Category: photography

Lichfield Cathedral – a three-spired cathedral

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 10, 2017
4 Comments on Lichfield Cathedral – a three-spired cathedral

We haven’t shared a visit to a cathedral for quite a while now so a trip to Lichfield recently allowed us just that. A religious place of worship has existed on the site for more than 1300 years and the current cathedral now draws not just worshippers but also tourists who come to admire its architecture and artifacts.

We visited on a return journey after a weekend in Leicestershire visiting our son, daughter-in-law and our new granddaughter. We have driven past signs for the city so many times and have been determined to visit one day. This is the story of that day.

As we approached the cathedral green we found this “speakers’ corner” on the approach to the bridge. The cathedral was visible in the mist with its spire disappearing. There is sadly no place from which we could see its three spires.

The cathedral’s stonework was dark and well-eroded giving it an untidy finish, and pollution had darkened it in places to black. We were confused to find a carved tomb and a statue on the outside wall which we presumed were perhaps at one time inside the building in a part since demolished.

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The main entrance was up several stone steps and the doorways arches were beautifully carved with complex patterning. Equally impressive were the carvings on the doors themselves.

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Once inside we were surprised at how dark it seemed and how tall. There was colouful stained glass, beautiful columns and amazingly shaped ceiling structures.

The chancel was impressive because of its high vaulted ceiling and medieval painted walls. We were lucky to visit at a time when there was a display of artifacts from the famous “Staffordshire Hoard”. We were amazed by the beauty of the objects and how tiny but detailed they were.

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There were so many interesting things to see and take photographs of that I have far too many to put in this post so I have created a gallery for you to enjoy. Please click on the first photo and then navigate with the right arrow. We hope you have enjoyed sharing our visit to Lichfield Cathedral.

Tags architecture, archways, cathedrals, church architecture, Lichfield Cathedral, sculpture

autumn autumn colours colours gardens open to the public Land Art light light quality logs National Trust outdoor sculpture photography Shrewsbury Shropshire The National Trust trees woodland woodlands

The Line – a simple tribute to Richard Long

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 21, 2017
1 Comment on The Line – a simple tribute to Richard Long

Jude and I are great fans of land artists and are proud of our British contingency of these sculptors with big ideas. We have sought out pieces around the UK and loved the work of Andy Goldsworthy, David Nash and Richard Long in particular.

Leaving a wooded shaded area and entering a open grassland mown short by the munching mouths of deer and sheep, the sunlight caught the purity of the white fibres of the sheep wool. A simple white line, a reminder of the work of Richard Long.

Richard Long and his landscape art would soon come back to our thoughts and eyes, as we continued our wandering in the woodlands at our local National Trust property with its wonderful parkland, woodland and walled garden, we had to take a detour veering away from our usual routeway. We took a poorly marked diversion beneath open woodland of long stretched trees with narrow trunks and branches way up creating a high canopy.

Some of these trees, although relatively young tend to weaken due to competition from their neighbours simply growing too closely, and then either die off or get blown over by strong winds. On this day in late November the bright sunshine shone so low down that it lit up the felled trunks. Below I share my photograph of a thin silver line lying beneath the narrow black verticals, a broken birch bough beneath living conifers stretching to reach the light.

It put in my mind the work of Richard Long, the part played in his creativity of lines and paths. I took a few shots to put together as a short appreciation of his work.

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sb1-18 The end of the line ………………..

……………………… for now. Soon more broken bright green moss covered fallen boughs cut across our pathway. the richest green cutting through the deeply carpeted dried browns of fallen autumn leaves.

More lines appear before your eyes when you have Richard Long’s work in your mind, the wash left as a white line across the dark surface of the river, the bright line of light vertically drawn down the trunk of an ancient proud tree.

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So our visit to Attingham Park was made even more special and the experience raised even higher by linking it to Richard Long’s creativity. What a surprise!

Tags deciduous trees, land art, lines, National Trust, outdoor sculpture, Richard Long, The National Trust

photography

Nostalgia Week – Goodwood Revival

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date January 13, 2017
1 Comment on Nostalgia Week – Goodwood Revival

We are always delighted to get the chance to attend celebration days at the Goodwood Circuit, a special place for nostalgia! Daughter Jo and son-in-law Rob work as part of the time keeping team for the racing and they love to be a part of it, and we love to go along to enjoy and experience this wonderful day.

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We always get excited when our tickets and programme arrive.

Goodwood celebrates all things vehicular and vintage, with an emphasis on those vintage vehicles that move at speed. But surprises pop up among the fast and furious racing and sports cars, to make us smile wherever we went, like these Lamborgini tractors, a vintage ice cream van and milkman.

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There was vintage speed in the air above our heads as well as on the track in front of us on the ground.

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Most spectators dress appropriately too, adding to the unique atmosphere and adding enjoyment for everyone. Jo and Rob, and Jude and I dressed for the occasion!

