- 01 A WINTER WALK | Barriers at a ford
This set of photographs was made whilst walking a familiar route in January 2018: the captions date from January 2021. Shot in black and white, the series begins at a ford across a burn flowing through an undulating but steadily rising landscape of fields and woodland. Here, three wooden barriers are suspended across the stream to restrict livestock to their fields whilst allowing free flows of floodwater.
- 02 A WINTER WALK | Climbing the valley side
The road gains height and disappears around this oak as it leads to the ridge beyond. In recent times several overhanging branches have been cut back. We take trees like this for granted and can feel that they have always have been and always will be there. Others like this on the walk have gone in my time, their passing marked by substantial decaying stumps.
- 03 A WINTER WALK | Oak tree canopy detail
Clear skies and almost horizontal sunlight silhouette and illuminate upper branches. The hedgerows on this side of the road offer brambles and elderberries for jam making in August and September.
- 04 A WINTER WALK | Hedgerow and two field gates
A hedgerow meets two field gates, one a traditional five-barred timber design and the other of seven bars cut from more durable galvanised steel.
- 05 A WINTER WALK | A trackway leading to fields
A young tree plantation follows the line of this grassed-over track to open fields beyond.
- 06 A WINTER WALK | Landscape view with a building and trees
A freshly tilled field fronts a small stone building and enclosure set against an open landscape. The curve of the field boundary, the linear markings created by the machinery and the drifting clouds all appealed.
- 07 A WINTER WALK | A stone and timber hemmel – an animal shelter and fodder store
The dialect Northumbrian is one attribution for the term ‘hemmel’ which defines it as a small building in the landscape sheltering cattle and hay. A small number of alpaca are resident.
- 08 A WINTER WALK | The hemmel in its setting
When I took these photographs the slated roof had been reconstructed but nothing had been done to the rest of the building. Part of the enclosure wall had been demolished but is now rebuilt. The prevailing westerly wind has shaped the distant hedgerow tree.
- 09 A WINTER WALK | Structural detail
Here, I wanted more detail of the shapes, patterns and textures of the stone and timber. The slates and ridge tiles seem in fine order after some careful reconstruction.
- 10 A WINTER WALK | Decaying timber façade
The bleached planking has decayed from the ground and part has been removed as the rebuild continued. Placing the sturdy uprights of the supporting structure on stone foundation blocks has preserved them. Little is left in the interior of this larger section of the barn. A wood batten hay rack runs the length of the rear wall.
- 11 A WINTER WALK | Interior perspective with hay rack
This looks towards a decaying partition wall backing a manger. The floor has been scraped clean to expose its hard surface. The strip of grass to the left reminds me that on earlier visits the yard was sometimes bright with tall green stinging nettles in summer followed by their light brown winter skeletons.
- 12 A WINTER WALK | Manger and interior detail
The manger trough is self-evident but I’m not sure about the function of the two curving ladder-like objects laid above. The hinged wood panel to the top left enabled hay and feedstuffs to be passed though from the store behind. . I made several versions of this composition and had intended to return to add more of the building but failed before rebuilding was complete and ‘no footpath’ signs appeared. It’s good that it has been restored to use.
- 13 A WINTER WALK | Chestnut bole bark and a drift of dried winter leaves
These chestnut leaves remained crisp and finely detailed well through what had been a mild and dry winter.
- 14 A WINTER WALK | Barn and trees
Further on, this rather fine stone and timber barn had shown growing signs of neglect and decay for some time. Cast iron guttering had fallen following failure of its brackets. Slipping slates had let rain start wood rot on some rafter ends and planks had detached from one of the gables: the main doors had gone.
- 15 A WINTER WALK | Barn perspective
This much larger and more robust structure was also home to a small alpaca flock Renovations have been completed on the timber structure, the roof slating checked but the gutters are still missing. Outside, the boundary wall has been crisply rebuilt and the encroaching bushes and climbing ivy removed.
- 16 A WINTER WALK | Side elevation
I liked the contrast in the dressed stone of the barn and the sharper but more varied block forms in the then unkempt wall. In its once fresh white paint the building must have been a spectacular landscape element.
- 17 A WINTER WALK | Field gate and trees
The formality of this composition appealed. My walk had less than a mile left until I planned to turn for home. It had been pleasant walking weather through slanting winter sun giving good lighting. I sometimes use a tripod but prefer to work without one wherever possible. The camera was hand held for these images but using available supports as substitute.
- 18 A WINTER WALK | | A colliery spoil heap and trees
This was to be the return point on this particular walk. A modest grassed mound of colliery spoil is only the only significant remains from a number of small collieries active within a couple of miles. Scant records are available but there are suggestions that activity here was from around 1880 to 1915. Perhaps the coal was only sold to local people and that the miners were few.