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A couple days after my visit to Trinity College I did some more exploring around Dublin, starting off at Christ Church Cathedral. A decade ago I visited St Patrick’s Cathedral, so it was great to compare the two and I wasn’t disappointed - so many wonderful lines and details to photograph.
A vertiginous view of the Cathedral’s vaulting.
Photos taken 23 October 2023
When I knew I’d be visiting Dublin this autumn there was one place in particular I wanted to return to - the Long Room at Trinity College. On my last visit I took a handful of photos here but it was very dark and very busy with tourists so I never really felt I got the best from this iconic library. On this occasion there were still many tourists, but I had more time and was able to work around them.
The low light levels were still a challenge, but I went armed with my fastest lenses, even if I couldn’t use a tripod. I’m sure this glorious library still has more to offer, photographically speaking, but I feel I’ve made a step in the right direction.
Historically all the busts in the Long Room have featured men, but recently they’ve been joined by four women, including the noted chemist Rosalind Franklin.
Photos taken 20 October 2023
I love visiting the beautiful redundant churches cared for by the Friends of the Friendless Churches, but on occasion it does take some persistence! Finding St Cadoc's in Llangattock-Vibon-Avel, near Monmouth, proved to be a serious challenge. It’s hidden away down a long drive, from where you park in a field of sheep and then have to walk through yet another field before you even reach the churchyard!
My first attempt to find St Cadoc’s failed, but once I’d backtracked to a place with a phone signal to check the exact location I finally made it and it was worth the effort!
Arches everywhere. Click on any image to see it enlarged.
I’m always fascinated by church vestries, with the detritus of church life left lying around.
Charles Rolls (of Rolls Royce fame) was a local boy and I found his grave in the churchyard, as well as a family memorial inside the church.
One of the locals was eyeing me up as I returned to my car!
Photos taken 14 September 2023
Every so often I feel the need for some slow photography - my cue to get a pinhole camera out and find a suitable location for some low-tech imagery. Back in August I decided to follow my nose and ended up at Debden Church.
I had a few frames to finish off with my 6x9 camera so I used these in and around the churchyard, before heading inside to take some square format photos with my 6x6 camera.
A ghostly self portrait in the church porch.
The view of the chancel
Click on any image to see it enlarged.
A final glimpse of the porch before I set off for home.
Photos taken 4 August 2023
For the last fifteen years I’ve had a the pleasure of teaching at Dillington House in Somerset. Sadly it was announced earlier this year that 49 years of history would come to an end and the house is being handed back to its owners. While I was there for my final course in May I took the opportunity to capture a few photos of this wonderful place - I shall miss it terribly.
Every so often I get the opportunity to visit an unfamiliar Cathedral, although I’ve been to so many this happens less frequently these days. Back in July my work took me to the midlands so this was the excuse I needed to visit Lichfield Cathedral for the first time.
Things began rather inauspiciously. As I walked towards the Cathedral I realised they’d erected a swathe of scaffolding around the spire. Not a wonderful sight, but it was raining and the skies were leaden so my chances of taking beautiful photos of the exterior were always going to be limited. As I walked towards the west door I was met by the Dean - what a lovely welcome. Sadly not - he was there to greet an incoming funeral! Although I was invited to sit and admire the nave during the service I politely declined and went in search of a cuppa.
An hour later I returned. The funeral party had departed and I pretty much had Lichfield Cathedral to myself - that’s exactly what I had hoped for! I spent a couple of hours exploring every corner of the building, looking sweeping architectural shots and smaller details too.
In the choir I sat quietly on a step, aiming my camera beneath the rope which closed the area off to the public. One of the vergers spotted me and asked if I’d like to go inside - an offer I wasn’t going to turn down! This is the photo I was taking at the time, but being allowed inside the choir gave me opportunities I’d otherwise have missed and I was grateful for the verger’s kindness.
Behind the high altar I discovered this wonderful crown hanging from the vaulting. I suspect the candles are electric rather than wax, but that doesn’t detract from the design.
The beautiful arched stained glass window in the north transept.
