Bishop Auckland, County Durham, Autumn
An anniversary break.
An anniversary break.
Celebrating 11 years together, Lisabet and I enjoyed a lovely short break in County Durham area.
It’s a part of northern England that I guess can feel neglected or forgotten about. To the northwest you have the North Pennines and southwest are the Yorkshire Dales. Southeast is the North York Moors and further Northeast is the coast and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
But there is an enormous amount of history in County Durham.
We stayed in Bishop Auckland, 10-minutes away from Durham. Bishop Auckland has a lot to offer, especially with the ongoing improvements courtesy of the ambitious Auckland Project. Upon arriving on the outskirts of the town, we head straight for its historic heart and took to exploring the Auckland Tower, the new Faith Museum, and the grounds of the castle.
We barely scratched the surface. But the just means more to explore for next time.
All photos taken on my Sony α7ii using my Pentax SMC 28mm F3.5 and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC prime lenses. RAWs developed in Lightroom using Cobalt Image’s Fuji Classic Neg profile.
Bishop Auckland, County Durham, Autumn by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, with its unusual French-style mansard pavilions. It was opened in the mid-19th century, but by the 1970s it was abandoned then scheduled for demolition in the 1980s. Local campaigning saved the building and, after restoration work, it was reopened in the 1990s.
One of the new striking buildings courtesy of the Auckland Project. This is Auckland Tower. Its design is inspired by medieval wooden siege engines, which were propped against castle and fort walls to help invading armies breach defences. Adopting and inverting that same intention, the Auckland Tower borrows the design of those historic constructs to allow visitors to “breach” the castle’s history and allow people to freely explore.
A gallery on the 1st floor of the tower beautifully sets out the story and history of Bishop Auckland the surrounding area. The town was the seat of the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham since 1183 CE. Even before then, a Roman presence was in the area with a fort at nearby Binchester.
Visitors are encouraged to climb up the tower and enjoy the panoramic views on offer, which we duly did. St. Anne’s Church and the Town Hall are on the right, with the town centre through to the left.
From the top of the tower, a view to the east shows the castle gatehouse, built by Sir Thomas Robinson of Rokeby for Bishop William Trevor in 1760 CE. Beyond, the walled gardens and Auckland Park show the last of their autumnal splendour.
The grand entrance to the grounds of Auckland Castle. Inside the castle we paused for lunch in the new cafe, before seeking out the new Faith Museum.
The start of the journey into the Faith Museum. This place is fantastic, a real treasure for history geeks everywhere especially those who have an interest in the history of human faith. Being in County Durham, there is of course a lot of information about the beginnings and development of Christianity in the area, but there’s also heaps of artefacts and info about faith practised in the area during Roman times and before.
Punctuated along the main gallery were these wonderful archway tapestries that I couldn’t resist making a composition of.
Back outside, we soaked in the clear autumn air and explored the castle grounds.
We wandered around the town centre, where a different side of Bishop Auckland could be seen. Much like many other towns through the UK, the high street has seen better days. Hopefully, the Auckland Project will help rejuvenate things.
I love a pub with a mock Tudor facade. Though a pub has been on this site since the 16th century, this particular building was constructed in 1900.
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Conwy, North Wales, Spring
Conwy is a historical treasure trove.
Conwy is a historical treasure trove.
Situated above the river of the same name, Conwy is a walled town with most of those structures surviving to the present day. The town is perhaps best known for its castle, which was built along with the walls in the late 13th century.
We enjoyed getting lost around the myriad of small streets in the town, but eventually climbed up the town walls and followed the circular trail on top of the walls, which mostly surround the town. The walk offers unparalleled views of the town, the castle, and the estuary beyond.
Add a hazy day with localised and shifting spot lighting, you’ve got conditions set up for some gorgeous photos.
All photos taken on my Sony a7ii using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 lens. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, edited and finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.
At the junction with Upper Gate Street, I zoomed in on this composition of Upper Gate tower, standing imperiously above the street’s housing.
