Chirk Castle and Its Sculptures

Chirk castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley. In the entrance, there was a display of ten 'identical' green bottles with flowers from the estate. In infrared you can see there were two types with different glass properties (on closer inspection they were a different make as slightly smaller).  

In the grounds are four bronze nymphs by Andrea Carlo Lucchesi, (1860 – 1924) an Anglo-Italian sculptor born in London. The statues were installed in the gardens by Lord and Lady Howard de Walden, who leased the castle from the Myddelton family from 1911 to 1946. Lucchesi was an exponent of the late 19th-century British New Sculpture movement, a school based on naturalism and symbolism. Three of the statues are in the open and easy to admire and photograph while the fourth is hidden in foliage by the pond.

Snailbeach Lead Mine Shropshire

Snailbeach was the biggest lead mine in Shropshire and it is reputed to have yielded the greatest volume of lead per acre of any mine in Europe. Underground mining ceased here in 1955 but it is reputed to date from Roman times. Great place to explore and photograph. 

Shropshire Hills

The view from Lyth Hill near Shrewsbury on Wednesday afternoon taken with infrared camera and converted to monochrome in Lightroom. Fun to see the harvest in full swing. Easy to see why Houseman wrote the poem, Blue Remembered Hills

INTO my heart on air that kills
From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?
That is the land of lost content,	5
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.

Barton Dragonfly Pools

A first visit this year to the pools - very different water levels in each pool to previous year - some deeper some shallower. Recorded three dragonflies - Emperor and Migrant Hawker shown here plus Brown Hawker movig much too fast. Also Buzzards, roesel's Cricket and two Grasshopper species to be identified. all with Fuji 50-140mm lens plus extension ring for the static subjects.

Cambridge in the Summer Sun

Bill and Barbara had a perfect summer's day on Friday for their visit to Cambridge and King's college Chapel looked at its best now the organ restoration is complete. The other chapel show in Clare - the simplicity such a contrast to King's.

6.30 am Sunday Morning Transformation

My early morning activity today - we want to be Butterfly and a Cheetah Not sure you would guess without the prompt but it was early. The delights of sharing the house with a 6 and 4 year old.

Ely Cathedral

I very much enjoyed showing Bill and Barbara around Ely on Thursday - always good to have visitors who appreciate places. A few shots from the trip - the exteriors show how the light can change within an hour or so. Interior panorama is 16 shots. Images taken through the ceiling mirror - first one 15mm fisheye, next two 10mm lens. All handheld - some at 1/6th second so not critically sharp but amazing what modern cameras can do (Fuji-XT10)