Saltaire beach

What a difference from a few months ago - this area was flooded during the winter (see my earlier post). Now the River Aire has resumed its usual proportions, leaving an area of  - well, earth... not exactly sand. But it may as well have been a beach, as there were children paddling and digging just as though they were at the seaside.  It's great to see Roberts Park in Saltaire, refurbished last year, being so well-used on a lovely, sunny, spring day.  There's something for everyone - cricket to watch, a huge area of grass for games and picnics, music in the bandstand and refreshments from the Half-Moon Café.  It really feels to be back to its Victorian hey-day and that's good to see.  Maybe they should go the whole way and bring in a load of real sand for the summer!

Incidentally, if you're interested in seeing more of Yorkshire's beauty, I have recently posted a number of photos of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal on my other blog, Seeking the Quiet Eye.

Riverside walk

There is a pleasant riverside walk along the bank of the River Aire through Bingley.  It's quite a while since I passed this way and I was pleased to see that they have tidied it all up considerably.  The river runs parallel to the town's main street.  Behind the shops and down to the river there is a warren of old houses and commercial premises, which at one time were a bit run down.   Some have recently been converted into apartments and some new apartments built too, all with an attractive aspect onto the river.  Far from spoiling it, it seems to have done a lot to improve the area.  There is still a lovely pathway to walk too, right from the church down in the oldest part of the town up to Myrtle Park, a large open park where the annual Bingley Show is held.

It's a while since I entered James' Weekend Reflections - I think this photo will fit the bill nicely, don't you?  For more interpretations of the popular Reflections theme, please click here.

In spate

Well, nothing like Cyclone Yasi or the snow in the States here (thank goodness) but the start of February has seen gale force winds  and heavy rain across Scotland and the North of England.  I met a friend for lunch and we decided to go to the Half Moon Café in Roberts Park, which gamely remains open during the winter and therefore seems worthy of support.  It was quite a hard walk down to the park in the strong wind.  The River Aire is flooding its banks and thundering over the weir by the New Mill.  I thought it worthy of a picture even though the light was poor.  I battled to keep a reasonably steady hand on my camera, as the wind was buffeting me around.

Another bridge

Since I noted a week or two ago that I didn't have many photos of bridges I seem to have been snapping nothing but bridges!  This is one of my favourites - Beckfoot Bridge.  It's local to where I used to live in Bingley and it was a much-loved and often enjoyed stroll down to the ford and old stone bridge over Harden Beck.

It is a packhorse bridge, just wide enough for one horse or a pedestrian.  Built in 1723 by two local masons at a cost of £10, it replaced an earlier wooden bridge.  The road is an ancient forest trail that developed into a bridle way and packhorse route from Bingley along the Aire Valley.  Beside it is an old farmhouse that once belonged to the Knights Templar.  When I was there the other day the house was shrouded in scaffolding, having roof repairs, so I didn't take a photo - I'll go back another day.

It's a fairly quiet spot now - but I have seen several cars stranded in the middle of the ford, which is much deeper than it looks.  Some sat-navs apparently direct people along this road and some idiots obviously leave their reasoning faculties at home and drive along, ignoring the signs that say 'Unsuitable for Motors'.  The man who lives in the farmhouse has a pair of thigh-high waders, as it is a fairly regular occurrence that he has to rescue people from the beck!

For more Sunday bridges, please visit Louis La Vache's blog.

May I also say a huge thank you to those people who responded to my 'big ask' yesterday for votes for the Photography Competition I've entered.  What lovely, encouraging people you are.  I'll let you know what happens....  If you missed it, please go back and have a look.

Quackers

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This is my 500th post!  500 - I must be quackers!  But no... it is an unending joy in so many ways.  Going out and taking photos is always fun and sometimes leads me to feeling really blissed out.  (Do you know that feeling?  It's amazement at the beautiful, exciting world we live in; sheer pleasure that I can be out in it and notice its detail - the colours, the shapes, the light and shadow, the history, the humour, the places, the people.)  And then starting to write a post and finding out what I'm going to put - it often takes me by surprise!  And then seeing it all come together (well, at least in my view!) and publishing it.  And then the fun of reading all your wonderful comments - so encouraging, often wise, often witty.  And the equal pleasure of reading all your blogs - the old friends that I know will make me smile, teach me something new,  thrill me with stunning photographs and make me stop and think... and the excitement of discovering new friends too, all with different ways of looking at the world. Quackers?  No, I don't think so.

A bridge too far

I was thinking that I've never added a picture to Louis la Vache's 'Sunday Bridges' before - and then thinking that's probably because I don't have that many pictures of bridges - and then thinking that's probably because there aren't many bridges round here... and those that exist are singularly boring and uninspiring.  This footbridge in itself is nothing much.  Kind of standard issue "we need a cheap, functional way of getting from one side of this river/canal/road/ravine to the other" stuff.  There are no doubt many others constructed to an identical design, all over the UK.  This one is called Buck Mill Bridge, crossing the River Aire near Tong Park, Baildon on the path to Buck Woods.  What I did like about it this particular day was the shadows and the way it seems to go on forever.  An 'Alice in Wonderland' kind of bridge!

