Steve Gledhill's Cotswold Way Blog

Was it worth it ... ?

2009-11-22T15:12:00.010Z

The walking is over, as is the photography. And it’s taken less elapsed time than I imagined when I set out. I had no target by when I wanted to have completed the walk but was sure it would take me a year. So, just less than 6 months later I feel a real sense of achievement. In fact of several achievements. Firstly, I didn’t give up the project part way through. I had wondered whether I’d have the determination to see it through to the end. Secondly, I managed to find at least one black and white photograph for every day I spent walking. It was touch and go, particularly as I neared the end, but I managed a full house even though some made it by a very narrow margin. Thirdly, I walked 204 miles carrying my 35lb camera backpack – who is it who said that the way to eat an elephant is one mouthful at a time? This was done a few miles at a time.

A few statistics for the record:

204 miles over 23 days of walking – 8.8 miles per day – ranging from 4 to 14.
23 days of walking over 24 weeks – averaged 1 walk per week.
Average of 7 hours per day walking – averaged 1.25 mph (including all stops).
Exposed 113 B&W negatives – 4.9 per day.
53 B&W images published in the blog – 2.3 per day.
Exposed 1133 colour digi-snaps – 49 per day.
60 colour digi-snaps published in the blog – 2.6 per day.
1500 miles driving – an average of about 65 miles per day.

Apart from the physical achievement I’ve concluded a couple things photography related:

It’s not easy to have the need to walk and cover distance allied with the aim of finding good things to photograph. Too many times I found myself concentrating on the act of walking and paying little or no attention at all to what might be good subject matter to photograph. Over the years I’ve concluded that I do my best photography when there is no rush and no other distraction. I like time to contemplate a scene and allow potential images to develop as I spend time at a place. This is precisely not what happens when walking with a self imposed need to cover some miles.
My photo backpack is far too heavy for my poor knees to carry for more than relatively short distances. After every day’s walk I suffered discomfort and stiffness for 24 hours. Without the weight I can walk without problems or aftereffects for twice the distance I can with my back pack. I speculated earlier that I might do this walk all over again, starting immediately, so that I had the chance of walking and photographing in the winter and spring. I’ve abandoned that idea.

So how do I reconcile these two most enjoyable things – the walking and the photography? In future I’ll continue to walk regularly but without my large format camera. When I’m walking I’ll concentrate on the pleasures of walking and carry a lightweight day pack and a small digital camera for when the need arises. My B&W photography with my large format camera will be restricted to specific projects and visits where I can drive with my camera to the vicinity of my intended subject. I don’t expect this in any way to diminish my B&W photography; indeed I already have a couple of projects in mind that may even increase my output whilst saving my knees.

Given my caveats and reservations above I must say that overall I’m very pleased with my B&W work though these three images really stand out for me.

Tyndale Monument from Stinchcombe Hill

Chandelier - St Peter's Church - Winchcombe

Bath Abbey - The Organ & North Transept

And as for the colour digi-snaps – I thought I’d only take a few for the record and show even less. But I was wrong there - I ended up taking 10 times as many as B&W pictures and publishing to my blog a similar number as in B&W. But there’s no chance of my making a change away from large format B&W. B&W is what I do and what I enjoy.

As for the blog, well that's been my device to ensure that I kept going. I set myself the target of always writing my blog and publishing my colour pictures on the same day as the walk and bar a couple of days I always achieved that. After a few entries it became a matter of not breaching my commitment and failing publicly to complete what I set out to do. My B&W pictures have always had to follow days or even a week or two behind as they first require me to develop the film sheets and then scan them then work on them in PhotoShop to achieve my intended rendering. I've no idea how many or how few people have seen this blog though I do know I have some followers. Whether or not I've written anything of interest is of no real consequence, except that I've thoroughly enjoyed the discipline of having to assemble my thoughts and commit them to 'paper'. I've started to understand why people keep a diary - it helps remember!

And yes, it was worth every minute.

#23: B&W Images: Outskirts of Bath - Bath Abbey (The End)

2009-11-21T14:07:00.000Z

Pulteney Bridge

The Royal Crescent

Fence & Trees

Bath Abbey - The Organ & North Transept

Bath Abbey - The Choir & Nave

Bath Abbey - Memorial Tablets

#23: Outskirts of Bath - Bath Abbey (The End)

2009-11-17T22:19:00.039Z

Bath Abbey - The End

Pulteney Bridge & Weir

The Royal Crescent

The Way Passes by a Church

Autumn Leaves

The Circus Windows & Leaves

Today marked the end of the walk and the end of a most enjoyable period of 6 months since I set out from Chipping Campden on 28th May. I left myself just a short walk for my final day as I wanted to spent time in Bath Abbey with my large format camera and black and white film. I spent over 3 hours there and took maybe a dozen pictures. It's a beautiful old building full of light. It was built on the site of the earlier Norman Cathedral and before that an Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church. The day was a gloriously sunny late autumn day with strong winds whipping away the last of this year's leaves from the trees. Bath itself is a wonderful old city - I think I agree with its claim to being the most beautiful in England. The harmonious mellow stone buildings are all built on a scale that is more human than in many other cities.