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There were lots of individuals dressed as workers of the period, including teams of cleaners all called “Mrs Mop”, dancers and all the stewards were suitably dressed.

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The last race started in daylight and ended in the dark, which was quite an experience.

As we slowly walked back to the car in the dark we enjoyed watching the fairground lighting up the darkness.

Let us finish with a gallery of shots to help illustrate this most special of days. Enjoy the pics!

Tags Goodwood, Goodwood Circuit, Goodwood Revival, memories, nostalgia, revival, speed, vintage, vintage cars

colours garden photography gardening ornamental trees and shrubs photography Piet Oudolf Shropshire shrubs Winter Gardening winter gardens

Simply Beautiful – 4 – ugly name beautiful flower

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date December 22, 2016
1 Comment on Simply Beautiful – 4 – ugly name beautiful flower

Late in the year little surprises appear in the garden to stop you in your tracks. These are often out of season flowerings but beauty can also be found in the way plants gracefully fade away at the year’s end. Piet Oudolf reckons that to be a good garden worthy plant, a plant must die beautifully. When you visit any of the gardens designed by him in the winter you can identify with his idea and he is excellent at using such plants.

These little sparkling garden gems were brightly coloured a few weeks back with cerise and metallic blue colouring but they remain beautiful in their new winter colours. It is the shrub called Clerodendrum trichotomum var. fargesii. Ugly name but beautiful plant!

Tags berried shrubs, changing colours, Clerodendrum, colour in the garden, flowering shrubs, ornamental shrubs, Piet Oudolf, shrubs in winter, trees and shrubs, winter, winter garden

autumn autumn colours garden photography light light quality ornamental trees and shrubs photography trees

Simply Beautiful 3 – Cedar Lights

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date December 11, 2016

The autumn light can be very special at the beginning of the day but even more so as the days draws to a close. As we ended a parkland walk in late November we watched as the last rays of the sun tried to seek a way through the heavily needled branches of this huge and very ancient Cedar. Simply beautiful!

Tags ancient trees, autumn, autumn colours, Cedars, garden in autumn, late autumn, light, light quality

autumn autumn colours colours garden design garden photography gardening gardens gardens open to the public landscapes light light quality ornamental trees and shrubs photography Shropshire shrubs Staffordshire trees

The Dorothy Clive Garden in November

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date December 4, 2016

Our November visit to see the changing faces of this lovely Shropshire/Staffordshire border garden saw us arriving in sunshine but we were to be treated to a magnificent sky later in the day.

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The grass below our feet was wet with the heavy dew from the night hours and it sparkled and glowed in the low autumnal rays of the sun. We just knew we were in for a good day! The two signs near to where we parked up hinted at the joys of autumn we would find and also at the fact that a painting course was being held in the gardens. There always seems to be something going on here as well as the beauty of the garden itself.

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We always love the first few minutes of our visits here, when we get the first views out across the garden and get an idea of what the day may have in store for us. We immediately noticed that the Viburnum which we have never been able to identify had now lost the vibrancy of its red-purple hanging foliage and there was no sign of the richly glossy red and black berries. Instead a white feather hung to one of the last remaining leaves. Nearby in the border leading to the tea house yellow dominated, foliage of a tall Calamagrostis grass, an out of season golden yellow Phlomis whorl of flowers and the delicate seedheads of Agapanthus.

Looking out from the tea shop through its large panoramic window we noticed the light glistening on the dew still hanging on covering the grass and the outdoor seats and tables. As I took the pics of the dew Jude the Undergardener/ Mrs Greenbench looked out from the warmth enjoying tea and cake and the beautiful seasonal table centre bouquet.

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As we re-entered the chill we noticed that the Nerine outside the cafe which we enjoyed in flower last month was parading its glossy black berries. Dew on the deeaply pleated Melianthus leaves increased their glaucous hue. The gardeners were busy cutting, taking under cover or protecting the tender plants around the cafe terrace. In the hot borders many tender perennials such as Dahlia, Salvias and Echiums were already safely put away leaving swathes of bare cold soil in their wake.

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Seed heads have darkened and the scaffolding of stems have become more skeletal during the late autumn and produced a beauty all of their own for our delectation.

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Leaves and fruit add richness and depth to the more limited November colour palette.

Side by side two completely different plants, one an Aesculus, one a Fuchsia present the same pinkish-cream colour, the first within its leaf and the second in its faded pink flowers. Beautiful to see them side by side!

Without a doubt my favourite family of shrubs is the deciduous Euonymus and they are always such exciting plants with unusual stems, bark, flowers and berries. Naturally I was delighted to come across this beautiful little shrub, Eouonymus alatus nana with beautiful subtle pink colouring to the autumn foliage and deep purple with orange flowers and berries.

So our eleventh visit to Dorothy Clive was such a worthwhile, even exciting day for us with such an unusual sky event lighting up the gardens for a little while. Our next visit in December will be the final one so we will see what the year end brings to this wonderful place.

