There and Back

Kirton is a small town just south of Boston in Lincolnshire, where we had accomodation for a week while we explored around Boston. Kirton was one of the first Royal centres for the Saxon kingdom established after the Romans left in the fourth century. It was also a major administrative centre for the Holland district of Lincolnshire in the seventeenth century. One prominent figure in village life was farmer and philanthropist William Dennis. He was benefactor of the Town Hall (below), which was built in 1911 to commemorate the coronation of George V, and the founder of a family business still flourishing in the village today.  This is a statue in his honour in the village. Born in 1841, he built up a huge potato enterprise and supplied all the potatoes eaten at a dinner for the poor of London to mark King Edward VII’s coronation.  His farm, Woodlands Organic Farm, consists of level silt fields which were reclaimed from the sea by the monks of Crowland Abbey some 900 years ago. It`s int

Today was a long session with Gill on the Norfok coast, starting in Morston. The village of Morston is close to the villages of Blakeney and Cley-next-the-Sea. It is famous for its salt marshes. Like its neighbour Blakeney, Morston used to be a major port 400 years ago, but is now only used by a small number of fishing boats, leisure craft and the regular seal watching trips. So, what photographs can we take? I must admit that I found it difficult to start with but I did finish with some images that I thought said something about the place as it is now. Large numbers of small craft lined the banks I loved the detail in this rusty chain laying amongst the green foliage and mud As can be seen in these images, the tide was definitely out. It would be intersting to compare with a high tide. If you could reach the same areas of course. The whole area of salt marshes was full of these pools amidst the beautiful Sea Lavender. I loved the cracked mud feature at the base of them. A couple more

After yesterdays strenuous walk amongs the Falls, our walk through the nature trail to the Caves sounded a bit easier - thankfully. accordinng to the official literature: "Ingleborough Cave is found in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It was first discovered in 1837 by brave Victorian explorers who drained away a lake and went on to discover 1/2km of previously unexplored passages delving deep beneath Ingleborough mountain, with only candles to guide them! Today, the cave is well lit, and you can follow in the footsteps of those pioneers on an awe-inspiring voyage of discovery! A well-lit concrete footpath leads visitors through a kilometre of passages, past breath-taking stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones, brought to life by formations and artefacts dating back millions of years! The well maintained Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail wends its way just over a mile through the beautiful woodland, past the lake, the money tree and Aunt Bessie’s Grotto, before emer

A 4½ mile trail, via a series of spectacular waterfalls, through ancient woodland and beautiful Yorkshire Dales scenery. There are a lot of ups and downs but the trail is easy to follow. Some people say `the best in the UK` others not quite so enthusiastic. However, everyone says its worth doing - and it is! I took numerous photos, but unfortunately I am not always sure as to which waterfall is which but most have the right name I am sure. So here is my record of a stunning walk. River Twiss Money Tree - full of coins from hundreds of walkers Cliff side path Pecca Falls Thornton Force Thornton Force River Twiss at Twistleton Scar End - I believe and also the following three images. River Twiss at Twistleton Scar End River Twiss at Twistleton Scar End Quarry on Waterfalls Walk Beezley Falls Triple Spout Rival Falls Rival Falls From here we walked back into Ingleton and collapsed into the Village Kitchen cafe! A drink and something to eat and some energy returned. A great day and well wo

The Ribblehead Viaduct, an iconic symbol of Victorian engineering and perseverance, is the largest and most impressive of the viaducts on the Settle to Carlisle railway line. Its majestic arches stretch across the rugged landscape of Batty Moss in Ribblehead, North Yorkshire, and serve as a testament to the ambitious vision and skill of the engineers and labourers who brought the railway line to life. - so the blurb goes! And yes, it is magnificent. Although the day was rather dull, I managed some images to record my visit. The viaduct was designed by John Sydney Crossley, chief engineer of the Midland Railway, who was responsible for the design and construction of all major structures along the line. The viaduct was necessitated by the challenging terrain of the route. Construction began in late 1869. It necessitated a large workforce, up to 2,300 men, most of whom lived in shanty towns set up near its base. Over 100 men lost their lives during its construction. The Settle to Carlisle