Once the final B&W images are done I'll round off my blog with a look back over the last six months. I did something similar at the half way stage but I now want to take stock of the whole project.

#22: B&W Images: Site of the Battle of Landsdown (1643) - Outskirts of Bath

2009-11-07T19:40:00.001Z

Racehorse Catcher - Bath Race Course

#21: B&W Images: Dyrham - Site of the Battle of Lansdown Hill (1643)

2009-11-07T19:36:00.000Z

Cold Aston Church

Soon After Sunrise

Cold Aston Pulpit

Misty Stubble Field Path

#22: Site of the Battle of Landsdown (1643) - Outskirts of Bath

2009-10-29T19:07:00.006Z

What to say about my worst day on the Cotswold Way? It was dull grey overcast sky for all of the walk. Whilst the southern third of the Cotswold Way is attractive and pleasant countryside, it is no match for the northern two thirds. I took no colour snaps and managed to find just one b&w photograph located on the edge of Bath Racecourse. I'll reserve judgement on that until I see the negative. If that turns out to be a dud then it will be the first stretch of the walk without a b&w to show for it.

However, my gloom was most likely to have been a reflection of the fact that I felt increasingly ill as I walked. It became a real struggle to make the last couple of miles back to my car. I completed what I set out to do but really I shouldn't have set out in the first place. One day later as I write this I feel fine - I attribute my ill feeling to what was probably a dodgey bowl of mussels eaten the evening before.

Notwithstanding the tribulations, I am now just two miles from the centre of Bath. So, one more day and I'll have completed my walk. I'm planning my last day to be a very short walk allowing most of the day to photograph in Bath. I've visited several times without my large format camera and I know there's a wealth material to consider photographing. Hopefully I'll end up with being able to post several b&w images from that day.

#21: Dyrham - Site of the Battle of Lansdown Hill (1643)

2009-10-21T19:20:00.015+01:00

Eastern Sky

Octabench

Not such a Pleasant Stretch

Yesterday I wrote that it would be next week before I got my next chance to walk. Most of that was down to commitments, but I was potentially free on the next day. I had looked at the weather forecast and seen almost unrelenting rain but yesterday evening I took another look and Wednesday's forecast had suddenly ameliorated and there was to be a dry interlude between 7am-ish and mid-evening. So I walked, and for walking the weather was perfect. The rain held off until 5 minutes before I got back to my car at 3:30 - but I won't sound off here about what I think of the accuracy of our forecasts.

There was a lot of rain yesterday and overnight and, just my luck, one stretch near Pennsylvania had been ploughed the day before. At least the farmer had marked the path across the field by flattening the route with his tractor wheels. By the time I'd made it the 1/4 mile across the field my boots were so heavy with the thick heavy clay mud I was really struggling to walk. I muttered to myself for a bit - then I got over it, forgetting for a while that I had to do the same again on my return later in the day. But I'm left wondering whether the hamlet of Pennsylvania in Gloucestershire is an unusual example of a place in the UK being named after a place in the USA?

A break in my walking schedule ...

2009-10-20T16:07:00.006+01:00

It's 12 days since my last walk along The Way and it looks as if it will be another week before I next get the chance. Frustrating, but my excuses are perfect - my mother-in-law fell and broke her hip then a few days later my mother fell and broke a toe. So, other things are keeping me occupied at present! There was to have been a break anyway as we were due to spend a week in Corsica but of course that was cancelled.

But last week I did manage to keep a long standing arrangement to visit London to photograph the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square. I took several pictures with which I am very pleased. Follow this link to see them on my website.

#20: B&W Images: Old Sodbury - Dyrham

2009-10-18T13:21:00.003+01:00

Coomb's End Clump

Tormarton Church Organ Pipes

Tormarton Church Yew Berried Tombs

#20: Old Sodbury - Dyrham

2009-10-08T20:14:00.016+01:00

Sheep & Strip Lynchets - Frenchpiece Wood

The Ceysell Brass - Tormarton Church

XXIII to Cirencester, XIII to Tetbury, X to Bath

Kissing Gate at Dawn

Mixed feelings about today's walk. Firstly, it was a most beautiful early morning with the sun rising on mist in the hollows and the first frost of the year was very welcome, photographically speaking. So, lots of potential photography to be had - but I was still in the car and didn't arrive at my start point until some of the best light had dissipated. Another lesson for me though it's not as if I don't know it. But I did find one lovely backlit group of trees which I photographed in b&w just in time. When I first saw the scene there were dozens of backlit woolly sheep which would have made the picture even more appealing - but after a couple of minutes of frantically setting up the tripod and camera, loading the film, metering the scene the sheep count on the ground glass was down to just two or three. I wish I could have done what Alfred Hitchcock did with "The Birds" - he's quoted as saying in response to a question about how did he get them to do what he wanted, he replied "I paid them well".

The Ceysell Brass in Tormarton Church is beautiful, but easily missed. It's hidden under the blue carpet to the left of the entance - slide the carpet to reveal all. I have a close up b&w photograph of the organ pipes in the church that I'm looking forward to seeing.

Once over the M4 motorway there is a stretch of perhaps 3 of miles or more of very boring walking along the edge of large farm fields with almost nothing to rival the scenery of most of the rest of the walk from Chipping Campden.

