Missing delivery

The forecast was for a cold morning with high possibility of frost and mists.
Mists are my Holy Grail so of course I was out early on Thursday morning rubbing my hands in anticipation.
There was frost on the car windscreen, and a few wisps of mist driving along the Military Road, but as I climbed up to Hotbank Crag and the vista opened out below me I realised that mist wasn't going to be a feature of this particular morning.
Obviously, the delivery of mist to Hadrian's Wall, had gone astray.
Lots of colour in the early sky, I'd had a very early start, I'd dropped TT off at work for 4.30 so I had plenty of time to stop and stare on my way uphill, and to get my breath back it was one of those mornings when I puffed and panted every step of the way.
And it was perishing cold up on the Hadrian's Wall Path, a reminder that Autumn has started and I was glad to have my hat and gloves, also glad no-one was around the see me in  my hat!

So here are the photographs.

Waiting for the sun to rise on the Hadrian's Wall Path at Hotbank Crag

Follow the line of Hadrian's Wall as it heads down Hotbank Crag, passes Housesteads Crag and swings left to climb Sewingshields Crag

Early morning light turns the water of Broomlee Lough into liquid gold

Just minutes later and the colours have changed as more light fills the sky, how quickly things change.

The sun breaks through the low cloud and just catches the stones of Hadrian's Wall

On the way down and one last glance back across Rapishaw Gap to Housesteads Crag

in the early morning light.

This morning the grey clouds are back, I was hoping for better from September, still it's early days and no matter what the weather there's always something to see on the Hadrian's Wall Path. Yesterday morning I was entertained by flocks of Pippits dancing along the Wall stones.

As I passed Cawfields Quarry I saw the missing mist delivery but hadn't time to go and check it out.

Have a good weekend.

as always the photographs are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and can't be used without written permission

To the heights

Well when the alarm went off at 3.25 and I looked out of the window I could see mists over Walltown Crags.
Today's destination was Winshields Crag, the highest point on the Hadrian's Wall Path at 1132 ft, strangely enough it's not a particularly strenuous climb and it has some magnificent views in all directions.
I always think it's a shame that so many people walking the Wall from East to West are so 'heads down let's get this over with' that they forget to turn around every now and again and enjoy the scenery.
Masses of mist at Cawfields yet when I got to Steel Rigg there was just a tiny wisp on Crag Lough.

Dawn at Steel Rigg

I headed up the footpath on Winshields Crag, it's been kept cropped by walkers and of course the ever present sheep so it's a nice surface to walk on. It's also dry, going through the longer hay fields, full of dew soaks the feet.



Heading up Winshields Crag

At the top there's a trig point, it's badly in need of a coat of paint but I suppose trig points are obsolete now with satellite mapping and GPS.

The mists over Sewingshields Crag were pretty impressive, the smaller hill on the right of the picture is Kings Hill where I blogged from last.

Morning mists over Sewingshields Crag

The sun started to come up way to the north of my position and with it came mists from Greenlee Lough, a nature reserve maintained by Northumberland National Parks Authority.

I've heard that on Sunday there was an Osprey fishing on the Lough, I don't know if it's a regular visitor or just passing through but I shall be going there hoping to see the bird in action.

Greenlee Lough hidden by mists

Another morning of bright light with next to no cloud to diffuse the sun, it seems I can't get enough of those rays though.

I'm using the new Nikon D7000 for these shots, it's a very suprising camera, the exposure is awesome and I'm finding that I don't need to use my ND Grad filters at all. I was waiting for the D300s upgrade but then of course the earthquake in Japan threw all plans out of the window and I decided to buy the D7000 in the interim.

If this is anything to go by the D300s replacement will be amazing.

View from the top of Winshields Crag to the east over Crag Lough

And another of those 'Golden Hour' shots to finish off with.

 From Winshields Crag

On the wooden fence next to the trig point is a small brass plaque in memory of a young man called Darryl

(Daz to his friends) who died fighting in Afghanistan aged 26 so today's blog is dedicated to him.

as always the photo's here are copyright of Joan Thirlaway and can't be used without written permission.

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.

13 02 11: Hadrian's Wall

Some mornings you get mist on Hadrian's Wall, and I admit, I love misty mornings.
But, just occasionally, there's too much mist.

View east from Housesteads to Sewingshields Crag

I'd gone up to Housesteads Fort hoping for a lovely sunrise and certainly the sky looked promising.

I took just this one photograph and then the mist closed in completely, blanking everything out, so I walked back down the hill to the carpark and headed back to Gilsland.

View east from Birdoswald, on a clear day you can see Walltown Crags from here.

The mists weren't quite as think as I headed west, so I carried on upto Birdoswald and caught Hadrian's Wall, and Michael Baxter's sheep, as the sun was breaking through.

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