Shapes and Shadows....

When my children were little and we visited historical sites I always told them to touch the stones and feel the history. There is nearly a thousand years of history to touch in the shapes and shadows of Bolton Abbey. 

This atmospheric Augustinian priory has been a place of worship since the 1100s and the nave of the Abbey is still part of the adjacent Parish church of St. Mary and St. Cuthbert. 

The shapes and shadows twist and turn and are achingly beautiful

Glorious windows and hidden doorways

 look out onto  a landscape that probably hasn't changed very much

over the last 1000 years

Long shadows play across hidden corners

There is peace and tranquilly to be found near these ancient stones and the echo of long forgotten footsteps still echo in the shapes and shadows of hidden corners.

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Bolton Abbey ~ Yorkshire

Bolton Abbey
Yorkshire

The majestic beauty of Bolton Abbey nestles comfortably in the arms of the Strid Valley

where the remains of the C12 Augustinian priory still exert their indomitable presence on the

hills and dales of lower Wharfedale. 

Sheep quietly go about their business seemingly oblivious to the beauty behind them

The Parish Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert

The nave of the Abbey Church has been in use since 1170 and survived the  

Dissolution of the Monasteries in the C16

Bolton Abbey Hall

Owned by The Cavendish Family

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A Summer Meadow..

The wild flower meadows at Fir Tree Farm in Billinge are in full flower.

Awash with colour and the summer scent of camomile 

Camomile, Field Poppy, Cornflower

Corn Marigold

Field Poppy with Camomile

A summer pathway

And at the end of the walk is a well deserved cup of tea

Liverpool....

Visiting Liverpool on a sunny day without a camera was a big mistake

so my Samsung phone came in handy !

Rigging on the Dock

The Port of Liverpool Building

The Port of Liverpool Building (formerly Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Offices, more commonly known as the Dock Office), is a Grade II listed building.

It is sited at the Pier Head along with the neighbouring Liver Building and Cunard Building is one of Liverpool's "Three Graces", which line the city's waterfront.  

 The Liver Birds
on the Liver Building

The Liver Bird is the symbol for the city of Liverpool.

The use of a bird to represent the city dates to the medieval era, but the idea that the "liver bird" is a mythical creature specific to Liverpool evolved in the 20th century. The bird is normally represented in the form of a cormorant holding a frond in its mouth.


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Lining up the shot...

Just to prove that I take the pictures

Here I am

 Lining up the shot

From this....

 To that .....

Fairground Attraction...

The vibrancy of life above St Annes Pier with all its colour and vibrancy

is in direct contrast to peering underneath its Victorian underbelly.

Tears of a clown

Send in the clowns

Where are the clowns?

Here we go round and round...

Stop right there....

Peering at the Pier....

A trip to St Annes-on-Sea on the beautiful Fylde coast allowed a glimpse into life at the seaside


St Annes is much more sedate than its naughty neighbour, Blackpool and echoes of St Annes Victorian past still resonates within its small town charm.


The Victorian Pier was completed in 1885.

The glory of its architecture is still to be seen in the shape of its wooden slats and iron crossbars.

A little rusty now but no less dramatic for the erosion of time and tide

And the perfectly precise alignment 

 

really is

 

a Victorian work of art.

 A little bit of flotsam  catches the light.

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Could it be magic...no, it's wild garlic..

I wish that I could share the smell of this dingly dell.

The wildness of the garlic and the lazy motes of Spring sunshine

combined to make it feel like a magical place.

"Wild Garlic"

Allium ursinum 

And let your wandering eye perceive a babbling brook

whose glints and splashes gently fall .... to tumble and turn away ...away....

I wonder if the meandering path will take you slowly to a still, small  place of calm?

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 I feel that I have served my apprenticeship with my itty bitty clicky point and shoot camera -

I have now progressed to using one of the big guns that we have in our arsenal of cameras.

I am now trusted with a Fuji X20

Happy Days.

**

A place to sit ....

Whilst out walking yesterday, I came across two magical seats

Both are just perfect places to stop and sit a while

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself"

Zen Proverb

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Bluebell Woods.....

A quiet stroll two minutes from home took us

 to

Winstanley Hall

Built in 1560 is one of only three Tudor houses in the 

Wigan borough

 In the grounds are the most perfect 

bluebell woods.

Sadly, the hall isn't accessible to the public but the bluebells

can be seen by poking your camera lens over the gap in the stone wall.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta is the common bluebell which is frequently found in ancient woodland. It is a protected species in the UK and is classified as one of our favourite flowers.

I didn't trespass and no bluebells were damaged in taking these shots.

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Away with the fairies...

Fairy Glen in Appley Bridge, West Lancashire is designated as a Biological Heritage Site for its ancient woodland of oak, birch, ash and alder, the woodland floor may be covered with bluebells, wild garlic, marsh marigolds, ferns, and red campion.

Birch

Marsh Marigold

Ferns , Celandines and Bluebells

Sprodley Brook

The waters of Sprodley Brook have, over time, cut down through the underlying sandstone to create the steep Fairy Glen valley, which has spectacular waterfalls and cliff faces.

Sandstone Cliff

Spectacular waterfalls

A carpet of bluebells

Tree patterns in the Spring sunshine

The scent of bluebells and wild garlic conjure up an ancient place of magic and mystery.

And there is always the possibility of a fairy passing by....

"And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know. There are fairies everywhere: under bushes, in the air, playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day. So listen, touch, and look around - in the air and on the ground. And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing."

 ~Author Unknown ~

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