The section of the walls heading towards the Quayside allow for fantastic views across Conwy’s rooftops towards the imposing 13th century Conwy Castle.
Approaching the Postern Gate, a view straight down Castle Street being lit by the brightening day proved irresistible.
At Lower Gate this beautiful house provided the perfect foreground subject to complement the light show happening across the Deganwy hills.
Heading down from the Watchtower, I find another composition that—to me—sums up Conwy nicely.
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Barnard Castle, County Durham, Spring
Apologies for the delay since my last post.
Apologies for the delay since my last post.
Things have been on the change again, personally. Also, this last week I’ve endured a rather nasty stomach bug. The less said about that the better.
A couple of weekends ago, Lisabet and I decided to move away from countryside-based adventures and check a wee little town you may have heard of (if you’re British and follow the news): Barnard Castle.
The charming historical town gained unfortunate notoriety in 2020 when Dominic Cummings, the chief advisor to the British Prime Minister, was found to have traveled there with his family during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given his close contact with the infected Prime Minister, Cummings was at a substantial risk of carrying the virus himself (he exhibited symptoms the following day). Media accusations of violating lockdown rules emerged, to which Cummings explained that he had driven to the town to test his eyesight in order to reassure his wife of his ability to drive them back to London the next day.
Regardless of all of that, Barnard Castle sits in a beautiful area, which we explored to also take in the sights of the ruins of Eggleston Abbey.
A moody day for photography.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs developed in Capture One for iPad, edited and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.
Barnard Castle, Country Durham, Spring by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
The circular round tower of the Barnard Castle itself, one of the main features of the ruins that still stands. Daffodils lined the path around the ruins on a moody day.
Barnard Castle, the town, is chock-full of yards (alleys) like this, which always draw my eye for a photo.
We found the streets of Barnard Castle to be well kept, with plenty of independent shops and eateries, occasionally peppered with some more mainstream brands.
Below the castle ruins this handsome bridge caught a sliver of golden afternoon light.
We followed the country road from Barnard Castle to Egglestone Abbey. The moody and changeable day followed us. Here a table-tomb pointed towards some of the last standing walls of the abbey ruins.
The abbey was constructed in the late 12th century by Premonstratensian monks. Like all other abbeys in England, it was dissolve din 1540 by King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries.
These days the ruins are in the custody of English Heritage, and access is free. I highly recommend a visit if you’re ever in the area.
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Pendragon & Lammerside Castles, Mallerstang, Yorkshire Dales, Winter
If the weather’s not going to improve, time to go somewhere that suits it.
If the weather’s not going to improve, time to go somewhere that suits it.
Regular readers of this site may know that Mallerstang, technically part of the Yorkshire Dales, is one of my favourite places in Cumbria. Typically my hikes in the valley explore the region south of Wild Boar Fell. However towards the northern part of the valley, as it starts to flatten out, one can find a historical gem: Pendragon Castle.
Unbeknown to both myself and Lisabet, there is another castle ruin further north of Pendragon, known as Lammerside Castle. So, we picked out a hike we could do that would take in both Pendragon and Lammerside Castles, and perhaps also check out Wharton Hall.
Although the forecast suggested skies would brighten up as the day went on, above Mallerstang the sky was resolutely cloudy and grey. No biggie. It just added to the mood of the scenes.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–3.8, Super Ozeck 80–205mm f4.5, and Laowa 9mm f2.8 lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, developed in RNI Films, finalised in Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.
The ruins of Pendragon Castle, looking particularly moody with the bare branches eerily pointing towards it.
It’s been about a decade since I last explored the ruins of Pendragon castle. This was in the prime of HDR days, where I didn’t go anywhere without a tripod and shot almost exclusively with an ultra-wide lens. With experience and developed eyes, I could spot compositions I’d never seen before.
Zooming in tighter, I pick out a delightful composition involving the crumbling ruins of Pendragon castle framing the shapely peak of Wild Boar Fell.
