Hadrian's Wall - April Fool

I was sitting in the conservatory at home watching the clouds skud across the sky thinking how beautiful they looked.

I've just bought a book on cloud spotting fromThe Cloud Appreciation Society and was trying to identify the type.

Suddenly it came to me that the Sycamore Tree on Hadrian's Wall would look jolly impressive with a backdrop of big rolling clouds so I gathered together my photographic equipment and headed off to the Wall.

Of course it was April the 1st and it seems nature doesn't know the 12 noon rule so when I got to Steel Rigg Car Park the sun had gone and it was hailing.

Sycamore Gap

That's the thing about Hadrian's Wall it seems to have it's own eco system so weather on the Wall can be totally different within a mile or so.

I like to check the NNPA webcams before I set off it does give me an idea of what to expect.
Anyway I hauled out the plastic carrier bag, wrapped it around my camera and set off to Peel Crags. I positively hate the climb up those steep rock steps, I have big feet and they don't fit very well on the narrow steps so I took the lower track that runs parallel to the Wall.

View to Hadrian's Wall from the lower track

There's a spot not too far along where you can see the Hadrian's Wall Path and cut uphill to join it or, you can stay on this lower path and end up at Sycamore Gap.
By the time I got to the Sycamore Tree the hail had stopped and the sun was playing hide and seek. I set up the camera, while the clouds weren't those big boiling jobbies that I had a Gilsland they were well worth a photograph and for a change the Sycamore Tree was free of visitors.
The clouds were moving really fast, I have 10ND filter, looks like black glass, it slows the shutter speed down so that I can record the movement. Played with that for a while but there was too much cloud and I couldn't get the effect I was after.

Rain over Gilsland viewed from Highshields Crag

I climbed the path up to Highshields Crag,and nearly got blown off my feet by the gale force winds. Pretty scary I have to tell you and really brings home just how powerful Nature is.
Crag Lough below me was huge with the rain we've had recently, I don't think I've ever seen it as full.
After another push from the wind I decided to head away from the edge and potter back along the Path.

Above Castle Gap and the swollen Crag Lough

As usual I took a few photographs from the hill above Castle Nick looking towards Hotbank. There are still patches of snow on the lee side of the Wall and I could see across to the North Pennines where there's a substantial snow cover.

Snow on the North Pennines from Hadrian's Wall

Back along the track and not wanting to face the gale going down the side of Peel Crags I cut across to the lower track, passing the Hotbank Cattle grazing by Peel Bothy.
The climb back up to Steel Rigg was very muddy and very slippery so if you're heading out there for Easter have good cleats on your boots or be careful how you go.
When I got back home TT told me those big angry clouds had dumped a substantial amount of wet stuff on Gilsland, I could see that happening from my high point on the Wall but fortunately it had worn itself out before it got to me and I stayed dry.
I'm off to Plenmeller Common now, it's a while since I've been there and the on my last visit I saw a ghost, hope he's away for Easter.
Catch you later.

Hadrian's Wall awash with visitors

Thick fog in Gilsland on Friday, in fact we'd been shrouded in fog for a few days but on Friday I could see just a chink of blue sky.

I was getting stir crazy and needed a break from trying to capture my perfect shot of the Gretna Starlings, so I headed out to Steel Rigg.
The trees were just ghostly shapes in the mist and mine was the only car in the car park.
I thought about going up onto Winshields Crag, hoping to get above the fog but then thought I'd just go along and see how the Sycamore Tree was faring in the mist.

As I left Steel Rigg there was a glimmer of light, I paused to take a photograph as two walkers  came into frame, perfect timing.

Figures in the mist at Steel Rigg

Then Peel Crags started to clear a bit and that confirmed my decision to head east.
It's probably my least favourite climb up the stone steps of Peel Crags, I especially hate the very skinny steps two thirds of the way up (my big feet weren't made for skinny steps) then when you reach the top there's a ladder stile to get over, as if you had breath to spare!

Peel Crags

Once you're on the top it is worth the effort.

I stopped to take some photo's as yet more and more walkers came past, nice to see the weather hadn't deterred people.
Of course it was the half term break so a lot of folk were on holiday, some had been to other places like the Lakes or the Northumbrian Coast and had popped to Hadrian's Wall for the day.

Walking into the mist

Happy to report visitors were impressed and planned to return.

