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

How not to

I usually head off by myself, photography is a solitary hobby, too much standing around doing nothing at all, for most people.
Good Friday turned out to be good, weather wise, TT was off on one of his bike rides, so I decided to head off south of Hadrian's Wall onto the moors around Plenmeller.
Although there's not a lot of miles between Hadrian's Wall and the North Pennines the terrain is markedly different.

The Nicks of Hadrian's Wall from Broomhouse Common

I drove out to Plenmeller, south of Haltwhistle and parked up in a pull in near to the start of the footpath.
Through the gate and along the track, passing through a conifer woodland, it has the feel of an old estate and probably has something to do with the nearby Unthank Hall.
The Highland Cattle were grazing in the field to the south of me, I love these traditional breeds like the Highlands and Galloways they're much slower to mature as beef cattle so not a good money crop for most farmers.

Dry bracken and yellowed grass with tumbles of rock.

At the fork in the track you head up to the right, to the left is a lake but that's now out of bounds due to problems of vandalism. It's actually not a terribly interesting lake, being surrounded by conifers and with very few wildfowl.
Up the hill the footpath crosses a stile and passes behind Warren House, a derelict cottage, since I was last up here the roof has caved in. Over another stile and onto Broomhouse Common and area criss crossed by footpaths. Last time I was up here I saw a ghost and while he wasn't around on this visit, there's still an atmosphere that makes the hair on your arms stand up.

The view from the moor by Warren House

Here's where I admit that I didn't have a map with me and my mobile phone battery was down to one bar.

I had told TT where I was going but this is a huge area and needs to be treated with respect , it's also not as busy with people, so please don't do as I did, at the very least make sure you have a fully charged phone.

The wall runs N/S and is a useful landmark.

I was heading towards the waterfall on the Park Burn, I remembered it as being a pretty little fall although quite hard to access.

On Friday it was full of water, and yet again I was foolhardy enough to decide to go down a very steep hill to get level with the river. The track down is little more than a sheep track through the heather, eroded in places and needing a lot of care.

Waterfall from the top footpath

I had my biscuit break at the bottom and watched a dipper who seemed happy to sit and watch me back for a while. I changed to my 300mm lens thinking I'd be able to get a nice dipper shot, but the minute I lifted the camera up to my eye the dipper took off.

Close up of the Park Burn Waterfall

I took my waterfall shots then climbed back up the slope using the dry stone wall to help me up.
The weather, which had been nice when I set off was taking a turn for the worse so I decided to head back. There's a dry stone wall running more of less north-south across the moor so I was able to get my bearings from that.

Dry stone wall

The moor was alive with wildlife, masses of big fat rabbits, and quite a few rabbit remains, sky larks, curlew and lapwings calling and displaying in the air above me. I was careful where I put my feet although it's probably a bit early for eggs. Pippits and dunnock hopped around the rocks and amongst the heather black grouse called. I was lucky enough to spot one but it was too far away for a good photograph. More mosses and lichens and no doubt on a day when I could linger there's be hosts of insects to spot.

Lichens

When I got back to the footpath to the car I discovered the Highland Cattle had come up into the wood, the hay feeder was there for them. I stopped to take some photographs and laughed to see their muddy legs, you'd think they had knee socks on. Eventually they got tired of posing and wandered off.

Playing in the mud

I got back to the car looking forward to home and a nice cup of coffee.
If you'd like a guided walk of this area check out the Haltwhistle Walking Festival Spring 2010 programme.
Catch you  later.

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.