobbing the red berries on the rown trees.

I couldn't believe the fieldfares were here already, we don't normally see flocks until late September. Could be a sign of a hard winter, better get the thermals ordered now!

I went back with my 200-500mm lens that afternoon, hoping to get a good shot of them feeding on the berries, but they'd moved on.

I'm sure you realise that I love this area, I'd love everyone to come and see how lovely it is for themselves.

Catch you later.