The other Golden Hour

As I said yesterday we get two bites at the 'golden hour' cherry.
Today's Blog has pictures taken up on Kings Hill at sunrise.
Kings Hill is between Housesteads Crag and Sewingshields Crag, kit's a fair old hike but, I hope, worthwhile.
When I set out there was no mist about, I thought conditions were right but when I arrived at Kings Hill there were just a few wisps rising from Broomlee Lough over the top of Sewingshields.

 Mist starts to rise from Broomlee Lough and drift across the peak of Sewingshields Crag

I was suprised at the position of the rising sun, in my mind I see Hadrian's Wall running east to west in a straight line but, common sense tells me that's not the case.

I do have a great programme the Photographer's Ephemeris which will show you exactly where the sun, sunrise, sunset or moonrise is at any point of time. Very useful I find.

As the sun started to rise it get very cold, I could see the breath of the Aberdeen Angus cattle keeping me company with their version of the dawn chorus.

Mist increased and it was a constant battle to keep my ND grad filter clear, it's always the same you wait around for ages not doing much and then it's a mad rush to capture images before the moment passes.

My head swivels about checking to see what's happening around me.

Sewingshields Crag

 

Light changes quickly and I zoom in and out trying to find the best composition.

 

 

Leaning across a low point on Hadrian's Wall I catch the sun and the line of the Wall.



Please do not climb on or over Hadrian's Wall, I know it's tempting but it can loosen the stones damaging the Wall and you might fall, one visitor was killed when he stepped back on the Wall at Birdoswald, and fell hitting his head.
I rush back and forwards trying, not always successfully, to stay upright

The Hadrian's Wall Path isn't even and stray bits of rock peak through the grass catching the unwary toe now and again.

Like Excalibur the camera is held aloft while I take the bruises.

The view west along the line of Hadrian's Wall

Couple of years ago I was on Kings Hill at the same time of year. Then the mists were wreathed through the gaps in the crags all the way to Winshields Crag and with the rising early morning sun catching the mist it made a beautiful sight.

I've been hopoing to retake something like that shot but not on this occasion.

The Golden Hour, looking SE from Kings Hill

As I've said in the past I'm useless with Photoshop and try not to do anything other than levels, contrast and sharpening on my photographs (and sometimes I forget the sharpen bit of the process) So colours are as the camera recorded them. I thought this shot was a good example of why it was called The Golden Hour.

Hadrian's Wall as it heads down from Kings Hill and heads up to Sewingshields Crag

I came down to the Pennine Way stile that crosses the Haddrian's Wall Path at this point, making my way up onto the other side of the Wall just for a change of view.

It's a bit of a mad scramble but I hoped it would be worth it. Mother Nature had other plans and hid the sun behind a generous bank of cloud so my efforts came to nothing on this occasion.

Never mind there's always another day.

Thanks for getting this far

As always the pictures are copyright and cannot be used with my written permission.

Kings Hill on Hadrian's Wall

This Easter holiday has been lovely, perfect weather  and I've spent much of it gardening.
I try to get a walk in before the sun sets and, accompanied by TT , I went off to climb up to King's Hill.
It's a fair old hike up a steep hill from Moss Kennels and then another climb if you want to continue up to Sewingshields Crag but I like the views there.

From King's Hill it's another climb up to Sewingshields Crag, the stile takes you onto the Pennine Way

Kings Hill is named for King Arthur, (yes of course he was a Northumbrian :) and to the left of Sewingshields Crag in the picture you have Kings Crag and Queens Crag, it's an area steeped in history and there are all sorts of interesting things listed on this site Keys to the Past most historical remains are marked on the OS maps.

As the sun was setting it became hazy but you can follow the line of Hadrian's Wall as it winds its way along the edge of the various Crags

TT not only carries the tripod when he comes out with me, he sometimes agrees to pose, adding scale to the picture, here he's standing on the lower slopes of King's Hill with Clew Hill and Kennel Crags to the west.

Sun is setting over Broomlee Lough and dusk falls over Hadrian's Wall, the sheep and lambs just wouldn't move into my picture no matter how much I tried to cajole them.

N.B. Tonight we walked through the Irthing Gorge and I was suprised to see that bluebells are starting to bloom already, that's 3 weeks earlier than normal so I'll be checking our other local woods and should have some pictures of Britain's favourite flower to share with you in the next few days hopefully.

As always, the photographs used in this Blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission.

http://www.joanthirlaway.co.uk/

Sewingshields Crag: Hadrian's Wall

Travelling west to east the last of the high crags is Sewingshields Crag.
Not easy to photograph and get the scale right, it looks like a gentle incline but it's deceptive.
Early in the morning mists rise off Broomlee Lough to the north of Hadrian's Wall drifting lazily across the peak of Sewingshields, sometime completely blocking it from view.

On the morning these photographs were taken it was a gentle wisp of mist that went as quickly as it arrived.

The stile crossing Hadrian's Wall takes you onto the Pennine Way and up into the Wark Forest.

From East to West as you come down from Sewingshields Crag you get lovely views along the line of the Crags, it reminds me of a sleeping dragon, with spines and Winshield Crag is the head, fanciful I know.

The view west from Kings Hill, see the sheep in a line along the bottom of the slope.

The land around the Wall is all lumps and bumps, who knows what history lies beneath them, I often check the mole hills hoping for a sliver of pottery but have never been lucky enough to find anything.

The June sunrise catchess the undulations of the Hadrian's Wall landscape.

On this section of the Wall it would appear to be a single skin but with the side light you can see the foundation area of the original Wall.

Once the Roman's left the Wall was seen as a good supply of dressed stone for local buildings and field walls.

As you pass Sewingshields Farm take notice of the exquisite stone building that was the outdoor privy.

As I said in the opening passage it's difficult to portray just how high this bit of land is so I bring you a shot to the south with views across the lower lying land with the Military Road and Vallum below.

View south from Kings Hill on Hadrian's Wall

I had my alarm set this morning, hoping to get out for a sunrise but we still have the gale force winds and sleet so I shall have to wait a while longer to bring you up to the minute photographs.

Please click on the pictures if you'd like to see them at a larger size

all pictures on this Blog are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and cannot be used without written permission.