Bamburgh, Budle & Cheswick Sands, Northumberland, Summer
Despite being in peak summer, it wasn’t all glorious sunshine during our week in Northumberland.
Despite being in peak summer, it wasn’t all glorious sunshine during our week in Northumberland.
On this particular day I poured over the various weather apps and services I check to ascertain temperatures, chances of rain, atmospheric conditions and more. From what I could see, if we stayed near the coast of Northumberland around Bamburgh we could probably avoid a lot of storms that were moving southwards.
After a beautiful morning of sunshine wandering around the beaches of Bamburgh and Budle, another glance at the weather services indicated a storm moving in over the area. This was also self-evident as the clouds above the beach and castle of Bamburgh were getting dark and foreboding. Lisabet and I nipped into a pub for lunch and decided on another beach further north that we hadn’t explored before: Cheswick Sands.
Thankfully, this was the correct decision. Not only did the rain fall as soon as we arrived at the pub (thank you, Lord Crewe Hotel), but the conditions at Cheswick Sands were blessedly dry. More than that, Cheswick Sands is beautiful. The area features extensive dunes, soft beaches, and fantastical sandstone formations to play around with photographically.
I made perhaps some of the finest seascape compositions I’ve ever done.
All photos shot on my Fujifilm X-T2 using my three prime lenses: a Samyang 35mm f/1.2, a Laowa 9mm f/2.8, and an adapted Pentax SMC 55mm f/2.0. All images were made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits and corrections after in Lightroom and Affinity Photo.
An early start meant we were able to park freely in Bamburgh and wander around the village with few people around. Pretty much no matter where you are in Bamburgh, the castle is sure to dominate the skyline.
The grounds around Bamburgh Castle were looking particularly lush and verdant.
Not something I expected, or wanted, to see when clambering around Harkess Rocks on Bamburgh beach. A dead Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus). You tend to see these beautiful birds more around cliffs and isolated rocky islands, so I’m not sure why this one was found near the beach.
My first aim of the morning at Bamburgh beach was to head to Harkess Rocks, which separates Bamburgh beach from Budle Bay. Here one can find a painted deer. Is it prehistoric? A recent piece of art? No-one’s quite sure. One story says that it was painted because a white stag jumped into the sea to escape hunters. Another story reckons it was painted by Italian prisoners of war during World War 2.
Harkess Rocks and Blackrock Point features a prehistoric fault line and a confusing jumbled mass of ancient volcanic rock. Compositionally, I think this area is better to shoot when the tide is in, allowing the water to better separate the shapes of the rocks.
Above Harkess Rocks is Bamburgh Moor, where Lisabet alerted me to a field full of these beautiful flowers (Phacelia tanacetifolia or Purple Tansy). You can read about the farmers who manage this field and why they sow the flowers here.
You’ve gotta admit, it’s a pretty stunning scene.
More of the layering of the scene is involved in this composition as the day started to brighten up.
North of Bamburgh Lighthouse, around Blackrocks Point, we found this open rock pool surrounded by these tessellating structures of volcanic rock. Made for a lovely, if challenging, composition.
Back from the main rock pool, I spotted another smaller rock pool filled with vivid lime green sea moss. I lined up a composition to create a kind of Figure-of-8 shape in the middle of the frame, surrounded by the dark volcanic rocks of Blackrocks Point.
North west of Blackrocks Point and Bamburgh beach, the sands open out into Budle Bay and its vast expanse of golden sand.
One reason on this day not to venture into the sea for a paddle or a swim: jellyfish. No thanks.
A minimalistic composition involving the vast virgin sands of Budle Bay.
Heading back south towards Bamburgh, the day brightened up and people had arrived to soak up the sun. In the distance, you can make out one of the Farne Islands, an important wildlife habitat.
The hulking might of Bamburgh Castle, standing protectively over the coastline and sea.
At around midday the beach was quickly filling up with people. I nabbed this quick composition of Bamburgh Castle in the distance with the edge of Harkess Rocks closer to the viewer.
This was where we decided to exit the beach and devise an alternative plan to avoid the approaching storm. Foreboding indeed.
The approaching storm made for some dramatic clouds above Bamburgh Castle, though.
Seemingly oblivious to the approaching storm about to drench them in rain, a group of friends enjoy a game of croquet in the fields next to Bamburgh Castle.
Bamburgh’s a proper bonny village.
After escaping the rains falling over Bamburgh and inland Northumberland, we drove north to visit a relatively little-known beach called Cheswick Sands. I snapped the rather dramatic skyline from the car park. Good job we weren’t under that.
Access to Cheswick Sands involves clambering up and down the soft sands of Cheswick’s dunes. From the top of one, I made this composition of the undulating dunes, the North Sea, and the dark storm in the distance.
