Warriners Wood, Lake District, Spring
A brighter weekend means a long Sunday morning above Kendal.
A brighter weekend means a long Sunday morning above Kendal.
We’ve been to Warriners Wood many times before, after we found it during the winter of 2021. As of spring this year it appears to have survived the 2021/2022 storm season rather well, and some of my favourite trees are still standing strong.
A “Warriner” is an old Scottish/English term for a gamekeeper—that is, someone who’s job is to manage game in a park. I assume this woodland was once part of a gamekeeper’s land. Saying that, Warriner has also since become a fairly popular surname. Who knows?
Even in early April we chanced upon what we think are bluebells. Already. Before the wild garlic has flowered. Crazy.
Photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 80% in-camera using the Astia film simulation, finished off in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.
Heading up Brigsteer Road, someone’s now erected an impressive wicker sculpture of a deer (I think?).
Following Brigsteer Road past our usual route up the back of Scout Scar. This farm will be full of lambs now, I imagine.
Warriner’s Wood is up to the left. The sun finally comes out to play.
How lush this will all look when the trees are all in leaf.
As the road starts winding ahead, a small opening in the drystone wall to our left gives us access down the slope to Warriner’s Wood.
Nowt in the way of daffodils in Warriner’s Wood, but the leaves of bluebells are plentiful. This place will host a glorious carpet of them in a month’s time.
My favourite tree in Warriner’s Wood. Or rather, a collection of trees sharing the same root system. I elected to attach my 9mm ultra-wide lens and make a 6-shot vertorama of this tree, from bottom to top. Pretty happy with how it came out!
Lisabet in her element, whilst also beautifully blending in with palette of the scenery.
A trio of trees in this pasture field.
Following the hedgerow back down the slopes of Helsington Laithes, with the Helm serving as a local beacon in the distance.
A Cumbrian pastoral scene.
This gorgeous cottage at the bottom of Helsington Laithes is always worth a photo or two.
I wonder how old it is…
The road back to Kendal, lined with the last of this season’s daffodils.
Kendal (Post-Eunice), Cumbria, Winter
The day after Storm Eunice.
The day after Storm Eunice.
Evenings and weekends have been frustratingly wet and stormy in February, which has meant that I’ve not been able to get out into nature as much as I’d like. This culminated in the week commencing 14th February, which saw two named storms passing over the British Isles: Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice.
Storm Dudley struck first, from Wednesday 16th to Thursday 17th. It brought 80 mph winds and heavy rain to Wales and parts of Northern England and Scotland. Following Dudley, Storm Eunice arrived Friday 18th to Saturday 19th, with even stronger winds of up to 122 mph, and a rare Red Alert (danger to life) issued for the South West and South East of England. Videos across social media soon emerged of trees being ripped up from their long-held roots, power lines collapsing, wind turbines disintegrating, and even the O2 Arena having its roof shredded apart. Unfortunately, lives were lost, too.
This 2021–2022 storm season has reportedly seen more than 8 million trees destroyed.
By Saturday afternoon conditions started to calm down once more, and the sun soon came out. So, armed with my camera, I gingerly ventured out for a hike around my town, Kendal, to get some high vantage points and survey the damage.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0 prime lens. Developed in Lightroom and finished in Affinity Photo.
It was nice to actually see the sun come out for once.
I decided to head up onto Castle Howe, the site of Kendal’s first castle. To do that, you need to turn onto Allhallows Lane then up one of Kendal’s steepest roads, Beast Banks.
Even following two life-threatening storms, people are still more than ready to head out for a spot of retail therapy.
About a ⅓ of the way of Beast Banks you can exit onto Garth Head, an ancient medieval lane connecting two steep streets, Beast Banks and Captain French Lane. It’s technically an unclassified highway—the U752—making its upkeep the responsibility of Cumbria County Council.