I'm finding the limits of the capability of my knees whilst carrying my heavy camera backpack, and today's 12 or 13 miles was a bit too much. I need to throttle back a little to my more usual eight or nine miles.

#19: B&W Images: Somerset Monument - Old Sodbury

2009-10-06T13:57:00.003+01:00

Old Sodbury Church

#18: B&W Images: Wortley Hill - Somerset Monument

2009-10-06T13:51:00.008+01:00

Hartstongue Fern in Ivy

Alderley Church

#19: Somerset Monument - Old Sodbury

2009-09-30T21:33:00.015+01:00

Autumn Sumach

Owl & Swallow Roost - A Millennium Folly

Old Sodbury Church Stained Glass
and Reflection in the Pulpit Lecturn

I started this walk a few hours later in the day - I usually start early morning - and anticipated a different feel to the walk, particularly with the approach of sunset. But the late afternoon light was nothing special for photography. I did chance a b&w cloud picture as well as several in and around the church at Old Sodbury but I'll have to wait to see how they work out, and I found more colour snaps than usual, perhaps prompted by the onset of a little more autumn colour in the trees.

Most days of the walk I've seen and heard ravens and their amazing tumbling and flipping upside down flight. Today added a new feature to their display act which was quite startling. I heard a low metallic sounding noise as if a piece of metal was being hit. I turned to see a raven about 50 yards away fold its wings in as it flipped onto its back for a second and at the same time heard it emit the metallic 'tonk-like' sound. It did this several times so cause and effect were confirmed. I've seen and heard ravens many many times, both here and in North America but never heard this sound before.

#17: B&W Images: North Nibley - Wortley Hill

2009-09-27T11:18:00.007+01:00

Wortley Hill Maize

Almshouses - Chapel Window

Tyndale Top

Westridge Woodland Path

#18: Wortley Hill - Somerset Monument

2009-09-25T15:29:00.024+01:00

Sunken Green Lane

Ivy & Virginia Creeper

Glancing Light

Woven Floor Grill

As I'm progressing south the walk is becoming a little less cotswold-like. Certainly there are fewer ups and downs and fewer stone walls. And now the route has turned almost due south and is distancing itself from the continual low level background sound of the traffic on the M5. Parts of today's walk were so peaceful that the only sound I could hear was occasional birdsong, or the crarking of ravens or the mewing cries of buzzards, and now and again a distant farm tractor. But periodically the peace was shattered by an explosion of alarm calls and feathers as a pheasant broke cover just feet away from me, deciding not to sit quietly and let me pass.

We're obviously into autumn now but I'm surprised how green all of the trees still are. There are some signs of leaves on a few species of tree starting to turn colour but the first frost can't be far off which will accelerate the whole process.

One stretch of the walk - on the side of Wortley Hill if I recall correctly - was along a very deep cutting. A sort of deeply hidden green lane. There have been several others, but none as deep and long as this one. In a couple of places there were what appeared to be badger setts amongst the roots of old beech trees as well as many other smaller holes which must have housed various species of wild life. This was another place in which the sides were lined with hartstounge ferns but whilst the breeze was very gentle it was still just too much to photograph. I did actually find one patch to photograph which perhaps was just calm enough though I'm not certain the picture will pass muster. And I made a couple of b&w pictures in the Georgian church at Alderley - normally only open at the weekends but the lady doing the church flowers let me in for a few minutes - thank you.

I met several groups today walking the whole of the Way including one couple from Belgium. Compared with most of my previous days' walking this was almost crowded - but it was still only once every hour or so.

Totting up the miles I find that I'm now three quarters of the way to Bath. It will soon be time to decide whether to do it all again as a winter and spring walk - or find a new project.

Cotswold Life - October Issue

2009-09-23T11:32:00.013+01:00

In the current issue (October 2009) of Cotswold Life magazine there's a two page spread of black and white pictures which I made during the first part of my walk along the Cotswold Way. They appear at the end of the 25 page feature on the Cotswold Way. There's a link to this blog included in the short article accompanying the pictures.

#17: North Nibley - Wortley Hill

2009-09-17T19:47:00.013+01:00

My Camera at the top of the Tyndale Monument

Spiral Staircase - The Tyndale Monument

Victoria's Jubilee Clock - Wotton under Edge

A relatively short walk today but quite productive for my B&W images. The Tyndale Monument was open and I hauled my heavy backpack up the increasingly narrow spiral staircase. There must have been 150 steps to the top. Very rewarding views at the top and I think I found an excellent B&W shot but as usual I'll have to wait and see.

I've been surprised how few people I've seen as I've traversed the Cotswold Way - but today on the stretch between Wotton under Edge and the Tyndale Monument I'm sure I saw far more than on any previous day. Joggers, couples, mums with toddlers and pushchairs, many with dogs either on or off the lead, as well as several hardened walkers going 'all-the-way'. It seems to be a very popular stretch with local walkers out for a shortish stroll as it's an easy and very level stretch making a welcome relief from the more challenging sections. A little further on I met a group of walkers who I previously met a couple of weeks ago further north - hello again!