To see more bridges from around the world, please click here.

Hirst Weir

 
We've stopped at this spot - Hirst Weir, just outside Saltaire - before (see 4 December) but it looks much more benign on a summer's day, and the water level is currently not that high. Nevertheless the River Aire still rushes over the weir. There was once a corn mill here, dating back to the 17th century, and power was supplied by a water wheel. The mill was rebuilt in the 19th century and became a paper mill. It is now a private residence.

Talking of water, the Leeds-Liverpool Canal has been reopened again after being closed for nearly two months due to low water levels (see here and here).

Brontë Falls

About halfway between Top Withens and Haworth the path passes through this little valley, past the Brontë Waterfall. Referred to by the Brontës themselves as 'the meeting of the waters', it is usually quite a tranquil spot. But when heavy rain has soaked the surrounding peat moorland, huge torrents can pour down the stream. One cloudburst swept away the old stone footbridge, which has now been replaced by a replica.

"We set off, not intending to go far; but though wild and cloudy it was fine in the morning; when we got about half-a-mile on the moors, Arthur suggested the idea of the waterfall; after the melted snow, he said it would be fine. I had often wished to see it in its winter power, so we walked on. It was fine indeed; a perfect torrent racing over the rocks, white and beautiful!"

Charlotte Brontë, 29 November, 1854

The surrounding moorland seems very wild and isolated these days but at one time there were many dwellings around the Falls and the moors were dotted with farmhouses and weavers' cottages. There are many 'erratics' - large boulders that litter the moors, brought down here from the Dales and the Lake District by glaciers in the Ice Age. These were crushed and burned in kilns to make lime to fertilise the acidic moorland. The moors were also mined for coal until the coming of the railway in 1867 meant it was cheaper to bring in coal from the bigger mines further south. So these moors were a hive of activity, with many people living and working in the area.

Bolton Abbey

This is a clearer view of Bolton Abbey ruins, the Priory Church and its graveyard (where, incidentally, the famous Yorkshire & English cricketer Fred Trueman is buried.) Nestled into a bend in the River Wharfe, it is an idyllic spot, beloved by locals and tourists alike. The Bolton estate around it has miles of lovely walks along the river banks and through ancient woods. There are several famous beauty spots including the Strid, a point where the generally broad river suddenly narrows and rushes through a steep chasm among the rocks.

PS: History note - the abbeys and monasteries all over England were deliberately dissolved, by King Henry 8th around 1536 - the English Reformation - when he made himself 'Supreme Head of the Church of England' and split from Papal authority. (In part because he wanted his marriage annulled, which the Catholic church would not allow). Once disbanded, the buildings fell into neglect and much of the stone was stolen and used for other buildings. That's why we have so many ruined abbeys in England.

River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey

Another contender for Weekend Reflections .... I do love reflections and this is a particularly peaceful image.

Actually, it's a very popular tourist spot and the footbridge and the adjacent stepping stones can sometimes hold a continuous stream of people crossing from one bank of the River Wharfe to the other. But I managed to catch a moment when all was quiet. It's a magical and, I think, very 'English' scene, especially when the cows wander down to drink in the river. When I was there last weekend, the water level in the river was quite low, but it can be deceptive and parts of the river have deep pools and nasty currents. A child sadly drowned here last year.

Happily, nothing spoilt the fun on Saturday and there were lots of families out picnicking, paddling and sampling delicious Yorkshire Dales ice-cream.

Stepping out

It's Weekend Reflections time again, hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo. And here is an intrepid family crossing the river at Bolton Abbey via the stepping stones. Me...? I used the footbridge!

Bolton Abbey is a famous beauty spot (about 20 miles north of Saltaire) at the southern end of the Yorkshire Dales, where the River Wharfe winds its way through meadows and woods belonging to the estate of the Duke of Devonshire. The Abbey ruins are the remains of a priory (small monastery) founded in 1151. When the monasteries were dissolved by King Henry 8th, the nave of the priory was allowed to continue as a parish church, so you have the interesting situation where there is a small but active local church (which, incidentally, is really beautiful inside) within the imposing ruined abbey.

Saltaire's New Mill

The New Mill, Saltaire.... looking quite old in this photo. It's rare that you get such a perfect reflection in the River Aire at the top of the weir, so I wanted to take the picture. But it was a really dull day yesterday (I'm on holiday so it's raining, natch!) so a sepia treatment seemed like a good option.

This Mill was an addition to the main Salts Mill, completed some 15 years later in 1868 (which was, incidentally, the same year that the last houses in Saltaire were finished). Sir Titus Salt had it built as an extra spinning mill, to make use of excess steam power and to produce even more yarn for his busy weaving department in the main mill. It was built on the site of the original Dixon's corn mill, which existed when Sir Titus bought the land in order to relocate his textile business out of Bradford to a healthier, cleaner site. A mill weir was already there, but it was replaced in 1871 by the one you now see.