About halfway along Garth Heads a couple of footpaths branch off and head up the fellside. This is the way to Castle Howe, the site of Kendal’s first castle. Nowt remains of the castle now except an obelisk that marks the castle’s original location. The castle was built somewhere around the end of the 11th century or turn of the 12th century.
The obelisk that marks the site of Kendal’s first castle, Castle Howe.
What the land around Castle Howe does offer is a fantastic view across Kendal town all the way to Benson Knott and the Whinfell fells.
One of my favourite lanes in Kendal, and certainly one of the steepest.
From Low Fellside the view spreads out more. The Whinfell fells and the Howgills are covered in a fresh coating of snow.
Above Maudes Meadow Residential Care Home, the rabbits were happily munching and frolicking on the common.
Storm Arwen destroyed many trees around Maudes Meadow. Thankfully, Dudley and Eunice didn’t add to the casualty list.
The River Kent, too, appears to have returned to normal levels.
Levens Hall Deer Park, Cumbria, Winter
I hope you like trees.
I hope you like trees.
With other duties and tasks that needed to be completed today, we decided on a lovely 10,000-step walk around the Levens Hall Deer Park. The park was landscaped some 300-odd years ago, around the same time as the gardens of the historic Levens Hall. As such, many of the trees in the park are centuries old and, unfortunately, some of them have suffered after Storm Arwen’s 100mph winds.
Levens Hall Deer Park is home to Black Fallow Deer and a herd of rare-breed Bagot goats. Whilst we didn’t see any of the distinctive goats, we did manage to spot some of the deer, happily chilling and grazing in the grounds.
With the trees devoid of leaves, there were opportunities to focus more on the shape and texture of each tree instead. With the sun out, we got some delicious golden side lighting, which I happily took advantage of with some more unusual close-up compositions.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Fujinon 23mm f/2.0, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. Images made 95% in-camera using Øyvind Nordhagen’s Modern Negative Fujifilm recipe, finished in Pixelmator and Darkroom.
The main lay-by near the park was already full, so we had to drive further up the A6 to find the second, smaller, lay-by. Not a problem, you just follow the mossy and slippery path all the way to park entrance.
A beautiful iron-wrought gate attached to some of the cottages near the park.
Once in the park, it was already shaping up to be a beautiful day.
With their leaves gone, it felt to celebrate the overall shape and “personality” of each tree.
Some of them still appear to have remnants of their autumn foliage on display.
One of many Storm Arwen casualties around the park.
It was nice to see families around enjoying the park too.
It blows my mind to think of the forces involved to rip a strong-looking tree like this in half. What a storm…
If some of the ancient trees suffered, then the surrounding dry stone walls had no chance.
These cottages must have some smashing views of the Deer Park and perhaps beyond the Morecambe Bay.
A tree stump being consumed by fungi provided me with some delightful textures to play with.
The extended loop of the circular park walk involves walking up to Force Falls, crossing the bridge over the river, and following the road back into the other side of the park. I weren’t complaining; Force Falls is always stunning.
The southeastern side of Levens Hall Deer Park was already giving us some beautifully gnarly trees to gawp at.
My lovely Lisabet, in her natural element.
This cottage on returning to the Deer Park caught my eye. Beautifully idyllic, and the light was the cherry on top.
So beautiful. Practically a sculpture in its own right
One of the distinctive aspects of Levens Hall Deer Park is “the Avenue”, which is lined with a variety of ancient trees, particularly oak. Near Park End cottage, a separate branch of the avenue had its own otherworldly collection of trees.
One of my favourite photos from the whole shoot. I’ll probably use this as a phone wallpaper.
I mean, just check out those textures…
After capturing some close-up compositions on my 23mm and 55mm, it was time to whack on the ultra-wide 9mm to really play with those textures, light, and angles.
I really dig this composition, I must say.
Some of the twists and knots in these trees were almost impossibly otherworldly and magical..
It’s not often I do close-up compositions using my ultra-wide lens, but the texture on this tree just called for it.
Anyone else see something of H. R. Giger’s work or style in this tree?