One of the hazards with my kind of photography arises from the fact that whilst I'm working with my camera my camera bag and other equipment lies open on the ground. The hazard is that it seems to be a magnet for dogs to come sniffing around. And you know what they do! I've been lucky as it's actually never happened to me though there was a near miss today! But I have seen a photographer have the expensive contents of his bag liberally annointed. I dread to think of my reaction to having thousands of pounds worth of equipment treated that way.

#16: B&W Images: Dursley - North Nibley

2009-09-11T19:39:00.003+01:00

Tyndale Monument from Stinchcombe Hill

Hymnals & Prayer Books

#15: B&W Images: Nympsfield Long Barrow - Dursley

2009-09-11T19:37:00.002+01:00

Hartstongue Ferns & Steps

#14: B&W Images: Stroudwater Navigation Canal - Ny...

2009-09-11T19:29:00.004+01:00

Selsley Common

#16: Dursley - North Nibley

2009-09-09T17:30:00.010+01:00

Towards the Tyndale Monument from Stinchcombe Hill

Russet Apples

The western escarpment of the Cotswolds appears to be perfect territory for golf courses. Today's walk was the third or possibly the fourth. The walk circumnavigated the whole course which is situated on the top of Stinchcombe Hill and which, like all of the others, commands spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. The far south point of my last walk was Dursley where I walked round the church but failed to find a really good b&w picture that I liked. Later I thought about something I'd seen in the church and decided I needed to return. That was easy as Dursley was today's walk's most northerly point. I now have the picture I missed last week.

It was much calmer today but still not quite calm enough for the hartstongue ferns. One day ...

The panorama above was beautiful in the early morning light. I've also photographed it with my large format film camera and am anxious to see if that has worked out well too. The imposing Tyndale Monument visible in the distance was built in 1866 to commemorate William Tyndale who first translated the bible into 'Early Modern English' in the 16th century. He was born at North Nibley, the village below the monument. My next stretch of the walk passes close by the monument.

My new boots had their first outing today. Verdict - very comfortable and much better than my three other pairs. Success.

#15: Nympsfield Long Barrow - Dursley

2009-09-04T20:05:00.011+01:00

East from Cam Long Down

Yew Berries on John Wilkin's Tomb

One of the challenges this walk poses for me from time to time is not related to the walk. It's the wind. Photography with a large format camera requires the use of very small apertures (typically f32, f45 or f64) in order to secure sufficient depth of field for sharp focus. This in turn leads to having to use very slow shutter speeds in order to let sufficient light on to the film. If a sharply captured image is what you're after, and I generally am, then wind causing the foliage to thrash about like crazy is your number one enemy. At least it is in the relative darkness of a woodland walk which again was the case for a substantial part of today's walk. And today was not just breezy. Well, it started breezy at 8am - and steadily became strong and gusty. All the more frustrating as today I found the best area of the walk so far for Hartstongue ferns of which I'm desperate to make some good photographs. The woodland stretch between Nympsfield Long Barrow and Uley Long Barrow has many fine areas of these beautiful ferns but they were waving about like promenaders at the Last Night of the Proms. I will return when it's calm - John Sexton's "Quiet Light" is called for. I did find one small very sheltered area where I chanced a picture - fingers crossed - which I'll get to process next week.

I stopped for my cheese sandwich lunch on top of Cam Long Down. In spite of the wind it was warm in the occasional sun and I found some shelter from the wind on the lee side where I must admit to lying back and dozing for 10 minutes. I was woken by the croaking cries of 3 ravens directly above me enjoying the uplifting wind from the escarpment. It seems that for the sheer fun of it they were engaging together in their spectacular 'flip upside down' aerobatics. A joy to watch. And several hundred feet above them was an elegant slender sailplane enjoying the updraft in almost the same manner.

October's issue of Cotswold Life Magazine

2009-09-01T13:22:00.008+01:00

Cotswold Life Magazine has confimed that a selection of pictures from my walk will be in the October issue.
It is advertising this on the front page of its website with a link to a short article and a link to this blog.

#14: Stroudwater Navigation Canal - Nympsfield Long Barrow

2009-08-27T19:31:00.011+01:00

Old Style Stile - with a teepee on the horizon!

Himalayan Balsam

All Saints Church - Selsley

This stretch of the Cotswold way offers two alternative routes from Ryeford (where the Stroudwater Navigation Canal passes through) which split and rejoin, the western route being 1.5 miles whilst the eastern route is 3.5 miles making a 5 mile loop. As I'm walking The Way in both directions I chose to walk them both as a clockwise loop. The eastern route turns south off from the canal towpath and takes a route that leads into a field that eventually passes Ebley Mill. That field is one to take note of for two reasons. As I enetered the field I had my second bull encounter along the Cotswold Way. This time I saw it in plenty of time, saw that he had his six wives with him (and no calves), and I concluded that he was more interested in scratching his leg that chasing me. So I chanced it - and I was totally ignored - whew. At the far end of the field was an incredibly churned up thick gloopy muddy couple of hundred yards which had been liberally supplemented by the cattle and which I couldn't avoid. So, a lot of scraping and cleaning at the far side was called for.

I'd anticipated some interesting photography in All Saints Church at Selsley so I was very disappointed to find that it was under wraps for roof repair. Strictly no admittance whilst work was in progress. It is a church associated with the Arts & Crafts movement so I was hopeful of something a little different. I'll have to return.

