Northumbria
23/24-February 2019
If you have been following this web site for any length of time you will probably have realised that I head North to work about this time every year.
Depending on the weather forecast I usually try to get some pictures along the way on the East Coast or the Lake District.
This time the forecast favoured the East and I knew the scaffolding had been removed from Lindisfarne Castle so I stopped for dawn at Howick then aimed for Holy Island.
When I got there I was in for an unholy surprise.
I have ranted before about the National Trust so you might already know I have my issues with them but this was very disappointing.
After paying the exorbitant fees for a few hours parking, I walked down to the harbour to find it sanitised of all character. Tidied up to within an inch of it’s life and a total waste of time as far as photography was concerned. I got this uninspiring shot of the castle but there was nothing in the harbour area even worth pointing a camera at.
I understand these places need maintenance but all at the same time??
What you end up with is a homogenised eyesore that is completely at odds with the organic development of places like this that is central to their character.
I am very surprised that any conservation officer, worthy of the title, allows them to get away with it. I think it will be many years before I will visit this place again.
Fortunately I had another location to look at, Duddo Five Stones and following the success of the Castlerigg Circle of Fire shot I took back in 2016, I thought I would see if this smaller circle offered any similar possibilities.
It had a nice clear horizon which was promising although not as dramatic a background.
Light pollution from Berwick was a bit of an issue on the side with the best aspect but at least I had a brief patch of clear sky which I could stack with the image..
Dawn found me at Bamburgh again but this time prepared for a shot I had been considering for a couple of years.
After a pre dawn shot from the North I moved dow the beach with a bucket and spade in hand to create this simple shot.