Circumnavigating the ruins, I look for compositions involving the ruins and the fell on the other side of the valley, Mallerstang Edge.
Legend says that the castle was built by Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur. More accurately, the castle was built in the 12th century by Ranulph de Meschines, a Norman magnate.
A winding drystone wall leading to a fell? I couldn’t say no…
Even better if it’s a winding drystone wall involving castle ruins.
Following the Pennine Bridleway towards Lammerside Castle, I equip my 80–205mm lens for long tele shots of the distant Northern Pennines.
Eventually the ruins of Lammerside Castle come into view, seemingly not as grand as Pendragon Castle.
In the valley below us, sheep mill about aimlessly. One in particular spots me and gives me a good hard stare.
By the River Eden, swimmers warm up after a spot of outdoor swimming in what must be an icy cold river.
Scanning around and above the ruins, I can see incredible compositions revealing themselves to me.
The winner from the day. Some of the 2nd storey of the ruins survive, but nature is quickly reclaiming it. In the distance, Mallerstang Edge lines the top of the frame.
Time to slap on the 9mm ultra-wide. The closest crumbling wall looks like a human head, don’t you think?
The largest surviving archway into the ruins. I didn’t want to risk heading inside though.
This was about as far as I dared venture into the ruins. Amazing that the stonework has survived this long.
Compared to Pendragon Castle, not much is known about Lammerside Castle. It was probably built, similarly, in the 12th century but considerably fortified in the 14th century to protect against Scots raiders.
I could easily bang my head against the top of this archway. Makes you realise how much smaller people used to be.
Above Wharton Hall as we turned to head back, Lisabet quickly made friends with the local horses.
At Bullghyll farm, a friendly chicken hops up onto the wall for a friendly greeting.
A meandering beck snakes down from Birkett Knott above.
Following the Pennine bridleway back to Pendragon Castle, the magnificent peak of Wild Boar Fell makes its presence known once again.
Gnarly trees beautifully frame Cocklake Barn as we near the return to Pendragon Castle, 16,000 steps later.
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Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, Autumn
Did you know that Wales is home to the most castles per square mile of any country in Europe?
Did you know that Wales is home to the most castles per square mile of any country in Europe?
Certainly during our stay in South Wales we visited our fair share of them, mostly in ruins, such as Dinefwr and Castell Carreg Cennen, and Llandovery castle.
Heading south towards Carmarthen Bay, where the Avon Twyi pours out into the Bristol Channel, one can find the sleepy little village of Llansteffan with yet another magnificent fort perched on a cliff top overlooking the bay. The village’s name means “Llan of St. Stephen”. You’ll find a lot of place names in Wales start with the prefix Llan; it refers to sanctified land occupied by Christian monks or communities, almost always named in honour of a Saint.
After checking out the ruins of Llansteffan Castle, we ambled along the beach below the castle, where I gawped and photographed the local geology.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAWs converted in Capture One for iPad, then developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.
Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, Autumn by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
A rather shapely tree that caught my eye on the way up to Llansteffan Castle.
From outside the castle ruins the views overlooking Carmarthen Bay were rather splendid.
The ruins of Llansteffan Castle. It sits on the site of a much older Iron Age fort, showing that Llansteffan has been inhabited for millennia.
The Normans built a castle here in the 12th century. Like a lot of castles here in South Wales it passed hands often between the Welsh and the English. By the 14th century it was described as being in a poor state.
One thing that struck in particular about these ruins were all the wasps. They were everywhere, tucked into various nooks and crannies of the stonework.
We braved the disconcerting hum of wasps all around us to explore this building for a composition whilst the light was particularly sympathetic.
Down on the beach below the castle, things were thankfully a lot more peaceful.
Historical glaciation and millennia of coastal erosion from the sea have exposed millions of years of geology history. Here Llansteffan would’ve been at various times a desert, at the bottom of a sea, and everything in between, with different rocks forming and deposited at various stages. Fascinating.