I first became aware of Himalayan Balsam about 30 years ago when I saw a few plants alondside a local river. Now it grows profusely along so many of our river banks and damp boggy areas. It shows just how successful an invading species can be away from its home.

I'm looking forward to processing a couple of today's b&w images - one of a disused quarry whilst the other is a conventional landscape view - clouds and fields. I keep hoping that one day there'll be absolutely no breeze whilst I'm walking past a bank of hartstongue ferns. There have been a few banks of these beautifully photogenic ferns along the way, but they've always been swaying. And as they grow in very shaded areas a slow shutter speed is always needed.

#13: B&W Images: Shortwood Spur - Stroudwater Navigation Canal

2009-08-26T21:09:00.003+01:00

Stroudwater Navigation Canal

Ryford Railway Bridge

Disused Lock Winch

#13: Shortwood Spur - Stroudwater Navigation Canal

2009-08-25T15:28:00.009+01:00

Definitely Not Navigable

Cygnet Leads The Way

Loving the Duckweed

I planned a shorter walk today as the forecast was for heavy rain this afternoon - and unusually, the forecast was correct. I reached as far as the Stroudwater Navigation before turning back and it certainly was a spectacle with its blanket of bright green duckweed. The very large family of swans seemed to love to feed on it and were obviously thriving - there are seven cygnets! It is a disused canal and as such seems to be a haven for wildlife with its banksides being so overgrown. I found a couple of B&W pictures which I'm looking forward to seeing processed.

Halfway Musings ...

2009-08-24T15:24:00.007+01:00

Shortly after setting out on my next stretch of the Cotswold Way I’ll pass through the halfway point - so, it seems like a good time to take stock and gather together some of my thoughts from along the way. You can tell I’m not a literary type. My thoughts here are bullet points rather than well connected and flowing prose!

I’m enjoying it more than I expected – and I’m looking forward to what the next half will bring, particularly as I’m not at all familiar with what’s to come. Contrast that with the first half where I’ve had at least some knowledge of some the route.
If I continue at the same rate I’ll have completed the walk before the end of the year – much sooner than I anticipated though I never had a specific target. Looking back I do recall thinking that I would have the opportunity to photograph throughout a year so availing myself of every season’s weather and light. So, I’m now thinking of starting again as soon as I finish so that I get to photograph the route in winter and spring as well as just the summer and autumn as looks likely with my current progress. I’m particularly keen to photograph in the beech woods in the springtime when the foliage is light and fresh. If I do this and complete it I will have walked ‘The Way’ four times – 408 miles in total. It sounds a lot but it’s only 8 miles a week for a year.
B&W photographs don’t just spring up all the time begging to be taken. I knew that of course but at times I’m finding it frustrating. I often photograph in the countryside but I’m wondering whether the additional need to cover some distance each time is a slight distraction from the more important task of seeking pictures. There are times when I catch myself head down hiking rather than head up looking.
The Cotswold countryside is beautiful. Not at all rugged and dramatic but rather it is quiet and understated. Whilst the occasional point along the way is busy, that is only so in relative terms. Most of the time I see no one for hours on end. Most walkers are friendly with a cheery ‘hello’ with only the occasional opportunity for a longer chat. My sampling suggest that there are very few people doing the full walk, most being out for a day or half day ramble.
My mind covers a lot of topics whilst walking – many of them not at all to do with photography. One thing keeps coming to mind though is just how thankful I am that I have the freedom to enjoy the countryside here in this country. I’m prompted in those thoughts by my pondering on the daily reporting of world events that put into perspective the value of this and all of the other aspects of freedom that we enjoy. I could say that I’m lucky, but that would be to overlook the history of the path we’ve taken for us to now be able to enjoy our freedoms.
I have three different pairs of walking boots which I have alternated to try to find the most comfortable. My conclusion – I need another pair! All are more or less ok, except that one pair is too heavy, on another the sole is too flimsy and the third are a fraction too tight on my toes, and they are no longer waterproof. So starts the quest for the perfect boot. And my other walking aids are walking poles. I bought a pair several years ago and used them on some rugged walking in Utah. But I then put them on one side and only rediscovered them soon after I started this walk. And I now find them invaluable and won’t now set off without them. My knees are pretty ropey (not at all pretty) so the support afforded by poles, especially when walking or scrambling down a slope is something I no longer wish to be without.
Along the way there are many stiles, kissing gates, and other assorted obstacles to keep in the livestock whilst allowing passage to us walkers. Most are easy to negotiate however there is one form of kissing gate that is almost impossible to get through whilst wearing the Cotswold Way hiker's normal kit - a good sized backpack. There have been several examples of this tricky contraption so far. The space inside the gate is practically impossible to accommodate one average sized hiker plus backpack. The only thing to do is take off the backpack and heave it over the gate then shimmy through the gate and reload. You have to wonder whether it's designer ever tried it out.
I had an email the other day from the Assistant Editor at Cotswold Life magazine who’d come across this blog. Resulting from that contact hopefully there will be a photo spread of my pictures taken along the Cotswold Way in a forthcoming issue of the magazine, possibly the October issue. No promises, but I’ve supplied them with a set of image files to consider. Fingers crossed.