Blue skies above Peel Crags on Hadrian's Wall

Above Castle Nick  on Hadrian's Wall

By the time I got to the Sycamore Tree the fog had all but gone.

Sycamore Gap

 I had planned to go on the circular route past the back of Hotbank Crag, with a stop to capture Crag Lough wearing white ice but the sky ahead had taken on a slate grey hue and snow had been forecast.

Crag Lough and grey skies over Hotbank Crag

A caterpillar of people coming along the Wall

(Double click the picture to enlarge it slightly)

And if I'm honest my toes were giving me pain, I have arthritis and this week it's the toes turn to ache.

Still I had a nice walk, met some lovely people and got some photographs, what more could I ask?

Oh! and people are still standing on the Wall - don't do it, I get ever so cross with you!

Catch you later.

My best picture of the Gretna Starlings so far.

The golden hour

Another sunrise, it's coming over the horizon at
about 6.10am now so it's not quite as much of a struggle to get up early.
A clear sky with stars everywhere except right in front of me, meaning the sun was coming up through a big dark cloud.
I climbed up to the viewpoint on Winshields Crag (NY743675) and enjoyed the gentle sounds of a morning coming to life. The sky coloured up in a subtle watercolour effect and I happily recorded the scene.
From here you get a panoramic view to the east, over Crag Lough, Hotbank Crag, way over to Sewingshields and beyond. It's a great spot but because people generally walk the Wall from east to west, people simply don't turn around and miss out.
Then it all seemed to be over and I headed down the hill thinking of breakfast, but, as often happens, the light changed.
I did a very quick about face and headed back up the hill at as fast a pace as I can manage, arthritic knees and all, every step of the way I'm repeating my mantra to the light, 'please wait, please, please wait'.
I passed the two lambs at a trot and was amazed when I got my tripod set up to find them posing so nicely for me, probably stunned by my antics.
It's always difficult shooting photographs straight into the sun, you always get flare, I carry a bit of black card to shield the lens, sometimes it works and with this shot here I had only one intrusive flare spot to clone out. But the Wall is just so beautiful bathed in golden light I just had to try to capture it.
I took loads of shots, a big flock of finches were landing on the Wall then flitting up into the light like sparkling butterflies, moving to quickly for the camera shutter speed to record them, but beautiful to see.
Thank goodness for digital at least I can take photographs with a chance they'll work, it seems to me you have so much more latitude than was ever available with film.
I love being out when the world wakes up and usually I'm alone but I could see another photographer high up on Peel Crags. When I got back down to the car park at Steel Rigg I stopped for a chat with his wife. I think maybe my car coming into the car park had woken them up, he's a professional photographer called Don Bishop from Somerset, and I look forward to seeing what he managed to get of our bit of Northumberland - he's also a renowned steam train photographer and author of several books.
http://www.steamrecreations.co.uk/
There was another Pro photographer at Steel Rigg but he was still asleep in his tent (camping on the overspill car park - and you all know what I think of that sort of behaviour!)
until we woke him up gossiping. He obviously wasn't a morning person and was grumpy, but then you do meet all sorts on Hadrian's Wall.
Catch you later :)

1st May 2009

I've got a new alarm clock and it went off at 4.15am just as I'd ordered. Some rain on the window but broken cloud so I had high hopes for a May Day sunrise shot.

As I was heading out I spotted a neighbour of mine up and out at this silly hour, Georgia's a Morris Dancer with the Hexhamshire Lasses and was on her way to dance in the May Day sunrise.


I wanted to climb up onto Peel Crags this morning, at 11 degrees it was too warm for mist but it's a lovely, and popular viewpoint. I passed through a herd of Galloway cows from Hotbank Farm, they seem to like the shelter the Wall gives as I often see them there early in the morning. A bit further along and I came across a little flock of sheep with lambs and hoped they'd hang around for a photograph.
I set up above Castle Gap, including the milecastle in the dip, Highshields Crag and Crag Lough in the shot. One of the classic views you see of Hadrian's Wall. (NY759677)

The sun was due to rise at 5.33am but by then the cloud had thickened and there were a few spots of rain. As often happens, to the west there was a little bit of colour and patches of red sky immediately overhead but nothing I could include in a shot. Photography requires lots of hanging around waiting for light, or heavy rain, confirmation that it's time to pack up and try another day.