To quote Natural Resources Wales: “The bedrock geology of this area […] is dominated by Devonian Old Red Sandstone characterised by mudstones, siltstones, sandstones and conglomerates which were deposited in fluvial environments, such as meandering channels and floodplains. The rocks around Llansteffan include important exposures of calcrete (which is a fossil soil indicative of an arid or semi-arid environment). Overlying the Old red Sandstone is a classic sequence of Carboniferous rocks including shallow-marine carbonates (Carboniferous Limestone), shallow-marine and fluvio-deltaic deposits (Millstone Grit), and lacustrine, delta plain sediments and coal (Coal Measures).”
The exposure of Old Red Sandstone is clearer towards Scott’s Bay, where plenty of people were chilling with their pets, nestled into the crags.
I was beguiled by the shapes, forms and colours of the cliff rocks. Imagining the millions of years of this land, and how different the local landscape would’ve looked, makes my head spin!
A tighter composition reveals the joins and seems of various types of rocks as beautiful late afternoon light highlights the textures.
Llansteffan Castle and its dominating position above the village and the surrounding farmland.
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Llandovery & Cwm Rhaeadr, South Wales, Autumn
If there’s a feature that—to my mind—typifies South Wales that isn’t it’s glorious coastline, it’s the waterfalls.
If there’s a feature that—to my mind—typifies South Wales that isn’t it’s glorious coastline, it’s the waterfalls.
In fact, in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park lies an area called Waterfall Country.
Outside of Waterfall Country though there are still plenty of places to find waterfalls. One of the bigger ones can be found in Cwm Rhaeadr Forest, north of the historical town of Llandovery.
After a morning spent wandering around this beautiful little town, we head to Cwm Rhaeadr forest to enjoy some forest bathing, autumnal colours, and one of the largest and most epic waterfalls we’ve ever come across.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my Vivitar “Series 1” 28–105mm f2.8–3.8 zoom and Laowa 9mm f2.8 prime lenses. RAW files converted in Capture One for iPad, developed and finalised in Affinity Photo for iPad.
Llandovery & Cwm Rhaeadr, South Wales, Autumn by Ian Cylkowski is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Llandovery
On the southern side of Llandovery is a small knoll that overlooks the town, atop of which is perched Llandovery Castle. Next to the castle ruins is a stainless statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan, a wealthy Carmarthenshire landowner who was executed in Llandovery by Henry IV of England in punishment for his support of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh rebellion.
The Normans built a castle here around 1166 AD, and it was rebuilt in stone in the 13th century. It was burnt down in the 16th century and never rebuilt. From the ruins you can enjoy vast views of the nearby hills of South Wales plus Llandovery’s car park. Lovely.
Towns in South Wales seem fond of their colourful buildings, and the Bear Inn in Llandovery is definitely one of the more vivid ones I’ve seen.
This is the 4th incarnation of Llandovery Town Hall, built in 1858 in the Italianate style. The first town hall on the site was built in 1485.
Cwm Rhaeadr Forest
In Cwm Rhaeadr Forest, glorious autumnal colours carpet the forest floor.
Our first glimpse of the massive waterfall as it roars down from Mynydd Mallaen 1,500ft above. Time to get as close and personal with the waterfall as we can.
She’s a powerful beauty! It was damned hard trying to get close to the waterfall, but many slips and slides we made it. I quickly equipped my 9mm ultra-wide lens to snap as many compositions of this waterfall’s sections as I could.
Cwm Rhaeadr waterfall drops about 100m+ from Mynydd Mallaen in between two crags, falling in several stages as various falls and cascades. That means it’s possible to scale down alongside the waterfall and shoot completely different compositions from each particular drop.
I shot many different compositions of this waterfall as we scaled down alongside it. Some were definitely shit, as getting a solid enough footing proved difficult. The ones you see above were the best I could manage.