Now, stop musing and start walking ...

#12: B&W Images: Painswick - Shortwood Spur

2009-08-24T15:20:00.003+01:00

The Well House at Cliff

Ivy on Beech

The Cromwell Stone

#12: Painswick - Shortwood Spur

2009-08-18T19:35:00.020+01:00

Almost Halfway There

Cut Off

Haresfield Beacon Topograph

Started at Shortwood Spur close to Haresfield Beacon and walked back to Painswick. A particularly good way to do this stretch as it gave me the oppoprtunity to lunch at Olivas again in Painswick - highly recommended. Along the way is a fascinating memorial known as the Cromwell Stone which commemorates the raising of the seige in Gloucester on 5th September 1643 by the troops of Charles I during the English Civil War. A little further on is the 1870 well house at Cliff, but sadly the well winch is no longer operable. Not too far from Painswick is the marker for Bath 55 miles, Chipping Campden 47 miles - so from my starting point this morning at Shorthill Spur I must be only a few yards from half way.

Today I enjoyed my first handfuls of blackberries of the year. Not too many ripe yet but the next few weeks looks promising.

#11: B&W Images: Cooper's Hill - Painswick

2009-08-17T17:15:00.010+01:00

Painswick - Table Tombs

Painswick - Yew Path

[Yes - I removed a couple of TV aerials]

Painswick - Hairy Yew Pair

#10: B&W Images: The Air Balloon Pub - Cooper's Hill

2009-08-17T17:14:00.002+01:00

The Way - Through Witcombe Wood

#9: B&W Images: Leckhampton Hill - The Air Balloon Pub

2009-08-17T17:12:00.004+01:00

The Way - Through Barrow Piece Plantation

#11: Cooper's Hill - Painswick

2009-08-13T20:10:00.015+01:00

The Bonaventure

Painswick Yews

The view from Painswick Beacon iron age hill fort - into which several holes of Painswick Golf Course are incorporated! - is breathtaking. Some of the panoramas so far along the Cotswold Way are very wide but this is a full 360° and well worth anyone's effort to walk there, as long as you can dodge the golf balls.

I spent a little time at both the start and end of the walk looking at Cooper's Hill; from both the bottom and from the top. And it's steep - it's very steep. No one sane would contemplate running down whilst chasing a rolling cheese! So just where do they find the large numbers of people every year who willingly hurl themselves down this preciptious slope in the interests of being first to the bottom so they get the cheese. I love cheese - but I know my limits. The annual filming of the event is perhaps the magnet which attacts the maddest. The filming could almost be for an episode of "I'm an idiot - stretcher me out of here".

Painswick is a beautiful village - aren't they all - but the churchyard with dozens of clippped yews has to be it's most notable attraction. But they're a real challenge to photograph well. There's a colour one above but I took several in b&w from which hopefully one or two will prove to be worth publishing. Inside the church there's a beautiful old model of one of Francis Drake's early vessels - the Bonaventure.

#10: The Air Ballon Pub - Cooper's Hill

2009-08-06T19:13:00.012+01:00

Woodland Path

Hartstongue Ferns

A frustrating walk today. Started out in soft sun whilst I walked the 3 miles through Witcombe Woods from Cooper's Hill (site of the annnual lunacy of 'cheese rolling'). Emerging from the woods after having taken just one b&w shot but having earmarked a few more for the return journey I was reminded of my disappointment at the far point of my last walk. There is what is best described as an amphitheatre between Crickley Hill fort and the promontary known as The Peak - approaching 3 miles apart. The performance in the amphitheatre is the constant, unvarying heavy traffic on Birdlip Hill as it strains and grinds its way up about 250m and whose noise seems to be focused up to the top rim where the Cotswold Way meanders through yet more beautiful Cotswold countryside. Being a purist I had to complete the additional 2-mile round trip to the Air Balloon pub where I left off last week rather than just avoid it. Hopefully there are no more such intrusions along the way. Local roads and traffic are ok but this was too much.

I started the day with high expectations that the weather would be fine - so when the steady rain began just after the halfway point my spirits dropped. The rain was more than I was happy to cope with for the images I'd earmarked for the return - so I was scuppered. Two lessons learned today - although it's not as if I hadn't thought I'd learnt them before.

Don't defer taking a picture - do it there and then.
Don't trust the weather forecast.

But the walk itself was as always a pleasure, even in the rain - except for the traffic interlude.

#9: Leckhampton Hill - The Air Balloon Pub

2009-07-31T21:08:00.006+01:00

The "Which Way"?

A shorter and less inspiring stretch today even though the vista from the site of the neolithic hill fort at Crickley Hill is breathtaking. For part of the walk the peace of the countryside is shattered by traffic noise as it powers up Birdlip Hill to the roundabout at The Air Balloon public house. I did find two or three b&w images but one really needed calmer air to still the foliage for the 1 second exposure and the others are possibly not up to muster. I'll see but I suspect this stretch will turn in a blank.