And yet more arches from around the Cathedral…
Photos taken 18 July 2023
I had a day to myself during my last visit to Wales so I decided it was time I visited the castle I’ve seen high on the hillside from the motorway many times. Castell Coch (the red castle) was built by the third Marquess of Bute between 1875 and 1879, although it takes in the remnants of a much older building.
It may have been intended as a family retreat for the summer months, but the Marquess spared no expense on creating lavish interiors which I really enjoyed photographing.
I’m always drawn to interesting light and there was no shortage of that inside Castell Coch…
Photos taken 11 June 2023
For four years I trundled past Battersea Power Station on the train as I travelled between the south coast and the music college where I was studying. It was a very sad sight - a weather beaten shell beside the River Thames, and any number of projects had been dreamt up to reuse it the discarded.
Thirty years later this beautiful structure has finally found a new use - a mix of shopping and flats - and has been restored to its former glory.
When my Dad and I met up in London in June we visited Battersea to see it close up and to ride in the lift which has been built into one of the huge cooling towers.
Travelling up through the tower towards the sky
From the top of the tower the views across London were amazing - even now I keep spotting new landmarks. Click on any image to see it enlarged.
The many railway lines leading into Victoria Station.
Looking east towards the City of London.
Photos taken 6 June 2023
Way back in April I popped into Boxgrove Priory while I was down in Sussex. At the time I was preparing for my smartphone photography workshop so while I was there I snapped a few pics on my iPhone. I never got round to doing anything with them at the time and had forgotten all about them until I rediscovered them a few days ago - what a lovely find!
Photos taken 17 April 2023
One of our days out during our Scottish holiday featured a very curious combination of destinations. We began at the delightful fishing village of Pittenweem, on the Fife coast.
After a stroll through the village we ended up at the harbour where we found a plethora of colourful fishing boats. Chatting to one of the locals we learnt that the iron structure pointing out from the top of the harbour building a winch which is used to fill the boats with ice to keep the catch cold.
As we stood on the harbour wall, a trawler returned to harbour, followed by a flock of gulls.
Click on any image to see it enlarged.
One of the local inhabitants.
After a tasty fish and chip lunch we headed back out into the Scottish countryside and found a flock of sheep who were intrigued by our presence!
During our drive to Pittenweem that morning we’d noticed a tourist sign announcing ‘Scotland’s Secret Bunker’ (not so secret now!) which piqued our interest so we headed there to investigate. This unassuming house was the access point for a bunker where the government would have kept track of nuclear radiation over this area of Scotland and helped keep what was left of the country running in the event of a nuclear attack during the Cold War.
There were a number of these scattered around the UK and we’ve visited the one at Kelvedon Hatch (not far from our home) in Essex before so it was interesting to compare them. Like its Essex counterpart, the Scottish bunker is accessed via a long corridor and some stairs, leading you deep beneath the surface.
As we explored the building we saw the different activities which would have taken place there, from monitoring the weather and wind (to see which way the nuclear fallout would have travelled) to keeping the core functions of government going.
Because staff would have lived here for many months the bunker also has dormitories, a chapel and a canteen.
Rather unexpectedly we learnt the bunker is home to two cats these days - no doubt tasked with keeping the mice under control. One of them, called Cleo, obligingly posed for a photo. Of course, the cat flap is a more recent addition - it certainly wouldn’t have been up to the task of keeping out the nuclear radiation!
Many of the spaces were decorated to give a sense that the staff had just popped away for a moment. These human details and the dramatic lighting made these places quite eerie.
Telephone switchboards and weather monitoring. One of the tools that would have been used to learn more about a nuclear attack was a giant pinhole camera positioned on the surface. In the event of a nuclear blast someone would have been sent above ground to unload the photographic paper from the camera and then develop it. The image of the explosion would then have shown the direction and size of the explosion. Fortunately none of these plans were ever needed but it’s a fascinating glimpse back at this period of history and how government would have continued if the worst had happened.
The station doctor has evidently been here a very long time!
Photos taken 28 April 2023.