I could see rain heading my way over the Pennines so I decided to wander back along the top and take some shots of the cows with the Wall. I was setting up when one of the bullocks decided my tripod would make a really useful scratching post, I had to hang on for dear life but once he was finished he allowed me to take his photograph.

While all this was going on some beams of sunlight broke through the clouds, not enough to pick out the stones of Hadrian's Wall but worth a shot or two. (NY755675)

Back along the Hadrian's Wall Path, past the new stone walls, which probably won't last long with the sheep jumping back and forward over them. Down the crag face path, always a bit tricky and up the hill again to the car park. As I crested the hill there were another round of sunbeams for me to photograph, nothing with the WOW factor but quite nice photo's for my smugmug site.

This part of Hadrian's Wall is one of the most popular parts for visitors, not the folk Walking the Wall but people just out for the day, it's really the only part I see families with young children which is such a shame when the Wall has so much to offer.

Lots of rooks calling, a wren, a wheatear, pheasant, geese from Greenlea Lough and something that has a call like someone scraping a spoon down a washboard, maybe partridge?
I'll have to research that one.

Home for toast and honey by 7 oclock.

Catch you later.

Up in the mornings

25 04 09

I really must get myself a new alarm clock, I'm not keen on electrical things in the bedroom so I have a battery clock, and the alarm pointer is tiny so it's a bit hit and miss. This morning it went off at 4.15 instead of 4.45 and it was too dark to see what the potential of the sunrise was like.

I went back to bed and woke with a start at 5.10, now the sunrise was 5.42am so I was cutting things a bit fine. I was up, out and my first shot at Steel Rigg was timed at 5.39am not bad going and, as it happens, I was there in plenty of time.

Often if there are clouds the best colours appear before the sun rises, (which is why photo magazines tell you to be in place an hour before sunrise) but this morning the sky was clear to the front of me with mist which is a bonus, and just the sort of conditions I like.

Steel Rigg (NY752676) is great, you can be taking photographs almost straight out of the car park, which is what I did this morning. The sun is moving to the north of the crags now so as it rises you get some light on the crag face and if you're lucky it colours up the water on Crag Lough.

At 6.45am the sun appeared behind Hotbank Crag, a lovely red ball and the mist diffused the light nicely so I didn't have problems with flare.

Sheep and lambs wandered around and for some reason a big flock of Black headed Gulls flew over, with my small shutter I have quite a long exposure time so anything moving is just a blur on the resulting photograph. The ewe and lamb did stand still for a while so I'm hoping they'll not need cloning out of my shot, I'm very fond of our local Black face sheep and try to include them in shots where I can. They're so much a part of this area and if you're walking the Hadrian's Wall Path you'll see lots of them.

Just after 6 o'clock I packed up at Steel Rigg and headed home, it was a glorious morning and as I passed the camp site at Winshields Farm I was tempted to sound the car horn so the campers wouldn't miss the best part of the day - I resisted but only just :)

A lovely morning and a joy to be out, and after a hot toast and honey breakfast ot's off to sort through the 70+ photographs I've taken.

Catch you later.

Sycamore Gap

Ah, Sycamore Gap, I knew I'd get around to it eventually - it's one of my favourite spots on the Wall and when I first moved to Gilsland I couldn't wait to get out there and get my shot.

I've taken hundreds of pictures of the tree since that first one, and each time it looks different.

On Tuesday I passed there on my way to meet a friend in Simonburn, the clouds were wonderful, big and stormy but of course I couldn't stop, places to go and people to see.

Sometimes it's referred to as the 'Robin Hood Tree' because it was used in the Kevin Costner movie, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. I've not actually seen the film but apparently Robin got off the boat at Dover and in minutes was here in front of the tree, someone mentioned he had a monkey with him but maybe they were kidding me.

I get asked for directions to the 'Robin Hood' tree more than any other spot on the Wall and, while the photographs normally show it from the south or the north so it's growing between the two hills, that's not the view you get when walking the Wall.

I've heard from some of the local B&B's that they've had to drive walkers back along the Military Road so they can confirm that they did in fact pass that spot.

It's halfway between Crag Lough and Steel Rigg ( grid Ref: NY761677)

Park at the NNPA car park at Steel Rigg and climb up onto Peel Crags, follow the path along until you come to a tree growing on the line of the Wall -it's a lovely place to stop for a picnic on a nice day.

Catch you later.