#8: B&W Images: Dowdeswell - Leckhampton Hill

2009-07-29T18:06:00.004+01:00

Barleyfield Tracks - Lineover Wood

Wheatfield Tracks - Wistley Hill

#7: B&W Images: Cleeve Hill - Dowdeswell

2009-07-29T17:56:00.008+01:00

Thistles - Bill Smyllies Reserve

Hay Meadow - Above Dowdeswell Wood

#8: Dowdeswell - Leckhampton Hill

2009-07-27T22:13:00.017+01:00

Woodland Path

The Load

Roman (Edible) Snail

This the first day for which I anticipated rain - but luckily throughout the 6 hours of the walk it rained for perhaps a minute. I'd read in one of my guidebooks to the trail that the Romans had introduced the edible snail to the area, not finding ours to be tasty enough I suppose, so I was not altogether surprised to find one of these monsters, relatively speaking, at the edge of the path.

I discovered a hitherto unexpected benefit of walking the path in both directions. About 30 minutes after having reached the farthest point from my day's start, so, whilst I was on my way back I found lying on the path a piece of my tripod that had worked loose and fallen from my backpack. An expensive item to replace had I not doubled back and found it, without knowing I'd lost it!

The scenic aspects of this walk are truly beautiful, but it's hard to prise out an image that suits my B&W treatment. I found myself often watching my feet and where I stepped as parts of the path were very muddy and slippery rather than being head up and looking for pictures. My B&W subjects were a wheat field and a barley field.

#7: Cleeve Hill - Dowdeswell

2009-07-25T17:08:00.015+01:00

Thistle Heads

Car wreck - from where?

Bench and Trees

The most memorable aspects of today's walk will be the spectaular views from Cleeve Hill. Looking over Cheltenham and its racecourse you can see the Severn Bridge 43 miles away to the south, the Brecon Beacons 70 odd miles to the west and to the Clent Hills over 40 miles to the north west - all across the valley of the River Severn. And at one point you can see Gloucester Cathedral, Tewkesbury Abbey and just about see Worcester Cathedral. Is there anywhere else that one view can take in more than three of our cathedrals and abbeys? I found just 3 B&W pictures today plus a few more that I would have taken had the light been right or the breeze a lot less. I may return to a couple of shots in future.

Beautiful large thistles were in abundance along a few stretches of the walk with their flower heads on the verge of bursting open; very photogenic. Beautiful unspoilt nature and natural habitat has been the essence of the Cotswold Way so far. Most of the walk has been litter and rubbish free so it came as real shock to find an old wrecked burnt out car embedded in a hedgerow at a place where I couldn't see any way that a car could have got there. It's almost as if it had dropped in from on high!

#6: B&W Images: Winchcombe - Cleeve Hill

2009-07-14T17:54:00.002+01:00

Beech Roots

#5: B&W Images: Hailes - Winchcombe

2009-07-14T17:52:00.004+01:00

Chandelier - St Peter's Church - Winchcombe

#6: Winchcombe - Cleeve Hill

2009-07-10T19:49:00.011+01:00

Marbled White

This was my second of two consecutive days on the Cotswold Way - making up for my 17 days off. I've now covered 23.5 of the 102 miles or, as I'm walking it in both directions, 47 of the 204 miles. There are some steep sections on this stretch ensuring my knees were given a good workout. Belas Knap Long Barrow was a real treat to come across at the exit from a wooded stretch of the walk. It was created over 4500 years ago by our neolithic ancestors in which to bury their dead.

Butterflies were in abundance today - particularly Ringlets and the beautiful Marbled Whites feeding on thistles. They obliged me by staying put long enough to get some digicam pictures.

I was able to do my good deed for the day when I helped a couple of Danish hikers who were well and truly lost by showing them where they were actually located on their detailed OS map!

#5: Hailes - Winchcombe

2009-07-09T14:27:00.013+01:00

These four signs dotted around Winchcombe hint at its long history

A short walk of about 6 miles today in mild breezy overcast conditions. I knew there would be days when no B&W images presented themselves - and today was just such a day - until the end when I nipped into St Peters church in the lovely small town of Winchcombe; a town with a 1,000 years of history. I was saved from a duck by finding an attractive composition with the brass chandelier (dating from 1753) hung in the centre of the nave and the stained glass window at the east end of the church. I spent 45 minutes in the church whilst I was setting up and was accompanied by an organist and a cellist playing some delightful music.

I've no intention for this walk to become a documentary of churches and chapels along the way - but it's starting to look that way.

#4: B&W Images: Stanway - Hailes

2009-06-27T16:45:00.005+01:00

Hailes Church - Font & Window

Beckbury Beech & Beech Stump

#3: B&W Images: Broadway - Stanway

2009-06-27T14:20:00.006+01:00

Stanway Church Windows

Elderflowers

Kissing Gate

#4: Stanway - Hailes

2009-06-22T16:58:00.015+01:00

Bull in Field

Beckbury Beech Roots

The day after the longest day – so, downhill from here to the end of the year. The whole walk today was under a dull overcast sky with occasional fine drizzle. The group of ancient beeches atop of Beckbury Camp, some with the network of their roots exposed, tempted me to try some shots with my 5x4 camera. The location is an iron age hill fort with spectacular views from its promontory looking to the northeast then turning anticlockwise 225 degrees to due south.