I had another photo of the Mill from this side in my blog on 29 June last year and you can click the 'New Mill' label below for more photos of this building from different aspects. It is notable for its splendid tower, a copy of a Venetian campanile. The New Mill is now converted to offices, occupied by the Bradford District NHS Care Trust.

Hirst Farm

As I said in yesterday's post, there was at one time a lock keeper's cottage and a farm at Hirst Lock, just outside Saltaire. The buildings have disappeared but I have this old photo (courtesy of Dorothy Burrows) which shows the farm as it used to be. Apparently in the early part of the 20th century Hirst Farm was a popular weekend destination for families, offering horse rides, home-made ice cream and a café.

The River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at this spot run alongside each other and there has been a mill here since the 1700s, using the river to turn its water wheel to power the machinery. The mill was originally a corn mill but later made paper. It was rebuilt in the 19th century and has now been converted into flats (see this link for a photo). There are other cottages and houses in the hamlet, built in the 1860s, which still stand, though they too have had various conversions and additions.

A sign of the times

Saltaire's Boathouse Inn, shown yesterday, is sandwiched between the Leeds- Liverpool Canal and the River Aire. Its entrance is just alongside the entrance to Roberts Park, and sports this rather attractive sign.

You can see some wonderful photographs, taken throughout its history, on the Saltaire Village Website and in the Francis Frith Collection. The building did actually start life as a boathouse. In Victorian times, the river seems to have been quite a bit wider and deeper at this spot and it had a large pleasure boat (steam-powered!), as well as rowing boats for hire. (I think it would be nice if they brought the boats back, since Roberts Park has been renovated.) Remember that Sir Titus Salt strongly disapproved of the demon drink and would not allow licensed premises in the village. I'm not sure when the boathouse was converted into a bar, but it was quite a while ago. Some things have changed!

The Boathouse Inn

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This is where the locals seem to hang out on a sunny summer evening - The Boathouse Inn, Saltaire, down by the River Aire overlooking Roberts Park. The terrace nicely catches the evening sunshine and it's a soothing and pleasant place to relax, looking out over the water, at the end of a busy day. (You may even be able to watch a cricket match on the opposite bank too!) I had another picture of it on my blog last year (see December 7), when I reported that it has recently been totally rebuilt following a fire. That must, in the end, have been a blessing in disguise because the revamped bar-restaurant is clearly doing a good trade. For a foodie review, see another great Saltaire blog - them apples. I must mention (mainly for Alan's benefit... the writer of the Great Yorkshire Pubs blog has to be interested in the ale...) that it has on tap, among other things, the local Saltaire Brewery's Saltaire Blonde, which I'm told is excellent.

(Umm, I wonder if I should have cropped this and removed the sky? I wanted to show the church tower just peeping through - but that puts the roofline of the pub right in the midline of the picture...)

Grey Heron

The river Aire, which runs through Saltaire, has two weirs within the space of about half a mile. One is right beside Saltaire's New Mill; the other is upstream at Hirst Wood. Almost always when I have passed, I have seen a grey heron standing or paddling about in the flow of the weir. I'm not sure if each weir has its own heron, or whether the same bird flies between the two. Either way, it/they are not really scared by human company. They will come quite close to the bank even when I'm standing there, and they only get jumpy if I move quickly. One of the largest birds resident in the UK, they are a common but still spectacular sight. I love to see them fly overhead, when they tuck in their necks and fly with a lazy, floppy wingbeat that is very distinctive. They nest in trees, in large and untidy nests, often in a community or heronry alongside others. I'm not sure whether Saltaire's herons are breeding birds, as I haven't noticed a local nest. But that may be me being unobservant...

I'm back!

Well, I'm back! (If you didn't miss me all last week, it's because of Blogger's auto-publishing feature, ensuring a photo a day got posted in absentia. I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone else's posts that I've missed.)

I have been walking the Northumberland Coastal Path with a group of friends. It's been a great week, with fantastic weather, ideal for walking - cool but mostly bright and not a drop of rain. The scenery in Northumberland is stunning and the walking was good. The walk was about 55 miles in total over 5 days - not too demanding, and I survived without blisters, so that was a relief. Even though it's nowhere near Saltaire (it's something like 130 miles north), I shall post a few photos, just because Northumberland is such a lovely part of England and many people aren't familiar with it.

We started our walk in Berwick upon Tweed, which is an ancient port and fortified town, right on the border of Scotland and England. It has inevitably had a turbulent history, but is now a peaceful old place, surrounded by magnificent thick walls and with plenty to explore. My first photo shows the old houses on the Quay Walls. Berwick sits on the north shore of the River Tweed and has three bridges - the oldest, shown above, was built in 1624 to replace an earlier wooden bridge. We enjoyed a lovely evening meal at 1 Sallyport. Sadly we weren't staying there, but at the Castle Hotel which doesn't seem to have changed much since LS Lowry, the artist, stayed there!