Still Standing

 This is Hurst Castle, a coastal fort that was built in the time of King Henry VIII, extended and used in the Napoleonic Wars and further modified and in use during WWII. Unfortunately part of the castle is currently closed to visitors due to the fact that one of the sea walls has collapsed due to high seas and the effect of erosion. Work is under way to repair the damage.

It is amazing to think that this has been a working fort for almost 500 years.

This was my second visit to Hurst Castle. The first time I went was about 18 years ago. I had been camping in the New Forest with my young family, we parked up in Keyhaven and rather than take the ferry to the castle I thought it would be a good idea to walk along the shingle spit to make the most of the views across the Solent. I hadn't realised it was a 3 mile walk and although that isn't too far really the fact that it was on shingle made it really hard work. Also as we approached the castle the sky turned a very dark grey and I was dreading the walk back in case it rained. As the visit to the castle continued I heard a rumbling sound and rushed to the top of one of the towers to watch a Spitfire fly past. That was such an exciting and memorable moment but shortly afterwards the rumbling changed and rather than the sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine it was the rumble of thunder which was followed by the heaviest downpour.

Luckily the ferry back to Keyhaven arrived in time to rescue us and return us to the harbour and the carpark so we didn't get too wet.

This time round it was just my youngest son and I, we were also on a camping holiday and while I remembered the previous visit quite vividly my son was less sure. Nevertheless he wanted to take the ferry both ways so that's what we did. It was nice to go back and at one point I observed two spitfires flying over the Isle of Wight and then as we were boarding the ferry for the return trip we were treated to a flypast by a two seat spitfire which really topped off the day.

Belsay Castle

This is a bit of a picture postcard shot really but I think it is a good image showing the medieval Belsay Castle in Northumberland. 

Apparently it was built in 1370  and it was used as a residence by the Middleton family until Christmas Day 1817 when the family moved into the newly built mansion just a short distance away

The original castle was stripped of its furnishings and used as a folly in the extensive grounds and was used to host summer parties.

I think I prefer the original castle to the modern hall, how about you? Leave a comment to let me know your preference...

A Labyrinth

In the grounds of Belsay Hall and Castle in Northumberland there is a strange labyrinth of pathways through rocky gorges. It is an unusual and slightly magical place and although the paths in most places are wide and well trodden it is easy to feel lost and alone, even on a day when there are lots of visitors.

I spent a really nice afternoon here with my mum a couple of years ago and looking back at these pictures I am reminded of that day. 

In Unexpected Places

I am always looking for a photo opportunity and it is always frustrating when I am out and about and I don't have my camera handy. It has also been frustrating recently as I haven't been able to get out taking pictures and that has given me cause to go back through some old files.

We can often find something of beauty in unexpected places and even functional items can be great photographic subjects. Take this cast iron fire basket for example with its elegant curves and decorative ball. I can imagine flaming logs here sending out warmth and light into the room. How welcome that would be on nights like these when it is cold and damp outside.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

I haven't been able to blog for a couple of days for various reasons and I have missed the process of sorting through images and choosing what to share. For today I have gone back to some pictures which I took back in May.

The title of the blog today is taken from the Monty Python film The Life of Brian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9foi342LXQE have a look at the clip, I am sure it will make you smile.

The meticulously placed slabs in the walls here at Housesteads Fort on Hadrian's Wall have stood for almost 1,900 years and they still look imposing, showing the quality of the workmanship and skills of the Roman builders. They make a good subject for a photo too so I hope you enjoy these shots.