Between Wood Stanway and Stanway I entered a field in which dozens of cows and their calves were almost blocking the path. Not to be deterred by this large herd I set off along the path at the edge of the field and the assembly duly parted and let me through. Until after 150 metres when one didn’t budge. It was a bull, standing side on to me with his head turned menacingly in my direction staring directly at me. No doubt he was momentarily toying with his options on just how best to deal with me. I’m no coward, but, I’m no hero either. Discretion being the better part of valour - I looked round for my escape. There was only one gap in the whole 400 metres of thick hedge – and I was standing next to it. Over I went, catching my trousers on the barbed wire but making it safely. I continued on the safe side of the hedge wondering just what would have happened if there’d been no escape for me and the bull had decided to make an example of me for the benefit of other walkers on the Cotswold Way. Once past the bull’s field I entered the next field only to find it had a “Bull in Field” sign clearly displayed at the entry to this next field – and also at the entry point from the other side of the field. Clearly the bull hadn’t read the sign about which field he should have been in.

The tiny 800 year old church at Hailes is beautifully simple. It’s unadorned and lit only by natural light and by candles. I’ve photographed here several times in the past but today found one or two new images that I’m looking forward to seeing after I’ve processed the film.

#3: Broadway - Stanway

2009-06-16T21:38:00.013+01:00

The Natives are Friendly

Common Spotted & Pyramidal Orchids

After heavy overnight rain the air was fresh with a gentle breeze, the blue sky was flecked with light cumulus clouds, so the conditions were perfect for walking between Broadway and Stanway - started out at 07:30. The round trip was over 12 miles by the end of which my aching feet, knees and hips told me it was a little too far with my 17 kg (37 lb) backpack. I'm sure (I hope) it will get better as I progress along The Way. I found about four B&W images which I really liked - hopefully they'll turn out well after processing in a few days time. But today I found a surprising number of good colour images with my little digicam, especially the orchids.

#2: B&W Images: Fish Hill - Broadway

2009-06-05T21:19:00.011+01:00

Broadway Tower

Pointed Cirrus Cloud

New Cotswold Dry Stone Wall

#2: Fish Hill - Broadway

2009-06-04T21:19:00.011+01:00

A shorter walk today of around 5 miles. Was Broadway NY named after Broadway Worcestershire I wonder? Certainly there's no resemblance whatsoever. It's the archetypal picture postcard Cotswold town whose mellow yellow stone buildings define its comfortable cosy atmosphere. Sadly the recession has seen several of its marvellous art galleries closed. Its prettiness doesn't appeal to my photographic instincts - but I did find several images in the vicinity of Broadway Tower high above Broadway itself.

Today is Polling Day in the UK - for local councillors and for members of the European Parliament. Our political systems and our politicians are under close scrutiny after the events of the last few weeks and months. I cast my ballot after clearing my head in the fresh Cotswold air.

#1: B&W Images: Chipping Campden - Fish Hill

2009-05-29T19:21:00.021+01:00

Rafters - Chipping Campden Market Hall

Gravestones & Yews - St James' Churchyard - Chipping Campden

Log Pile - The Mile Drive

#1: Chipping Campden - Fish Hill

2009-05-28T17:34:00.027+01:00

I'm just back from my first day on the Cotswold Way walking about 7 miles from Fish Hill to Chipping Campden and back in what was almost perfect walking weather. Hazy sun in the morning and high cloud in the afternoon - but pleasantly warm throughout. I wondered whether I'd find any pictures on my first day but soon spotted one and a handful of others followed. I'll add images that I like into subsequent posts once I've processed the film. This may be within a day or two - or up to several weeks later, depending on what else is distracting me. Most images will be B&W from my large camera although I suspect an occasional digi-snap will find its way in too.

It is not my intention to document the Cotswold Way, rather I simply want to use the walk to find images that I like and am prepared to spend time taking and presenting. I imagine some days will be fruitless whilst others could provide a wealth of images. Many factors influence that including the weather (too much sun is not so good for B&W photography) and/or my mood (very unpredictable).

Along one quarter mile section of path at the edge of a field I saw dozens of Painted Lady butterflies. I almost didn't believe what I'd seen as I know that they are migrants from Southern Europe and Africa and don't usually arrive here until June/July. Once home my doubts about what I'd seen were quashed. In the letters page of my daily paper were several reports of high numbers of Painted Ladies being seen over the last few days throughout Southern England. So, a very early and huge immigration this year.

I was twice rudely reminded that the Cotswolds is a low flying training area for the RAF. Once by a treetop hugging Harrier then later by a very low and slow Hercules.

Tomorrow ...

2009-05-27T15:28:00.062+01:00

Tomorrow I'll be 60

Tomorrow I retire

Tomorrow I start a new project

I will be walking the Cotswold Way between Chipping Campden and Bath with my large format 5x4 camera and photographing whatever inspires or interests me along the way. I will walk the whole of its 102 mile length in both directions - but not all in one go. I'll cover the distance in one day sections from where I park my car and back again - all linked so that I will complete at least 204 miles by the end. It may take a year or more - I have no target other than to do it.

Link to The Cotswold Way National Trail website

I use my large camera to take pictures only in black and white whilst my pocket digicam is for colour. I will publish images in this blog that I take along the way and write occasional thoughts as I make progress. This is my first attempt at such a thing - I've never kept a diary of any sort - so I wonder how it will pan out.