Paula’s black and white Sunday this week is ‘Traces of the Past’.
This bronze by Jill Watson was commissioned by the people of Berwickshire to commemorate the women and children left by the East Coast Fishing Disaster of 1881.
The small bronze figures are the wives and children of Charles Purves, James and William Thorburn, three men lost at sea in 1881 from the fishing village of St Abbs. In total 189 men from the east coast of Scotland perished on that fateful day.
…but lots of other Welsh subjects to celebrate St David’s Day today (1 March)
Clockwise from top left: Burry Port lighthouse, Pembroke Castle, Red Kite, Laugharne Castle, Dylan Thomas Writing Shed, Weobley Castle, Harbourmaster Hotel Aberaeron, Dinefwr Castle, Kidwelly Castle, Daffodils, Spring lambs, Rhossili Beach, St Mary the Virgin Rhossili, Dylan Thomas Boathouse, River Aeron, Dryslwyn Castle
Centre: The Black Mountains Range (Brecon Beacons)
Living on the English / Welsh border I have been fortunate to explore the lovely Welsh counties and its many, many castles and beaches and landscapes.
Paula’s black and white Sunday this week is all about Light.
One of the things I do love about winter is how trees become so beautiful with their bare limbs free of leaves so that the structure shows against the sky. Sometimes, as in this case, the sky behind also has a beauty of its own with interesting cloud formations and shooting into the sun produces a monochromatic image without much post-processing required.
Please visit Paula to see other blogger’s light filled images.
Paula over at Lost in Translation runs a weekly Black and White Sunday challenge. I have been intending to write some posts about the castles and priories I have visited in Wales, but like other posts, I haven’t quite got around to them yet. But when I saw this week’s theme I thought about the ruins I have photographed and which, to me anyway, always convey that moody atmosphere which clings to ancient buildings. You can almost hear the chanting of the monks, the slap of leather sandals on Welsh slate floors, the swish of robes through the Cloister and the murmur of voices in the Chapter House where the ‘Black Canons’ assembled each morning.
And of course the background of the Welsh hills and the glowering clouds in a wet January only serve to enhance the mood.
Kynance beach is probably one of the most beautiful in Cornwall set in an area of outstanding natural beauty AONB. In fact I have seen it voted as being one of the most beautiful in the world. It is certainly one of the most remote as it is practically at the end of the Lizard peninsula (the Lizard is Britain’s most southerly mainland point) and it is not a beach that you can drive up to. Oh no, getting there involves a short (10 – 15 mins green route) hike down a fairly steep narrow trail , littered with loose rocks and steep steps at the end, or a longer, winding (20 – 30 mins red route) stroll along an uneven track with exposed bedrock and slightly loose stone surface which brings you out at the back of the cove near the toilets and tea-room. We opted for the longer route suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs without any steps.
The trail winds itself down the cliffs to the beach passing through swathes of golden gorse and outcrops of rocks, some covered in the deep egg-yolk yellow lichens. The views over the bay are stunning.
At low tide the white sands are revealed contrasting with the dark green and red serpentine rocks and the incredibly clear turquoise water. It is probably the most photographed and painted spot in the county. You can explore the towering rocks stacks and the caves with names such as The Parlour and The Drawing Room.
There is an excellent tea-room serving pasties and cream teas as well as sandwiches, drinks and beach stuff. We stopped for coffee and a cream tea and sat mesmerised by the colour of the sea whilst chaffinches hopped around our feet. I felt as though I had stepped back to New Zealand for a while.
From Kynance there is a fantastic 2 mile scenic walk around the coast to Lizard Point, but as the OH is not a cliff-top walker we drove there instead. I’ll show you what that looks like in another post 🙂
If you enjoy a walk, long or short, then have a look at Jo’s site where you are welcome to join in.
TRAVEL WORDS 