Photo Challenge – Page 198

The Mill on the Fleet

The Mill on the Fleet – The Mill was built in 1788 as a cotton spinning mill by James Birtwhistle from Yorkshire and was the second mill to be built on this site. The water wheel on the gable end was used to drive the machinery to spin the cotton.

(click to enlarge images)

The Mill and Terrace

The Mill Wheel

The Mill Gable End

By 1800, because of increasing competition from steam driven mills, the cotton industry in Gatehouse declined and by 1850 the mills were out of use. In 1859 they were bought by the Helme brothers from Dalbeattie and the upper mill was used to make wooden bobbins for the textile industry while this mill was used as a store and bark mill for the processing of oak for the leather tanning industry which was thriving in Gatehouse at the time. Source: History of the Mill

Note the thickness of the walls

The Mill Wheel (Textile)

Views out over the terrace

As well as a lovely tea room (and terrace), an information centre and a shop on the ground floor there is a bookshop and a permanent exhibition floor focusing on the history and heritage of Gatehouse, and exploring the Fleet Valley and surrounding areas, and on the top floor the Faed Gallery holds a programme of temporary exhibitions throughout the season.

The metal staircase

Bobbin Display

Bobbins

During our visit work by William Neal from his two current strands – Lyrical Abstraction and Iridescent Passages was on display. I have to say I was completely mesmerised by the way the light falling on the paintings changed with each angle you looked at them.

This weekly challenge is hosted by Dawn from ‘The Day After’ who invites participants to post pictures of any windows that they find curious, inviting, photogenic, or in some way tell a story. Visit her blog to see more windows and/or to join in with the challenge.

Circumnavigating Grasmere Lake

Whilst in the Lake District last month – time flies – we did a couple of lakeside walks. One, around the pretty picture postcard village of Grasmere is about 3 miles long which is long enough for me, especially as on this day, rain threatened. The lake is one of the smallest and a full circuit should not take long unless, like me, you stop to take dozens of photographs. The start and end of the walk is on the road, but it is fairly level once you reach the lake shore and there is a lovely lakeside beach at the southern end.

After wandering around the lovely village for half an hour or so, we headed off along Red Bank at the west of the village (near the church) and up hill where stunning homes nestle amongst the woodland filled with vibrant pinks and mauves of rhododendrons.

Where fayries wander

Selma and Siri's Lakeland cousins perhaps? — Selma and Siri’s Lakeland cousins perhaps?

and bright yellow Welsh poppies huddle alongside the hedgerows. In fact I am reminded of Wales here. Though it feels lighter somehow.

Red Bank

Beautiful Woodland

Pretty cottage

The Garden House

One, the wooden Garden House, appealed to me, but I dare say the price is high as well as the terraced garden, but oh, what a view.

The road continued meandering around bends, with no sight of a lake.

Then, a glimpse, through the trees and not long after we found the rough track leading down to the shoreline.

Careful with those loose stones

A neat track to the shore

The views once we reached the shore were amazing. Lush green fells rearing up all the way around the lake, the village now shrouded in cloud and to the south, just a glimpse of the beach we were heading to.

And neat wooden boardwalks to help us safely over the streams that feed into the lake.

Boadwalk

A family of shovellers

Lakeside Path

The path follows the shoreline until you reach the southern end, where you head up slightly into woodland, before coming out onto the beach. This must be a lovely place for a picnic in the summer months. It was, however, a little drizzly today.

But with beautiful reflections in the mirror-like surface

We found more people at this end of the lake (and discovered later that there is a car-park not too far away), some sitting admiring the view, others walking their dogs, and other fit people climbing up the fell behind us.

Now we had to decide which way to go. There was no obvious sign, so we headed over the wooden bridge and into the woodland. Only to get lost. Later we realised that we should have simply followed the path alongside the river as that led to the road and car-park. It was awfully wet though.

Into the wood

Finally, after doubling back on ourselves a couple of times, we found a way out of the wood and onto the very busy A591 road which leads to Windermere. Fortunately we only had a few metres to walk before hitting the pavement which took us back into Grasmere. Can you spot that lovely house overlooking the lake?

A last view of the lake at the northern end.

If you enjoy a walk, short or long, then you may enjoy visiting Jo’s Monday Walk where you are in for a treat.

One Day One World Project: 23:00 – Midnight

It’s been an odd week as we have been away in Kent for part of it, staying in a lovely farmhouse in the Weald of Kent where I could have taken photos of a pretty pink dawn sky or a valley full of mist – but neither at the right time for this week’s post.

The area we stayed in was completely dark at night – no street lights, no security lights – just the moon and stars. And nothing really to take a photo of outside (as you couldn’t see anything) so… what to post?

What struck me before the midnight hour on a couple of nights was the noise of sheep in the fields next-door to the farmhouse. Their bleating was so loud I wondered what was causing the distress. A fox? A badger? Talking to our hostess she explained that it could have been either, or the fact that they’d moved fields, or just been shorn, or lost a lamb or… well you get the idea, sheep are apparently very nervous creatures and the slightest change to their routine upsets them and they become very, very vocal!

I can’t say they kept me awake for long though. And I hope you like the photos of the sheep in daylight! A black rectangle would not have been very interesting 🙂

Sheep at the end of the garden

Lisa of the blog NorthWest Frame of Mind has decided to run a different project over the next 24 weeks. To try to show what is happening in different parts of the world (if you all join in) at a particular time of day. If you would like to participate you have until next Saturday midnight to post a photo or write about what is happening in your part of the world. This week is between 23:00 – 24:00. I hope you’ll join in! See links for more details.

Containers

Immediately I read the word ‘container‘ I think of plants – in pots. As someone who only has a container ‘garden‘ I am always on the lookout for ways in which to grow such plants and the type of containers used. A glasshouse, is of course, a container too since its job is to contain plants that otherwise would not survive outdoors.

Old Terracotta Pots are my favourite

and in some gardens you find ornate urns which would suit the style of my home, but sadly they are too big

Plastic pots and seed trays are invaluable to the gardener

and sometimes people use the most unusual containers

or what about this lion-guarded bowl of thyme in the Herb Garden at Sissinghurst Castle Garden?

Do you have any preference?

One Day One World Project: 22:00 – 23:00

Festival Fireworks Finale

During June and July Ludlow holds an Arts Festival and a Fringe Festival with loads of music, poetry, plays, comedy acts and Shakespeare culminating on the final Saturday (6th July) with a concert in the castle grounds and fireworks.

At 22:30 pm I was up on the top floor of our house with camera and gorillapod, windows flung wide open, listening to the final act which was David Essex. Given that the other stars of the show were Showaddywaddy and Les McKeown’s Bay City Rollers you may understand why I wasn’t at the actual concert. Anyway I didn’t record the songs ‘Gonna Make U A Star’, ‘Stardust’, ‘Oh What A Circus’ (which is the only one that I quite like), and ‘Silver Dream Machine’.

No, I was waiting for the fireworks finale. And at 22:50 the show began:

22:00 – 23:00

Lisa of the blog NorthWest Frame of Mind has decided to run a different project over the next 24 weeks. To try to show what is happening in different parts of the world (if you all join in) at a particular time of day. If you would like to participate you have until next Saturday midnight to post a photo or write about what is happening in your part of the world. This week is between 22:00 – 23:00. I hope you’ll join in! See links for more details.