As we gently wandered north along the gloriously empty beach of Cheswick Sands, we came across a band of exposed sandstone known as Cheswick Black Rocks.
They featured some wonderfully sculptured and bizarre rock formations, shaped over the eons by wind and sea. I had lots of fun making compositions of them.
It’s not very often I get to keep my ultra-wide 9mm lens on and play around with strange rock shapes and near-far photographic compositions. Loads of fun!
Probably my favourite composition of the whole day.
The northernmost parts of Cheswick Black Rocks were still covered in slippery seaweed and moss, which made for great colours.
Sculpted rocks, sand dunes, the North Sea, and a stormy sky. Love it.
I managed to climb on top of some of the higher rocks to grab this more unusual curving shape, accentuated courtesy of my 9mm lens.
Another fantastical rock formation, seemingly made of “scales” of discs folding over each other.
Curving flowing lines and pure untouched sand with a dramatic sky above.
As the sun came out to play a bit more, I found this beautiful boulder that I had to make a composition of before we returned to the car.
Miles of rippled wet sand and a long pool reflecting the dramatic sky above. What a quality day.
Sedbergh, Yorkshire Dales, Summer
After Saturday’s hike around Cunswick Fell for some glorious summer scenes, we sought more near the beautiful town of Sedbergh.
After Saturday’s hike around Cunswick Fell for some glorious summer scenes, we sought more near the beautiful town of Sedbergh.
I’ve commented before about the beauty of the Howgills and how Lisabet and I have barely touched them. The comely bumps and folds of these hills will see more of our footsteps in due course. But for this occasion I found a lovely hike that took us up towards the foot of the Howgills, through a couple of farms, and across some incredible wildflower meadows. We then joined the River Rawthey near Buckbank Farm and followed the river all the way back to the town.
A nice 5-mile circular, all in all.
Conditions, light, and scenes could not have been more cooperative for photography. The wildflower meadows beneath the Howgills were glorious.
All photos taken on my Fujifilm X-T2 with my Samyang 35mm f/1.2 lens. Images were made 80% in-camera using a customised Velvia film simulation, with minor edits in Lightroom and Affinity Photo afterwards.
The first of many wildflower meadows above Sedbergh we encountered, with Middleton Fell (609 m/2,000 ft) in the distance.
In the next field a few young bullocks and cows were giving us an inquisitive stare or two. We gingerly navigated around them, giving them plenty of room, but I did manage to fire off one photo.
The views across to Garsdale immediately started to open up. What glorious scenes.
Making our way northeast on the trail towards Ghyll Farm, the fell Crook (461 m/1,513 ft) momentarily darkens under the shade of a passing cloud.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off the sprawling views towards Garsdale. We really do live in a beautiful country.
I spotted this trio of trees with pleasing spacing between them, so I framed up for a composition with Soolbank in the gap.
A field full of buttercups and Knott (429 m/1,407 ft) bulging in the distance. Our destination is the stile over the wall, just to the right of centre.
Just one of many meadows in the foothills of the Howgills, brimming with buttercups. Above, clouds pass over Baugh Fell (678 m/2,224 ft), painting their own shadows onto the hill.
I paused at the top of climbing over the stile to capture this expansive and awe-inspiring view of Baugh Fell and Garsdale, with the characteristic drystone walls of Northern England and a horse grazing for good measure.
Some of the farm houses underneath the Howgills are a good two or three centuries old.
I largely don’t bother with focus stacking anymore. Opened this one all the way to f/1.2, focused on the fell and let the lens do the rest. All the buttercups. This would make a good smartphone wallpaper, actually.
After navigating through Stone Hall Farm we aimed for Buckbank Farm, which would allow us to join the River Rawthey. But not before taking a photo of this frankly ridiculous scene towards two of the southern Howgills, Crook and Knott, with meadows full of buttercups.
Approaching Ellerthwaite Farm, which would lead us to Buckbank and thus the River Rawthey.
Following on from Buckbank Farm we joined the bridleway southwest, which broadly follows the River Rawthey. Our next destination to look out for was Straight Bridge, which we would climb underneath to stay on the bridleway towards Sedbergh.
I always enjoy cows and bulls giving me The Stare…
Cows, trees, the Howgills, and fluffy clouds. A true Northern English summer country scene.
An interesting tree stump provided me with a lovely subject to frame in this composition.
The farm of Scrooge House with its fields of buttercups and the Howgills behind.
After pausing for a spot of packed lunch, we followed the bridleway by the river all the way towards New Bridge.
A rich and vibrant scene of summer colour I spotted by one of the becks that flows into the River Rawthey.
The way back to Sedbergh town. You’ve got to admit, it’s a proper lovely town, isn’t it?