Onwards through the Oak Avenue, with a Storm Arwen casualty lying across. Can’t imagine how old that tree was…
I love the combination of textures here, from whirling and smooth to stubbly and geometric.
The base and roots of another tree gave me Sleepy Hollow vibes.
My lovely Lisabet, being the Wood Elf that she is, inside a hollow tree.
Looking back down the Oak Avenue we sauntered up, past another destroyed tree.
Nearing the end of our walk, this cluster of trees—all seemingly “looking” in the same direction—caught my eye.
Sometimes you just have to shoot chaos, and let someone else’s brain find something they can point to.
The day was a joy of wonderful soft light and glorious eldritch textures.
More days like this, please.
Pandemic Peregrinations: Unnamed Woods, Kendal, Cumbria, Spring
After a week where the spring rain finally arrived, it was good to get out and enjoy a warmer day, with a clear atmosphere, and gorgeous light.
After a week where the spring rain finally arrived, it was good to get out and enjoy a warmer day, with a clear atmosphere, and gorgeous light.
For the day’s Government Permitted Outdoor Exercise we returned to the woods around Bird’s Park Reservoir. The last time we visited, 2–3 weeks ago, we mentally bookmarked the woods for a return visit because we could see there would be lots of bluebells. After a week of passing showers, the great weather has returned, and as hoped the woods were full of bluebells.
The rain has also cleared the atmosphere of haze, so after popping out of the woods onto Paddy’s Lane, the views back to Kendal and the Lakeland fells beyond were beautifully clear.
All photos shot with my Fujifilm X-T2 in Provia mode using a Fujinon XC 16–50mm f/3.5–5.6 OIS lens. Edited in Capture One using a customised Provia 100f film emulation.
In other news
As of 9am on 2nd May, 182,260 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Coronavirus. As of 5pm on 1st May, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 28,131 have sadly died, a death rate of 15.43%.
May all those suffering find peace.
It feels so good to see leaves on the trees again.
As mentioned before, pictures here is Lisabet’s photo philosophy in practice: get close.
Spotted these beauties growing in someone’s rockery. Google reckons they’re Osteospermum, or “African Daisies”.
People working on their allotments, no doubt maintaining social distancing rules.
The fields above Kendal are showing lovely displays of dandelions at the moment.
Bluebells everywhere! Bonus points: soft dappled light dancing around the woods.
Beautiful bluebells, gorgeous light, and gnarly trees. Can’t really go wrong.
This is actually a rare image, because my lovely Lisabet actually requested to be photographed! So here she is, looking beautiful as always next to my favourite in these woods.
Popping out of the woods and looking back to the slopes above Kendal and the Lakeland fells beyond.
Following the drystone wall back up to Paddy’s Lane.
These are the sort of expansive views you get from Paddy’s Lane: Kendal nesting in its valley and the craggy profile of the Lake District fells beyond.
When I find a wall of some kind that flows with the rolling landscape, I take a picture.
Benson Knott (319 m/1047 ft), catching the late afternoon light.
Looking back down Paddy’s Lane with the Kentmere and Longsleddale fells in the distance.
I had to crop the photo in pretty tight, but still happy I managed to snap this busy little bumblebee.
Heading back into Kendal, a lamb enjoys the shade under a tree.
The ruins of Kendal Castle above Netherfield Cricket Club. Not a bad spot for a game of cricket, eh?
Lovely light striking the trees around the River Kent.
Despite the rain, the River Kent is still looking really dry.
The Clarity of Winter
It’s been a fairly murky transition from autumn to winter here in the Lake District.
But this weekend gone, the clouds disappeared, the temperatures plunged, and glorious winter sun gently washed the landscape. Lisabet and I went for a nippy hike around Loughrigg Tarn. Gotta love those views across the tarn to the Langdale Pikes.
Camera: Google Pixel 3XL
ISO: 60
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter speed: 1⁄2132
Software: Camera Raw, Photoshop, Nik Collection