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Tags autumn, autumn colours, autumn gardens, changing colours, colour, deciduous euonymus, euonymus, garden in November, light, light quality, light vales, North Shropshire, November, Shropshire gardens, Staffordshire, Staffordshire Gardens

autumn autumn colours colours landscapes light light quality National Trust ornamental trees and shrubs photography Shropshire The National Trust trees Winter Gardening winter gardens woodland woodlands

Simply Beautiful 2 – woodland light

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date December 3, 2016

If the light is right in the autumn and you are wandering around woodland stripes of light and shade will appear painting the woodland floor before you. Simply beautiful!

Tags autumn, autumn colours, beauty, deciduous trees, garden in autumn, garden in November, garden trees, late autumn, light, light and shade, light quality, November, ornamental trees, shadow, simple beauty

autumn light light quality photography winter gardens

Simply Beautiful 1 – delicacy in the border.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date November 25, 2016
3 Comments on Simply Beautiful 1 – delicacy in the border.

Sometimes the simplest of things are the most beautiful!

Take one twig!

Pink leaf petioles.

A single flower from the complex head of an Hydrangea sitting on a leaf.

I will be looking out for more such simple beauties and sharing them with you from now on. My new challenge for my Nikon lens!

Tags beauty, close up photography, close ups, flower photography, garden photography, Hydrangeas, petioles, photographing plants, photography, simple beauty, simplicity

bird watching birds canals climbing plants colours conservation countryside hedgerows landscapes nature reserves photography Shropshire Shropshire Wildlife Trust wildlife Wildlife Trusts

A return visit to the Prees Branch Line – a canal nature reserve.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date September 25, 2016
4 Comments on A return visit to the Prees Branch Line – a canal nature reserve.

My brother Graham and his wife Vicky came to stay with us in early September and we went for some good days out, one of which was to the Prees Branch Line, a disused canal branch that never actually opened but now is a rich nature reserve, the longest wildlife pond in Shropshire. We have visited several times in the past at different seasons and enjoyed every walk along the old abandoned canal, as there is always so much wildlife to observe, encounter and surprise.

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The site sign hints strongly at its main wildlife star, the Water Vole with a lovely illustration, but this is a star who is a real secretive creature and visitors have to be very lucky to spot one. It is more likely to find stems of reeds nibbled down in the vole’s distinctive style, or hear the plop as it enters the water again a very distinctive sound. We have heard them plop and seen signs of their nibblings at this reserve but never as yet spotted one.

We began our walk enjoying a coffee as we put on our walking boots and luckily spotted some fruit trees close by, the native Shropshire Damson otherwise known as the Shropshire Prune. This tree is a feature of Shropshire’s hedgerows and we have enjoyed many while on walks. These however were the sweetest we have ever tasted, the nectar of the gods.

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On this latest visit we were lucky to spot and watch for a long while a rare bee, the Moss Carder Bee which was a first for us. It appeared right in front of me as I was taking a photograph of a plant so I had the rare chance of taking photographs so effortlessly. The bee really just posed for me. Graham and I watched it for a while and got very close, close enough to appreciate the beauty of its delicate colouring and the subtlety of its markings.

Not so long after this a similar thing happened. Again I was taking a close up photograph of a plant when a hoverfly firstly came into view above the flower, then landed on it closely followed by a second identical one allowing me to get these shots. Twins! Identical twins!

Berries were at various stages of ripeness from hard green to the darkest of ruby red.

And wild flowers added spots of colour to the impressionist painting that is the bank of the canal.

There was so much to see as we ambled along the narrow track along the towpath of the canal branch line that never opened to barges just to wildlife. Rather than narrow-boats plying the waters it is Swans, Mallards and Water Voles instead! We barely moved forward a few steps before something caught our eyes and stopped us in our tracks. I took so many photos that I thought I could invite you to join us as we followed our canal side path “there and back again”. Enjoy!

As usual just click on the first photo and then navigate with the arrows.

Tags berries, canals, disused canals, North Shropshire, Prees Branch Canal, Shropshire, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, swans, trees, trees and shrubs, waterside, waterside wildlife, wildflowers

climbing plants colours garden design garden photography garden wildlife gardening gardens gardens open to the public hardy perennials light light quality National Garden Scheme photography roses Shropshire Yellow Book Gardens

What our visitors saw in August

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date August 19, 2016
1 Comment on What our visitors saw in August

We open our garden a few times a year both by appointment and full open days so I thought it would be interesting to wander around our patch just after a group left, taking photos as I went, thus giving a visitors’ eye view of our garden. The date was early August.

Salvias featured strongly as did clematis and roses. Colours in the garden were strong and lively, helped by the sunshine when it occasionally came out to play.

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The added bonus of wildlife always delights our visitors. We will soon be hosting our final visit by a garden group for this year but we already have groups booked to come and share our Avocet patch with us in 2017.

I now invite you to come with me and my camera lens for a wander around our garden by navigating through this gallery. I hope you enjoy the journey. As usual click on the first photo and navigate with the arrows.